Media & Cabling Distribution Flashcards
Coaxial Cable
Inner: Insulated conductor or center wire passes data
Outer: Braided metal shield used to help protect the data transmission (EMI resistance)
Coaxial Cable Types
RG-6: Used by local cable companies to connect individual homes
RG-59: Used to carry composite video between two nearby devices
Coaxial Cable Connectors
BNC (Bayonet Neill-Concelman - British Naval Connector):
Was used for 10BASE2 Ethernet Networks
F-Connector:
Typically used for cable TV & cable modem connections
Twisted Pair Cables
Most popular LAN media type
8 individually insulated strands of copper wire
Each pair twisted to reduce EMI
(Tighter twists = less EMI)
UTP & STP
UTP
Unshielded Twisted Pair
Media of choice in most LANs
Number of twists determines EMI amount blocked
(CAT6 has more twists per inch than CAT5)
STP
Shielded Twisted Pair
Wires are surrounded by a metallic shielding to minimize EMI
Shielding makes STP more costly and less flexible than UTP
Twisted Pair Connectors
RJ-45: 8-pin connector in Ethernet networks
Most Ethernet use only 4-pins
RJ-11: 6-pin connector (telephone systems)
Commonly only 2/4 pins are used
DB-9 or DB-25 (9 or 25-pin D-Subminiature)
Used for asynchronous serial communications & connecting to an external modem
Twisted Pair Cable Throughput
CAT3: 10Mbps - 100m
CAT5: 100Mbps - 100m
CAT5e: 1Gbps - 100m
CAT6: 1Gbps - 100m
CAT6a: 10Gbps - 100m
CAT7: 10Gbps - 100m
Straight-Through Patch Cables
Both ends of the cable have matching pin outs
T-568B is the preferred standard for wiring a building
DTE to DCE
Data Terminating Equipment to Data Communications Equipment
Examples: Computer to switch
Router to modem
Crossover Cables
Send & receive pins of the cable are swapped in the end pin outs.
Used to connect two workstations
Or a switch to a switch
(Not required if switch supports MDIX)
T568B vs. T568A
T568B:
OW, O, GW, B, BW, G, BrW, Br
T568A:
GW, G, OW, B, BW, O, BrW, Br
Fiber Optic Cables
Use light from LED or laser to transmit info through glass fiber.
Immune to EMI, uses light instead of electricity
Great range, greater data-carrying capacity (Tbps)
Types: MMF & SMF
MMF
Multimode Fiber
Shorter distances than single-mode
Larger core sizes allows for multiple modes of travel for the light signal (62.5 microns)
Uses: Routers to switches
Switches to switches
Servers to switches
SMF
Single-Mode Fiber
Longer distances than multimode
Smaller core allows for only a single mode of travel for the light signal (10 microns)
Uses: Routers to switches
Switches to switches