3.1 Explain basic cable types & their connectors, features, & purposes Flashcards
2 types of copper cabling?
- Coaxial
- Twisted pair
2 types of twisted pair copper cabling?
- STP
- UTP
Meaning of STP?
Shielded Twisted Pair
Meaning of UTP?
Unshielded Twisted Pair
What is Twisted Pair copper cabling made up of?
4 copper wire pairs
Why are conductor pairs twisted at different rates in TP cabling?
TP = Twisted Pair
To reduce interference
The balanced electrical signals on each pair help identify the signal against interference, but the method has limited range
What does attenuation mean?
Loss of signal strenght over a medium
Medium like a cable or through the air
Downside to Twisted Pair copper cabling?
Signals suffer from attenuation over long ranges
Max recommended distance for most UTP cables?
328 feet (100m)
How does STP differ from UTP copper cabling?
Providing extra protection against interference
When is STP used over UTP copper cabling?
For 10G Ethernet or in high-interference environments
(For 10G Ethernet or higher)
STP is more reliable
2 types of STP copper cabling?
- Screened cable
- Fully shielded cable
How does STP screened cable work?
Has a single outer foil shield around all pairs
Screened cable TP copper cabling is aka Screened Twisted Pair (ScTP), Foiled/Unshielded Twisted Pair (F/UTP), & Foiled Twisted Pair (FTP)
How does Fully shielded STP cable work?
Has braided screen & foil-shielded pairs
Fully shielded STP cable is aka Shielded/Foiled Twisted Pair (S/FTP)
Why are shielded cable elements bonded to the connector?
Prevent metal from acting as an antenna
Which can generate interference
Modern F/UTP & S/FTP solutions facilitate this by incorporating bonding within the design of each element
What is a Cat specification?
TCP cable rated for specific Ethernet standards
Higher Cat specification is capable of higher data rates. Cat specifications are defined in the TIA/EIA-568-C Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standards
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What Ethernet standard does Cat 5 support?
100BASE-TX (Fast Ethernet)
This means the max transfer rate is 100Mbps
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Max distance of Cat 5?
328 ft (100m)
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What Ethernet standard does Cat 5e support?
1000BASE-T (GB Ethernet)
This means the max transfer rate is 1000Mbps (1Gbps)
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Max distance of Cat 5e?
328 ft (100m)
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What Ethernet standards does Cat 6 support?
- 1000BASE-T (GB Ethernet)
- 10GBASE-T (10 GB Ethernet)
This means the max transfer rate is 1000Mbps (1Gbps) or 10 Gbps
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Max distance of Cat 6 (1000BASE-T)?
328 ft (100m)
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Max distance of Cat 6 (10GBASE-T)?
180 ft (55m)
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What Ethernet standard does Cat 6A support?
10GBASE-T (10GB Ethernet)
This means the max transfer rate is 10 Gbps
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
What is the max distance of Cat 6A?
328 ft (100m)
What is printed on a Twisted pair cable’s plastic jacket?
Cat specification & cable type
Cable type like UTP or F/UTP, for instance.
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Which Cat specification is no longer comercially available?
Cat 5
A network cabled with Cat 5 will probably need to be rewired to support Gigabit Ethernet
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Why is Cat 6 better than Cat 5?
More reliable & supports 10Gbps
Although Cat 6 has reduced range when using 10Gbps (10GBASE-T)
Cat specification = TP copper cable construction method
Downside to Cat 6A TP cables?
Bulkier & heavier than Cat 5e & 6
& the installation requirements are more stringent, so fitting it within pathways designed for older cables can be problematic.
What connector are TP cables for Ethernet terminated with?
RJ45 connectos
What are RJ45 connectors referred to as?
8P8C (8-Position/8-Contact)
2 methods for terminating TP cables?
This is defined by the TIA/EIA-568 standard
- T568A
- T568B
T568A wire order?
T568A is a method for terminating TP cables
- Green/white
- Green
- Orange/white
- Blue
- Blue/white
- Orange
- Brown/white
- Brown
T568B wire order?
T568B is a method for terminating TP cables
- Orange/white
- Orange
- Green/white
- Blue
- Blue/white
- Green
- Brown/white
- Brown
What is a TP crossover cable?
When T568A is used on one end & T568B is used on the other
Crossover cables used to be necessary for direct computer connections, but Gigabit Ethernet interfaces can now perform the crossover automatically, even with standard cables.
What connector can TP cables be used with besides RJ45?
RJ11
Unlike the 4-pair cable used with Ethernet, RJ11 is typically used to terminate 2-pair cable, which is widely used in telephone systems & with broadband DSL modems
What is a plenum?
Void in a building designed to carry HVAC systems
HVAC = Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning
What cables can be installed in a plenum space?
Fire-proof plenum cables
2 features of plenum cables?
- Low smoke emissions
- Self-extinguishing
They also meet other strict fire safety standards
What cable jacket & insulation is used for non-plenum cables?
(General purpose cables)
PVC
What cable jacket & insulation is used for plenum cables?
Treated PVC or FEP
FEP = Flourinated Ethylene Polymer
Downside to plenum-rated cables?
Less flexible
Due to the material used for the plastic jacket (Treadted PVC or FEP). However this material has no effect on bandwidth
What is marked on plenum-rated cables’ jacket in the U.S.?
CMP/MMP
What is marked on non-plenum-rated cables’ jacket in the U.S.?
(General cables)
CMG/MMG or CM/MP
What do Outside Plant (OSP) cables refer to?
Cables that run on external walls or between 2 buildings
Why do OSP cables use special coatings?
To protect against UV & abrasion
Why may OSP cables be filled with gel?
To protect against temperature extremes & damp
3 types of Outside Plant (OSP) cables?
- Aerial
- Conduit
- Direct burial
Where are aeiral cables designed to be installed?
Above ground
Typically strung between 2 poles or anchors
They can withstand exposure to UV sunlight, extreme temperatures, and moisture
Where are conduit cables designed to be installed?
in underground conduits
Conduits are protective tubes or channels used to encase and protect cables, wires, or electrical conductors
Where are direct burial cables designed to be installed?
Directly underground
Without the need for conduits
Direct cables may be armored to protect against chewing by rodents
Why does optical cabling have higher bandwidth & longer runs than copper?
Light pulses are interference-immune & suffer less attenuation
What does the optical fiber’s core do?
Carries light pulses
What does the optical fiber’s cladding do?
Guides light pulses along the core
What does the optical fiber’s buffer do?
Protects the caddling
2 types of fiber optic cables?
- Single-Mode Fiber (SMF)
- Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
Which type of fiber optic cable has a smaller core?
(8-10 microns)
Single-Mode Fiber (SMF)
Which type of fiber optic cable has a larger core?
(62.5 or 50 microns)
Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
What fiber optic type is designed to carry long wavelength infrared signals?
(1,310 nm or 1,550 nm)
Single-Mode Fiber
What fiber optic type is designed to carry short wavelength infrared signals?
(850 nm or 1,300 nm)
Multi-Mode Fiber
Data rate of Single-Mode Fiber (SMF) cables?
Up to 10Gbps or better
Which type of fiber optic cable has longer range?
Single-Mode Fiber (SMF)
Which type of fiber optic cable is more suitable for LANs than WANs?
Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
Which type of fiber optic cabling is cheaper to deploy?
Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)
This is because MMF uses cheaper & less coherent LED’s or Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCELs)
3 types of connectors used for fiber optic cables?
- ST
- SC
- LC
Meaning of ST?
Straight Tip
Meaning of SC?
Subscriber Connector
Meaning of LC?
Lucent Connector
Identify fiber optic connector
ST
Identify fiber optic connector
SC
Identify fiber optic connector
LC
What networks is the fiber ST connector mostly used for?
Multi-mode networks
2 versions of fiber SC connectors?
- Simplex
- Duplex
The duplex versin is just 2 connectors clipped together
What networks can the fiber SC connector be used for?
Single- or multi-mode
How do fiber LC connectors differ from SC connectors?
Smaller size
This allows for highe port density
How are fiber optic patch cords configured?
Same or mixed connectors on each end
Why avoid frequently plugging & unplugging fiber optic connectors?
Connectors are easy to damage
Unused ports & connectors should be covered by a dust cap to minimize the risk of contamination
2 main uses for coax cables?
- CCTV installations
- As a patch cable for CATV & cable modems
CATV = Cable Access TV
What connector is used to terminate Coax for CATV installations?
CATV = Cable Access TV
F-type connector
Meaning of DVI?
Digital Visual Interface
5 types of DVI?
- DVI-A
- DVI-D (single link)
- DVI-D (dual link)
- DVI-I (single link)
- DVI-I (dual link)