INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
3.0 COMPUTER NETWORKS AND COMMUNICATION 3.2.2 MEDIUM 3.2.2.1 IDENTIFY VARIOUS TYPES OF CABLES
related
channel
MEDIUM
middle
two or more objects
CATEGORIES OF MEDIUM
CABLES
WIRELESS TRANSMISSION
TYPES OF CABLES
Twisted Pair Cable
Coaxial Cable
Fibre Optic Cable
TWISTED PAIR CABLE
UNSHEILDED TWISTED PAIR
SHEILDED TWISTED PAIR
features of wires composed of pairs of wires
wires in each pair are twisted around each other
Small size size
UNSHIELDED TWISTED PAIR (UTP) easy to install installation
installed using a Registered Jack 45 (RJ-45) connector
less expensive
used in a variety of networks
cost
used for
features of wires wires is wrapped in a metallic foil
combines the techniques of shielding, cancellation, and wire twisting.
medium size
SHIELDED TWISTED PAIR (STP)
size
difficult to install installation installed with STP data connector
more expensive cost
rarely used in Ethernet networks used for
features of wires consists hollow outer cylindrical conductor that surrounds a single inner wire
copper conductor in the center and surrounding with layer of flexible insulation
variety of sizes
COAXIAL CABLE
10 to 100 Mbps speed and throughput
inexpensive, but it is more costly than UTP cost
size
500 m maximum cable length
features of wires consists of 2 fibers encased in separate sheaths
each optical fiber is surrounded by layers of protective buffer material expensive
FIBRE OPTIC CABLE
more than 1 Gbps speed and throughput
single mode -more than 10 km multimode - up to 2 km maximum cable length
cost
signals are converted into beams of light signal that represent