Page 106 - Viva ICSE Computer Studies 8 : E-book

Networking Media

Sender and receiver in a network are connected by a wired or wireless medium.

Wired Networking Technology (Guided Medium)
There are several types of communication media through which data can be transmitted from
one place to another. Some common wired data transmission media are ethernet cable, coaxial
cable and fi bre-optic cable.

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet cable is one of the most common cables used on wired
networks. Ethernet is a type of cable used in local area networks
that connects wired devices together to the local network for fi le
sharing and Internet access. It looks like a phone cable but it has
eight wires. The power consumption of these cables is less but
to connect Ethernet cable, the computer requires an Ethernet
adapter card on the motherboard.

Coaxial Cable

Coaxial cable or coax is a common transmission medium
that consists of four parts: core, insulator, conductor and
a protective sheath. Core is the innermost part made
Core
up of a stiff copper wire. It is surrounded by a sheath
Sheath of insulation
Conductor of insulation. The sheath is surrounded by a cylindrical
Protective sheath conductor that consists of a closely-woven braided
mesh. The conductor is covered by a protective plastic.
Coaxial Cable
This sheath shields the cable from physical dangers. It is
inexpensive and can transmit data at a higher rate. However, it has a high installation cost and
maintenance.
There are two types of coaxial cables: baseband and broadband.

• Baseband coaxial cable is a 50-ohm cable that carries single signal at a time. It is used for
LANs.
• Broadband coaxial cable is a 75-ohm cable that carries multiple signals at the same time.
It is used for longer distances. It is typically used for cable television with a modem.

Fibre-Optic Cable
Jacket
Fibre-optic cable is a glass fi bre that transmits Cladding
information in the form of fl uctuating light. It is now
Core
being used in telephone networks, broadband services
like providing transmission to thousands of television
stations, videoconferencing and on demand videos.

It has three parts: core, glass cladding and jacket.

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