Media and Connectors

Question 1

Media and Connectors, what are objectives? 2 points

Answer 1

1.5 - Compare and contrast transmission media and transceivers
5.5 - Given a scenario, use the appropriate tool or protocol to solve networking issues

Question 2

Copper Media what is the IEEE 802.3 Standard? 2 points

Answer 2

Defines physical and data link layers, including MAC, for wired Ethernet
networks.
Commonly used in Local Area Networks (LANs)

Question 3

Copper Media what are Twisted Pair Cables 4 points

Answer 3

A type of wiring in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted
together
■ Twisting reduces electromagnetic interference and crosstalk
■ Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
● Composed of pairs of wires twisted together without additional
shielding being added to the cable
● Lightweight, flexible, and cost-effective
■ Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)
● Includes shielding for better EMI protection
● More expensive, bulkier, and more difficult to install
Categories
● CAT 5
● CAT 5e
● CAT 6
● CAT 6a
● CAT 7
● CAT 8

Question 4

Copper Media, what are Coaxial Cables 5 points

Answer 4

A fundamental part of networking and broadcasting for decades
■ Consists of single copper conductor at its core, with insulating layer and
conductive shield
■ RG-6
● Used to support faster internet speed in most residential
installations
● Standard for modern coaxial cable
● Supports up to 1 Gbps at up to around 300-meter distance
■ RG-59
● Older standard for coaxial cables
● Not commonly used anymore
■ Direct Attach Copper (DAC) Cables
● Fixed assembly copper cabling for short distances
● Connects switches, routers, or servers
Supports up to 100 Gbps at short distances

Question 5

Whtat are the Twinaxial Cable 5 points

Answer 5

Often a component of DAC assembly
● Considered as another specialized form of cabling
● Two insulated copper conductors
● Used in SFP+ and QSFP applications
● Supports 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps, up to 100 meters

Question 6

Plenum vs. Non-Plenum Cables (3 points)

Answer 6

■ Plenum – Fire-retardant, suitable for air circulation spaces
■ Non-Plenum – Less fire-resistant, used where fire risk is lower
■ Plenum meets strict fire safety standards of NFPA and NEC
○

Question 7

It is important to remember the basic speed and distance for each type of cable (9 points)

Answer 7

■ CAT 5 – 100 Mbps at 100 meters
■ CAT 5e – 1Gbps at 100 meters
■ CAT 6 – 1Gbps at 100 meters; 10 Gbps at 55 meters
■ CAT 6a – 10 Gbps at 100 meters
■ CAT 7 – 10 Gbps at 100 meters
■ CAT 8 – 10-25 or 40 Gbps at 30 meters
■ RG-6 – 1 Gbps at 300 meters
■ Twinaxial – 10 Gbps or more at 10 meters
■ DAC – 100 Gbps at 15 meters (active cables); 100 Gbps at 7 meters
(passive cables)

Question 8

Importance of Copper Media?

Answer 8

■ Versatile and robust for various networking needs
■ Lower cost, easier to install and maintain
■ Remains vital in network infrastructure

Question 9

Copper Network Connections Registered Jack(RJ-X) What is it?
2 Points

Answer 9

A standard telecommunication nw interface
RJ-11 and Rj-45 (Crucial for voice and data nw, used twisted pair cables)

Question 10

Copper NW Con What is Radio Guide and what is the abbriviation 3 Points

Answer 10

Series for coaxixal cables, used in high-speed internet, television, and radio conn
Commonly used cables (RG-6 - for cable TV, RG-59 for older applications)

Question 11

Copper Network Con Connectors, 4 Points

Answer 11

RJ-11 (standard for telephone wiring, 6P2C conf (6 positions, 2 conductors, smaller size, Not suitable for high-speed data transmission)

RJ-45 (Standard for data networks (Ethernet), 8P8C conf (8 positions & conductor)s. Wiedely used for comp, switches, router, compatible with CAT 5 to CAT8 cables - suport higher bandwidths with higher CAT numbers

F-Type Connector (Screw-on connector used with RG-6 and RG-59 coaxial cables, Standard for cable TV, satellite, and cable internet conn

BNC Connector (Bayonet Neill-conectro) (coaxial connector with a secure bayonet locking meachanism, used with RG-6 or RG-59, coaxial cables, “Push and twist” style connector, Common in professional video conn and radio frequency, Introduced in 1940 often erroneously called British Naval Computer

Question 12

Copper NW, Application specifics name and describe 4

Answer 12

RJ-11 - for voice based comm nw (telephones)

RJ-45 for data devices in data nw (computer, printers, switches, routers

F-Type - for coaxial calbe in cable TV, saterllite, and cable internet conns

BNC - for professional video connections and radio frequency applications

Question 13

Building a Copper Cable, Demonstration what is DTE? 1 point

Answer 13

DTE (Data Terminal Equipment - Endpoint devices that connect to piece of DCE (e. g. laptops desktops, servers, routers)

Question 14

Building a Copper Cable, Demonstration what is DCE? 1 point

Answer 14

Data Communications Equipment (DCE) - switches, modems, hubs, bridges

Question 15

Building a Copper Cable, Demonstration, What is Straight-through? 1 point

Answer 15

DTE to DCE/DCE to DTE

Question 16

Building a Copper Cable, Demonstration What is called Crossover? 3 points

Answer 16

DTE to DTE/DCE to DCE
Crossover Cable - Swaps send and receive pin on the other end of the cable when connector and its pinout are created (568A<->568B)
Its required for switch to switch

Question 17

Building a Copper Cable, Demonstration, What does MDIX stand for and what is it? (probably no exam question)

Answer 17

Medium Dependent Interface Crossover (MDIX) (automated way to electronically simulate a crossover cable even if using a straight-through patch cable (might not be relevant) (in exam assume switch is older and does not support MDIX unless exam states otherwise)

Question 18

Building a Copper Cable, Demonstration, 568A<->568B How is the wiring done?

Answer 18

1,2,3,6 connected to 1-3, 2-6, 3-1, 6-2 (might want to watch the demonstration video again)

Question 19

Fiber Media What is it (2points) 3 Advantages , 2 Drawbacks

Answer 19

Transmits data using light no electrical impulses
Offers significant advantages over copper media-based nw
advantages:
Immunity to EMI (electromagnetic interference), dosent require shielding like copper cables
Longer transmission distances with minimal signal loss (can span hundreds of miles, Suitable for local conn and transcontinental data transmission
Higher data transfer speeds (can reach speeds beyond 10 Gbps)
drawabks
Cost (fiber media is more expensive than copper)
Complexity (requires specialized tools and training for installation and repair)

Question 20

Fiber Media, what is Two Main Types of Fiber Optic Cables? both 5 points

Answer 20

Single-Mode Fiber (SMF) - Designed for long distance comm -Small glass core allows light to travel in a single path without dispersion (8.3 to 10 microns in diameter) - Preffered for backbon installations and connections over vast areas - Yellow sheath - For long-range transmissions with higher bandwith

Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF) - Tailored for shorter distances (2 km to 1mile) - Larger fibre core size allows light to trave in multiple paths (50 to 100 microns) - Suitable for connecting server to switches within buildings or campuses - Aqua blue or orange sheath - For internal nw infrastructures, offering cost-effectiveness and eas of installation

Question 21

Fiber Network Connections when is it created? 1 point, What are Fiber Connectors? 2 points

Answer 21

Created by connection a fiber optic cable to two different devices
Fiber Connectors - Enable a quicker connection and disconnection from nw - Two different sets of connectors on the cable: (for transmission side, for receive side)

Question 22

Fiber Network Connections, Name and explain all 5 types

Answer 22

SC Connector (Subscriber Connector)
- Square shape with push-pull design
- Widley used in single-mode fibers
- Common in telecommunications and data networking
- Used in FTTH (Fiber to the Home) deployments for reliablility and eas of use

LC Connector (Lucent Connector)
- Compact size with push-pull mechanism
- Favored in high-density applications like data centers
- Often shipped as paired cables for transmit and receive sides
- Features high-precision alignment, ensuring efficient data transmission and minimized potential data loss

ST Connector (Striaght Tip Connector) (Stick and Twist)
- Round shape with twist-lock mechanism (Critically important when operating in any kind of environment where movement or vibrations might occur)
- Reliable connection, commonly used in multi-mode fiber optics
- Well-suited for outdoor applications due to its durability

MTRJ Connector (Mechanical Transfer-Registered Jack)
- Small rectangular design housing transmit and receive fibers
- Suitable fo space-constrained applications like office LANs
- Offers high-density capabilities with an RJ-style latch mechanism
- Offers cost-effective solution for densely populated nw environments

MPO Connector (Multi-fiber Push On Connector)
- Designed for multiple fibers in a single connector
- Essential in high-density applications such as data centers and high-speed nw
- Enables quick and efficient connections, curical for rapid scalability

Question 23

Fiber Network Connections, What can each type of connector be?

Answer 23

polished or shaped

Question 24

Fiber Network Connections, Name and explain 3 Polish Types

Answer 24

PC (Physical Contact) Style
- Having slight curvature in the fiber face to lower back reflections over standard stright-cut fiber
- Provides the least effective reduction in back reflection
- Best suited for short-distance or lower-speed data transmissions

UPC (Ultra Pyhsical Contact) Style
- Having dome-shaped end-face for better core alignment
- Offers lower back reflection than PC style
- Suitable for general boradband applications

APC (Angeld Phyiscal Contact) Style
- Uses an 8-degree angled polish to greatly reduce back reflection
- Lowest amount of back reflection
- Well-suited for high bandwidth and long-distance applications such as undersea cable nw

Question 25

Fiber Network Connections, what is essential for efficient nw design and maintenance?

Answer 25

Regular updates on connectors and standards

Question 26

Transceivers, what is a transceiver? 3 points

Answer 26

A deveice capable of both transmitting and receiving data
Blend of “transmitter” and “receiver”
Utilizes specific protcols for data transmission and reception

Question 27

Transceivers, what are Protocols (1 point) name the Main Protocols (2 points)

Answer 27

Set of rules governing data transmission and reception
Ethernet (Family of nw technologies for LANs, MANs, and WANs, Facilitates comm and data transfer, Defines physical standards, electrical standards, and data formats, Supports verious data rates and media tpyes
Fiber Channel (FC) (High-speed nw technology that connectos computer data storage to servers inside storage area networks, Handles large data volumes quickly and reliably, Supports optical fiber and copper-based media, Key features (High throughput, Low latency, Advanced data integrity))

Question 28

Name 3 Transceivers Functions, make a conclusion (2 points)

Answer 28

Converts data between different protcols
Enables communication between Ethernet and Fibre Channel nw
Converts media types in Layer 1 (e. g. fiber to copper, copper to fiber)

Question 29

Transceivers, Name and explain 6 Form Factors

Answer 29

SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable)
- A compact hot pluggable optical module
- Can be pulled in or pulled out without turning off the associated router or switch
- Up to 4.25 Gbps

SFP+
- Faster version of SFP
- Up to 26 Gbps

QSFP (Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable)
- Up to 40 Gbps

QSFP+
- Slightly faster version of QSFP
- Up to 41.2 Gbps

QSFP28
- Up to 100 Gbps

QSFP6
- Upto 200 Gbps

QSFP modules are faster than SFP modules
Transceivers convert light signals to electrical impulses