22:32
Twisted pair cabling comes in two varieties: shielded and unshielded. Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is the most popular and is generally the best option for school networks. The quality of UTP may vary from telephone-grade wire to extremely high-speed cable. The cable has four pairs of wires inside the jacket. Each pair is twisted with a different number of twists per inch to help eliminate interference from adjacent pairs and other electrical devices. The tighter the twisting, the higher the supported transmission rate and the greater the cost per foot. The EIA/TIA (Electronic Industry Association/Telecommunication Industry Association) has established standards of UTP and rated five categories of wire.
Categories of Unshielded Twisted Pair
| Type | Use |
| Category 1 | Voice Only (Telephone Wire) |
| Category 2 | Data to 4 Mbps (LocalTalk) |
| Category 3 | Data to 10 Mbps (Ethernet) |
| Category 4 | Data to 20 Mbps (16 Mbps Token Ring) |
| Category 5 | Data to 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet) |
Buy the best cable you can afford; most schools purchase Category 3 or Category 5. If you are designing a 10 Mbps Ethernet network and are considering the cost savings of buying Category 3 wire instead of Category 5, remember that the Category 5 cable will provide more "room to grow" as transmission technologies increase. Both Category 3 and Category 5 UTP have a maximum segment length of 100 meters. In Florida, Category 5 cable is required for retrofit grants. 10BaseT refers to the specifications for unshielded twisted pair cable (Category 3, 4, or 5) carrying Ethernet signals. Category 6 is relatively new and is used for gigabit connections.
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13:31
Fiber optic cable has the ability to transmit signals over much longer distances than coaxial and twisted pair. It also has the capability to carry information at vastly greater speeds. This capacity broadens communication possibilities to include services such as video conferencing and interactive services. The cost of fiber optic cabling is comparable to copper cabling; however, it is more difficult to install and modify. 10BaseF refers to the specifications for fiber optic cable carrying Ethernet signals.
The most common connector used with fiber optic cable is an ST connector. It is barrel shaped, similar to a BNC connector. A newer connector, the SC, is becoming more popular. It has a squared face and is easier to connect in a confined space.
The most common connector used with fiber optic cable is an ST connector. It is barrel shaped, similar to a BNC connector. A newer connector, the SC, is becoming more popular. It has a squared face and is easier to connect in a confined space.
Facts about fiber optic cables:
- Outer insulating jacket is made of Teflon or PVC.
- Kevlar fiber helps to strengthen the cable and prevent breakage.
- A plastic coating is used to cushion the fiber center.
- Center (core) is made of glass or plastic fibers.
01:29
Coaxial cabling has a single copper conductor at its center. A plastic layer provides insulation between the center conductor and a braided metal shield. The metal shield helps to block any outside interference from fluorescent lights, motors, and other computers.
Although coaxial cabling is difficult to install, it is highly resistant to signal interference. In addition, it can support greater cable lengths between network devices than twisted pair cable. The two types of coaxial cabling are thick coaxial and thin coaxial.
Thin coaxial cable is also referred to as thinnet. 10Base2 refers to the specifications for thin coaxial cable carrying Ethernet signals. The 2 refers to the approximate maximum segment length being 200 meters. In actual fact the maximum segment length is 185 meters. Thin coaxial cable is popular in school networks, especially linear bus networks.
Thick coaxial cable is also referred to as thicknet. 10Base5 refers to the specifications for thick coaxial cable carrying Ethernet signals. The 5 refers to the maximum segment length being 500 meters. Thick coaxial cable has an extra protective plastic cover that helps keep moisture away from the center conductor. This makes thick coaxial a great choice when running longer lengths in a linear bus network. One disadvantage of thick coaxial is that it does not bend easily and is difficult to install.
The most common type of connector used with coaxial cables is the Bayone-Neill-Concelman (BNC) connector. Different types of adapters are available for BNC connectors, including a T-connector, barrel connector, and terminator. Connectors on the cable are the weakest points in any network. To help avoid problems with your network, always use the BNC connectors that crimp, rather than screw, onto the cable.
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Thin coaxial cable is also referred to as thinnet. 10Base2 refers to the specifications for thin coaxial cable carrying Ethernet signals. The 2 refers to the approximate maximum segment length being 200 meters. In actual fact the maximum segment length is 185 meters. Thin coaxial cable is popular in school networks, especially linear bus networks.
Thick coaxial cable is also referred to as thicknet. 10Base5 refers to the specifications for thick coaxial cable carrying Ethernet signals. The 5 refers to the maximum segment length being 500 meters. Thick coaxial cable has an extra protective plastic cover that helps keep moisture away from the center conductor. This makes thick coaxial a great choice when running longer lengths in a linear bus network. One disadvantage of thick coaxial is that it does not bend easily and is difficult to install.
The most common type of connector used with coaxial cables is the Bayone-Neill-Concelman (BNC) connector. Different types of adapters are available for BNC connectors, including a T-connector, barrel connector, and terminator. Connectors on the cable are the weakest points in any network. To help avoid problems with your network, always use the BNC connectors that crimp, rather than screw, onto the cable.
01:21
Cable is the medium through which information usually moves from one network device to another. There are several types of cable which are commonly used with LANs. In some cases, a network will utilize only one type of cable, other networks will use a variety of cable types. The type of cable chosen for a network is related to the network's topology, protocol, and size. Understanding the characteristics of different types of cable and how they relate to other aspects of a network is necessary for the development of a successful network.
In the 1970s and 1980s, coaxial cable was the preferred LAN medium. But by the late 1980s, data-capable twisted-pair wiring emerged as the predominant network cabling scheme. While twisted-pair wire has cable distance limitations, a hierarchical wiring scheme, initially built around hubs (and more recently switches), overcomes those limitations. Workstations are attached to workgroup hubs/switches in nearby wiring closets and those hubs/switches are attached to wiring hubs/switches at centralized data centers via twisted-pair cable, or via fiber-optic cable over long distances.
Ethernet Cable Summary
| Specification | Cable Type | Maximum length |
| 10BaseT | Unshielded Twisted Pair | 100 meters |
| 10Base2 | Thin Coaxial | 185 meters |
| 10Base5 | Thick Coaxial | 500 meters |
| 10BaseF | Fiber Optic | 2000 meters |
| 100BaseT | Unshielded Twisted Pair | 100 meters |
| 100BaseTX | Unshielded Twisted Pair | 220 meters |
Today, there are a variety of standards that define cable and component specifications, including the configuration, implementation, performance, conformance, and verification of cabling systems. The most prominent standards are listed here:
United States TIA/EIA-568-A (Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Association-568-A), defines how to design, build, and manage a structured wiring system. Note that the specification is also called the EIA/TIA-568 in some references. Refer to "TIA/EIA Structured Cabling Standards" for more information.
International ISO/IEC IS 11801 (International Organization for Standardization/International Engineering Consortium) defines generic cabling for customer premises. It is being used in Europe, Asia, and Africa. See ISO/IEC-11801 Cabling Standards.
Europe Cenelec EN 50173 was derived from ISO 11801 and defines generic cabling and open-market cabling components.
Canada CSA T529-Canadian Standards for Telecommunications Wiring Systems that closely follows the TIA/EIA-568 specifications.
Australia and New Zealand SAA/SNZ HB27:1996. This standard is based on the TIA TSB67 standard. It specifies field testing of balanced copper cabling and the methodology of specifying field tester accuracy
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United States TIA/EIA-568-A (Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Association-568-A), defines how to design, build, and manage a structured wiring system. Note that the specification is also called the EIA/TIA-568 in some references. Refer to "TIA/EIA Structured Cabling Standards" for more information.
International ISO/IEC IS 11801 (International Organization for Standardization/International Engineering Consortium) defines generic cabling for customer premises. It is being used in Europe, Asia, and Africa. See ISO/IEC-11801 Cabling Standards.
Europe Cenelec EN 50173 was derived from ISO 11801 and defines generic cabling and open-market cabling components.
Canada CSA T529-Canadian Standards for Telecommunications Wiring Systems that closely follows the TIA/EIA-568 specifications.
Australia and New Zealand SAA/SNZ HB27:1996. This standard is based on the TIA TSB67 standard. It specifies field testing of balanced copper cabling and the methodology of specifying field tester accuracy
