Module 6: Network media

Question 1

A network technician is extending the network from the main office building over several hundred meters to a new security station. The security station needs a high speed connection to support video surveillance of the main building. What type of cable is best suited to connect the security station to the rest of the main office network?

Answer 1

Fiber optic cable can deliver signals over distances of several miles. Because it uses light, fiber is impervious to RFI and EMI and is superior to signals sent over copper or aluminum wiring.

Question 2

What are two common media used in networks?

Answer 2

Common media used in networks include copper, glass or plastic optical fiber, and wireless.

Question 3

Which type of network cable is commonly used to connect office computers to the local network?

Answer 3

Twisted-pair is a type of copper cable used to interconnect devices on a local network.

Question 4

Which factors should be considered when choosing the appropriate network media?

Answer 4

Several criteria should be considered when selecting network media:

• The cost of the media and installation
• The environment in which the media is installed
• The amount of data and the data transfer rate desired
• The distance between hosts that the media will connect

Question 5

What are the types of cables used in networking?

Answer 5

UTP cable consists of four pairs of color-coded wires that have been twisted together and then encased in a flexible plastic sheath.

STP cable uses four pairs of wires, each wrapped in a foil shield, which are then wrapped in an overall metallic braid or foil.

Coaxial cable uses a copper conductor and a layer of flexible plastic insulation surrounds the copper conductor.

Fiber cable is a flexible, extremely thin, transparent strand of glass surrounded by plastic insulation.

Question 6

What makes fiber preferable to copper cabling for interconnecting buildings?

Answer 6

Optical fiber cable transmits data over longer distances and at higher bandwidths than any other networking media. Unlike copper wires, fiber-optic cable can transmit signals with less attenuation and is completely immune to EMI and RFI.

Question 7

Which type of network media carries data encoded into electrical impulses?

Answer 7

Metal wires within cables (copper cable) - Data is encoded into electrical impulses.

Question 8

Which types of network media carries data encoded into electrical impulses?

Answer 8

Coaxial cable and twisted-pair cable

Question 9

Which type of network media carries data encoded into impulses of light?

Answer 9

Glass or plastic fibers within cables (fiber-optic cable) - Data is encoded into pulses of light.

Question 10

A network administrator in a small office is upgrading the local network within the building. New network cables are needed to connect office computers and networking devices. Which network media should the administrator use?

Answer 10

Twisted-pair Ethernet cables are most often used to physically connect local devices in a small office to the local network within a building.

Question 11

What is the purpose of using twisted pairs of wires in an Ethernet cable?

Answer 11

Ethernet technology generally uses twisted-pair cables to interconnect devices. In a twisted-pair cable, wires are grouped in pairs and twisted together to reduce interference.