Copper:

1. Coaxial (Thinnet & Thicknet)
2. Twisted Pair (UTP & STP)

Fiber:

1. Single mode Fiber Optics
2. Multimode Fiber Optics

Wireless:

1. Short distance: (Bluetooth, Infrared etc.)
2. Long distance: (Microwave)
3. Very long distance: (Satellite)

 

COPPER:

THINNET (10Base2):
* RG 58
* Distance limit = 185 m (200m)
* Bandwidth = 10 Mbps
* Less susceptible to EMI than TP.
* Can carry both analog, digital
* Outer cover called sheath, mesh called shield.
* Node per segment: 30
* 0.25 inch

* Connectors:

• BNC: to connect two thinnet
• BNC T-connector: to connect device to the cable.
  

THICKNET (10Base5)
* RG 8, 11
* 500 m
* Used specially as backbone
* Node per segment: 100
* 0.4 inch

* Connectors:

• AUI (Attachment Unit Interface) also called DIX or DB-15 [15-pin connector]
• N-connector to connect two thicknet (Screw and barrel arrangement).
  

Note:
Workstation doesn’t connect directly to THICKNET, Transceiver is attached to a THICKNET, the transceiver has port for AUI and an AUI cable (also called drop  cable) connect to the workstation)

TWISTED PAIR:

UTP:

• Contain 4 twisted pairs of wires (= 8 wires).
• Inexpensive and widely (easily) available.
• Flexible and light weight
• Easy to work and install
• Susceptible to EMI (Electro Magnetic Field)
• Connector – RJ45 (Registered Jack 45)
  

STP:

• Provide extra shield (for pair and overall)
• Expensive than UTP
• Harder to work with.
• Not susceptible to EMI
• STP connector

TWISTED PAIR - CAT 3, 4, 5, 5e, 6, 6a etc.

Cat 1: Currently unrecognized by TIA/EIA. Previously used for POTS telephone communications, ISDN and doorbell wiring.

Cat 2: Currently unrecognized by TIA/EIA. Previously was frequently used on 4 Mbit/s token ring networks.

Cat 3: Currently defined in TIA/EIA-568-B, used for data networks using frequencies up to 16 MHz. Historically popular for 10 Mbit/s Ethernet networks.

Cat 4: Currently unrecognized by TIA/EIA. Defined up to 20 MHz, and was frequently used on 16 Mbit/s token ring networks.

Cat 5: Currently unrecognized by TIA/EIA. Defined up to 100 MHz, and was frequently used on 100 Mbit/s Ethernet networks. May be unsuitable for 1000BASE-T gigabit Ethernet.

Cat 5e: Currently defined in TIA/EIA-568-B. Defined up to 100 MHz, and is frequently used for both 100 Mbit/s and 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet networks.

Cat 6: Currently defined in TIA/EIA-568-B. Defined up to 250 MHz, more than double category 5 and 5e.

Cat 6a:Currently defined in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2-10. Defined up to 500 MHz, double that of category 6. Suitable for 10GBase-T

Cat 7: An informal name applied to ISO/IEC 11801 Class F cabling. Defined up to 600 MHz. This standard specifies four individually-shielded pairs (STP) inside an overall shield.

Cat 7a: An informal name applied to Amendment 1 of ISO/IEC 11801 Class F cabling. Defined up to 1000 MHz.

 

Cable Type	Max Speed	Max Distance	Cost Factor
Category 5	100Mbs	100m	1x
Category 5e	1000Mbs	100m	1x
Category 6	1000Mbs	100m	1.3x
Category 6	10,000Mbs	57m	1.3x
Category 6a	10,000Mbs	100m	2x

OPTICAL FIBER:

• Core is of glass or fiber (surrounded by cladding)
  (cladding trap the light in the core)
• All covered by plastic coating (buffer) to save it from physical damage or moisture.
• Light travel through the optical media by the way of total internal reflection.
• Can have 1 to 1000 fibers
• Bandwidth: upto 10 Gbps
• Distance: thousand of Kilo meters
• Not affected by noise (EMI)
• Adding additional node is difficult
• Require highly skill professional to install
• Connector: SC and ST

Types of Fiber Optics:

a) Single mode (Mono mode):

• Range: upto thousand of kilometers without repeater.
• Bandwidth: upto 10 Gbps
• Source: Laser light

b) Multi mode (Mono mode):

• Multiple channel (fibers)
• 3 km (without repeater)
• 10 Gbps
• Source: LED and laser light

Wireless:

• Can work where cable is not possible
• Provide mobility
• Susceptible to rain or atmospheric variations

Indore: Bluetooth, Infrared
LAN: WLAN (Wireless Access Point)
Medium Range: GSM, CDMA, WIMAX: 200 m – 5 Km.
Long Range: Microwave (5 Km – 100 Km)
Very Long Range: Satellite (Across Continents)

How to Create straight and cross cable (video below):