Networking tutorial for beginer and advanced user

Wireless transmission medium

 Any medium by which data transfer without any physical device like cable can be called as wireless transmission medium. Example can be wireless phone and wireless connection in laptops.

Wireless Mediums can be off following type

Radio Frequency:à

1)      Speed of radio frequency can be 1 to 10Mbps.

2)      Radio frequency can cover distance of 70 Meters to 1 Km.

3)      Frequency Range of Radio Frequency is 10KHz to 1000 MHz

4)      In Radio frequency single Range frequency is not secured but spread spectrum can be secured.

5)      Can affect from interference of other radio frequencies as well as other electrical signals.

 

Infrared:à

1)      Speed of Infrared can be 10Mbps to 100Mbps.

2)      Maximum distance covered by infrared is 100Meters.

3)      Working frequency of Infrared is 1000Ghz to 400THz.

4)      Good in security as no electrical signal pass is there.

5)      Effect of environmental condition is very high in Infrared signals. It need to maintain line of sight for data transfer.

Microwave:à

1)      Speed of Microwave is 1 to 10Mbps.

2)      Distance covered by Microwave can be 1 Mile to global reach.

3)      Working frequency of Microware is 1000MHz to 1000GHz.

4)      If signals are encrypted microwave transmission is secured.

5)      Effect of interference is less comparison to Radio Frequency.

Fiber Optics cable

In looks we can say fiber optic cable looks similar to coaxial cable as it has one central cable and one shield and then one more shield but in this cable data transfer goes using optical transmission.

In fiber optics cable there is one central core made up of best glass material best possible refraction, this core is covered by another glass material that has lower refraction rate to keep light inside of core. This second layer is covered by a plastic jacket.

Fiber optic sheath: àFiber sheaths are laid in ground and in oceans for creating a long distance network. Fiber sheath are group of multiple fiber optic cables as a single wire. We can understand it easily by example of a flexible copper wire. If you have ever removed (I am sure you have done it) plastic covering of flexible copper wire you can see multiple thin wires inside it and all these wire makes a thick wire to sustain for heavy electric load. Similarly a fiber optic sheath is made up of multiple fiber optics cable in one jacket.

 Characteristics of fiber optics cable

1)      Maximum cable length of fiber optic cable can go from 2KM to 100KM.

2)      Bandwidth of fiber optic cable can go 100Mbps to 1Gbps.

3)      Connector types for fiber optic cable are ST, SMA, SC, and MIC.

4)      Fiber optics cable is most expensive transmission media in all of network mediums.

5)      Interference protection in fiber optics cable is best

Benefit of Fiber optics cable

1)      Fiber optics cable can be installed over long distance.

2)      Fiber optics cable provide large amount of bandwidth.

3)      Fiber optics cable is free from EMI and RFI.

4)      Fiber optics cable cannot be easily taped so it’s very secure in comparison to all other cables.

Drawback of problem with Fiber optics cable

1)      Most expensive media for purchase and installation.

2)      Rigorous guideline to install and configure.

3)      Take lot of time to repair if broken.

 

Next chapter is Wireless that is last chapter in transmission medium.

Twisted pair cable

Twisted pair cable is a cable in which pairs of wires are twisted around each other to minimize interference from other twisted pairs. Twisted pair cable can be shielded or unshielded (most common). Twisted pair cables are generally not costly and it’s easy to install.

Twisted pair cables are rated by different category. In twisted pair cable highest category is category 7 cable while lowest category is category 1 cable.

Here is a short description of each category of twisted pair cable and there common uses.

Category 1 Twisted pair cable: àCategory 1 twisted pair cable is 2 pairs cable, it’s a voice grade cable and use for telecoms but not for data.

Category 2 Twisted pair cable:à  Category 2 twisted pair cable is 2 pair cable, data can be transfer on this with maximum of 4Mbps speed but now a day’s it’s not recognized and no one use it.

Category 3 Twisted pair cable:à Category 3 twisted pair cable is 4 pair cable on which data can be transfer with maximum of 10Mbps. Category 3 cable is used for 10BASE-T network and for voice communication.

Category 4 Twisted pair cable:à Category 4 twisted pair cable is 4pairs cable in which data can be transfer with maximum of 16mbps speed. This cable is used for IBM token ring network.

Category 5 Twisted pair cable: àCategory 5 twisted pair cable is 4 pairs cable in which data can be transfer with 100Mbps+ speed. It use for 100BASE-x and Ethernet network. Presently most of the networks are running with this cable.

Category 5e twisted pair cable:àIn Category 5e twisted pair cable e stand for enhanced. This cable can carry data up to 1000Mbps with 100MHz signal frequency. Rests of the specification are same as Category 5 cable.

Category 6 Twisted pair cable:à it’s a 4 pair cable that provides improved performance as compare to category 5e cable. In category 6 twisted pair cable data transfer at 1000Mbps speed with 250MHz signal frequency.

Category 7 twisted pair cable: àIt’s a 4 pair cable with completely shielded twisted pair and it works at 600MHz frequency at 1000Mbps speed. Here completely shielded means each pair is shielded inside outer shield or covering.

 

Difference between shielded and unshielded twisted pair cable

Unshielded twisted pair cable(UTP)

1)      Ordinary telephone wire or similar to that.

2)      Cheapest in term of price.

3)      Easiest to install.

4)      UTP suffer from external or internal interference.

5)      Not as secure as STP(shielded twisted pair cable) in terms of physical damage.

 

Shielded twisted pair cable (STP)

1)      Metal braid or sheeting reduce inference

2)      More expensive comparison to UTP cable.

3)      Harder to handle as it’s very thick and heavy.

4)      Secure in terms of physical damage due to extra shields on internal pair.

Weather its shielded twisted pair cable or unshielded twisted pair cable Maximum length of UTP and STP cable is 100 meters. Both connect using RJ 45 connector and both the cable work in Baseband signal transmission mode with impedance of 50 ohm

Next chapter is fiber optics cable