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CSE 2103
Computer Networks and
Data Communications I
Tutorials
Devindra Kashrinandan
Prepared by: Mr. Timothy Velloza
Topic in Focus
Network Media
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Tutorial Outline
▸ Section I: Network Media
▸ Section II: Network Media Types
▸ Section III: Cable Crimping
▸ Section IV: Questions
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Section I
Network Media
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Network Media
By definition, a network is an interconnection
of devices. Those interconnections occur over
some type of media. The media might be
physical, such as a copper or fiber-optic cable.
Alternatively, the media might be the air,
through which radio waves propagate (as is
the case with wireless networking
technologies).
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Network Media
Network media are the physical pathways that
connect computers, other devices and people on a
network. Each transmission medium requires
specialized network hardware that has to be
compatible with that medium. Transmission
media operate at Layer 1 of the OSI model.
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Network Media
It would be convenient to construct a network
of only one medium but that is impractical for
anything but an extremely small network. In
general, networks use combinations of media
types. There are three main categories of
media types: Copper Cable, Fiber Optics and
Wireless.
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Section II
Network Media
Types
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Twisted Pair)
Today’s most popular LAN media type is twisted-
pair cable, where individually insulated copper
strands are intertwined into a twisted-pair cable.
Two categories of twisted-pair cable include
shielded twisted pair (STP) and unshielded
twisted pair (UTP). To define industry-standard
pinouts and color coding for twisted-pair cabling,
the TIA/EIA-568 standard was developed.
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Twisted Pair)
Twisted-pair has contributed a great deal to the
evolution of communications but advanced
applications on the horizon require larger
amounts of bandwidth than twisted-pair can
deliver, so the future of twisted-pair is slowly
diminishing. It is also highly susceptible to
interference and distortion, including
electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio
frequency interference (RFI), and the effects of
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Twisted Pair)
The primary applications of twisted-pair are in
premises distribution systems, telephony, private
branch exchanges (PBXs) between telephone sets
and switching cabinets, LANs, and local loops,
including both analog telephone lines and
broadband DSL.
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Shielded
Twisted Pair)
Shielded twisted-pair (STP) cable combines the
techniques of shielding, cancellation, and wire
twisting. Each pair of wires is wrapped in a
metallic foil. The four pairs of wires then are
wrapped in an overall metallic braid or foil. As
specified for use in Ethernet network installations,
STP reduces electrical noise both within the cable
(pair-to-pair coupling, or crosstalk) and from
outside the cable (EMI and RFI).
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Shielded
Twisted Pair)
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Unshielded
Twisted Pair)
Another way to block EMI from the copper strands
making up a twisted-pair cable is to twist the
strands more tightly (that is, more twists per
centimeters [cm]). By wrapping these strands
around each other, the wires insulate each other
from EMI. Because UTP is less expensive than
STP, it has grown in popularity since the mid
1990s to become the media of choice for most
LANs.
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Unshielded
Twisted Pair)
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Unshielded
Twisted Pair)
UTP cable types vary in their data carrying
capacity. Common categories of UTP cabling
include the following:
▸ Category 3 (10 Mbps)
▸ Category 5 (100 Mbps)
▸ Category 5e (1Gbps)
▸ Category 6 (1Gbps)
▸ Category 6a (10 Gbps)
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Unshielded
Twisted Pair)
Most UTP cabling used in today’s networks is
considered to be straight-through, meaning that
the RJ-45 jacks at each end of a cable have
matching pinouts.
Crossover cables use two different wiring
standards: one end uses the T568A wiring
standard, and the other end uses the T568B wiring
standard.
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Unshielded
Twisted Pair)
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Media Type: Copper Cable (Unshielded
Twisted Pair)
Some network devices cannot be interconnected
with a straight-through cable. For example,
connecting two PCs or any two similar network
device. For such a scenario, you can use a
crossover cable, which swaps the transmit and
receive wire pairs between the two ends of a
cable.
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Section III
Cable Crimping
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Cable Crimping (TIA/EIA-568A Wiring)
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Cable Crimping (TIA/EIA-568B Wiring)
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Cable Crimping (TIA/EIA-568 Standards)
1. If you terminate the RJ45 jacks at both ends of
a patch cable with the same standard (either
TIA/EIA 568A on both sides or TIA/EIA 568B on
both sides), you will get a Straight-through cable.
2. If you terminate RJ45 jacks at both ends with
different TIA/EIA 568 standards (one side TIA/EIA
568A and other side TIA/EIA 568B) you will get a
Crossover cable.
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Cable Crimping (Steps)
1. Strip the cable
2. Arrange the wires based on the TIA/EIA
Standards
3. Straighten the wires
4. Carefully insert the wires into the RJ connector
(double-check to ensure that they stayed in the right order)
5. Crimp
6. Test cable using a network cable tester
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Section IV
Questions
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Conclusion
END