Chapter 4

Cabling, connectors and Network Devices

Network Media and Connectors

● Cabling is the medium for the transmission of data

between hosts on the LANs.
● LANs can be connected together using a variety of
cable types.
● Each cable type has its own advantages and
disadvantages .
● Three primary types of cable media can be used to
connect systems to a network— coaxial cable,
twisted-pair cable, and fiber-optic cable.
● Transmission rates that can be supported on each of
these physical media are measured in millions of
bits per second, or megabits per second (Mbps).
 Coaxial Cable

● Coaxial, or coax, cable looks like the cable used to bring the cable TV
signal to your television.
● One strand (a solid-core copper wire) runs down the middle of the
cable.
● Around that strand is a layer of insulation, and covering that insulation is
braided wire and metal foil, which shields against electromagnetic
interference.
● A final layer of insulation covers the braided wire. Because of the layers
of insulation, coaxial cable is more resistant to outside interference
than other cabling, such as unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable.
● There are two types of coax cabling: thinnet and thicknet. The two differ
in thickness and maximum cable distance that the signal can travel.
Thinnet Coaxial Cable

● This refers to RG-58 cabling, which is a flexible coaxial cable about a quarter-
inch thick.
● Thinnet is used for short-distance communication and is flexible enough to
facilitate routing between workstations.
● Thinnet connects directly to a workstation’s network adapter card using a
Bayonet Neill–Concelman (BNC) connector and uses the network adapter card’s
internal transceiver.
● The maximum length of thinnet is 185 meters.
Thicknet Coaxial Cable

● This coaxial cable, also known as RG-8, gets its name by being a thicker cable
than thinnet.
● Thicknet cable is about a half-inch thick and can support data transfer over
longer distances than thinnet.
● Thicknet has a maximum cable length of 500 meters and usually is used as a
backbone to connect several smaller thinnet-based networks.
● Due to its thickness, this cable is harder to work with than thinnet cable.
● A transceiver often is connected directly to the thicknet cable using a connector
known as a vampire tap.
● Connection from the transceiver to the network adapter card is made using a
drop cable to connect to the attachment unit interface (AUI) port connector.
Twisted-Pair Cable

● Twisted-pair cabling gets its name from the four pairs of wires that are twisted
to help reduce crosstalk or interference from outside electrical devices.
(Crosstalk is interference from adjacent wires.)
● There are two forms of coaxial cable, there are two forms of twisted-pair
cabling—unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) and shielded twisted-pair (STP).
 Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable

● The typical twisted-pair cable for network use contains four pairs of wires. Each
member of the pair of wires contained in the cable is twisted around the other.
● The twists in the wires help shield against electromagnetic interference.
● The maximum distance of UTP is 100 meters, with the exception of CAT 6, which
has a maximum distance of 100 meters when used in 10/100/1000BaseT
environments,. but has a maximum distance of 55 meters when used with
10GBaseT networks.
 Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable

● UTP cable uses small plastic connectors designated as registered jack 45, or most
often referred to as RJ-45. The network RJ-45 connector contains eight contacts,
one for each wire in a UTP cable.
● UTP cable is easier to install than coaxial because you can pull it around corners
more easily due to its flexibility and small size.
● Twisted-pair cable is more susceptible to interference than coaxial is, however,
and should not be used in environments containing large electrical or electronic
devices.
● UTP cabling has different categories. Each category of UTP cabling was designed
for a specific type of communication or transfer rate.
 Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable

The difference between CAT 6 and CAT 6a is that with CAT 6 cabling, the maximum
distance allowed for the cable length is reduced to 55 meters when connected to 10
Gbps networks, while CAT 6a can run at a maximum distance of 100 meters with 10
Gbps networks due to reduced crosstalk measures built into the cabling.
Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable - Wiring Standards
Straight-Through Cables

● UTP cabling usually uses only four wires when sending and receiving
information on the network.
● The four wires of the eight that are used are wires 1, 2, 3, and 6.
● When you configure the wire for the same pin at either end of the cable,
this is known as a straight-through cable.
Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable - Wiring Standards
Crossover Cables
● In order to connect two systems directly together without the use of a hub,
you will need to create a crossover cable by switching wires 1 and 2 with
wires 3 and 6 at one end of the cable,
Unshielded Twisted-Pair Cable - Wiring Standards
568A and 568B Standards
Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable

Shielded twisted-pair (STP) cable is similar to UTP cabling, but it differs from UTP in
that it uses a layer of insulation within the protective jacket, which helps maintain the
quality of the signal.
Fiber-Optic Cable

● Fiber-optic cables use optical fibers that carry digital data signals in the form of
modulated pulses of light.
● An optical fiber consists of an extremely thin cylinder of glass, called the core,
surrounded by a concentric layer of glass, known as the cladding.
● There are two fibers per cable—one to transmit and one to receive. The core also can
be an optical-quality clear plastic, and the cladding can be made up of gel that
reflects signals back into the fiber to reduce signal loss.
Fiber-Optic Cable
There are two types of fiber-optic cables:
Multimode Fiber Uses multiple rays
of light (modes) simultaneously,
with each ray of light running at a
different reflection angle to carry
the transmission over short
distances.

Single-mode Fiber Uses a single

ray of light, known as a mode, to
carry the transmission over long
distances.

The two major connector types: the straight-tip (ST) connector and the subscriber (SC) connector.
● The ST connector is based on the BNC-style connector, but has a fiber-optic cable instead of a
copper cable.
● The SC connector is square and somewhat similar to an RJ-45 connector.
General Network Media consideration
1. Bandwidth and Data Rates

● Copper Cables (e.g., Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7):

○ Typically used for local area networks (LANs).
○ Bandwidth ranges from 100 Mbps (Cat5e) to 10 Gbps
(Cat6a and above).
● Fiber Optic Cables:
○ Used for high-speed data transmission over long distances.
○ Bandwidth ranges from 1 Gbps to over 100 Gbps.
2. Distance

● Copper Cables:
○ Effective for shorter distances (up to 100 meters for
Cat6a).
● Fiber Optic Cables:
○ Effective for longer distances (up to several kilometers).
3. Cost

● Copper Cables:
○ Generally cheaper than fiber optic cables.
● Fiber Optic Cables:
○ More expensive but offer higher performance and
longer distance capabilities.
4. Installation and Maintenance

● Copper Cables:
○ Easier to install and terminate.
○ Susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI).
● Fiber Optic Cables:
○ More challenging to install and terminate.
○ Immune to EMI and radio frequency interference (RFI).
5. Scalability

● Consider the potential growth of your network.

● Fiber Optic Cables: Offer more scalability for future-proofing.
6. Security

● Fiber Optic Cables:

○ More secure against eavesdropping and signal tapping.
● Copper Cables:
○ More vulnerable to interception and signal degradation.
7. Environmental Considerations

● Copper Cables:
○ Can be affected by environmental conditions such as
temperature and humidity.
● Fiber Optic Cables:
○ More resilient to harsh environmental conditions.
8. Flexibility

● Wireless Media:
○ Offers mobility and ease of installation.
○ Suitable for areas where cabling is impractical or impossible.
○ Bandwidth and reliability can be affected by interference and
physical obstructions.