Network Connetions

Network Connections

The wires connecting the various devices together are referred to as cables.

•         Cable prices range from inexpensive to very costly and can comprise of a significant cost of the network itself.

•         Cables are one example of transmission media. Media are various physical environments through which transmission signals pass. Common network media include twisted-pair, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable, and the atmosphere (through which microwave, laser, and infrared transmission occurs). Another term for this is “physical media.”

•         Note that not all wiring hubs support all medium types.

Network Connections

The other component shown in this slide is the connector.

•         As their name implies, the connector is the physical location where the NIC card and the cabling connect.

•         Registered jack (RJ) connectors were originally used to connect telephone lines. RJ connectors are now used for telephone connections and for 10BaseT and other types of network connections. Different connectors are able support different speeds of transmission because of their design and the materials used in their manufacture.

•         RJ-11 connectors are used for telephones, faxes, and modems. RJ-45 connectors are used for NIC cards, 10BaseT cabling, and ISDN lines.

Cable is the actual physical path upon which an electrical signal travels as it moves from one component to another.

Transmission protocols determine how NIC cards take turns transmitting data onto the cable. Remember that we discussed how LAN cables (baseband) carry one signal, while WAN cables (broadband) carry multiple signals. There are three primary cable types:

•         Twisted-pair (or copper)

•         Coaxial cable and

•         Fiber-optic cable

the next post will inform you the details of cable types. see Network Operating System