Computer Systems Servicing

Lesson 2: Network Media

After going through this lesson, you are expected to:

1. Plan cable routes in accordance with network design and actual installation site.

2. Determine cable routes in accordance with network design and actual installation site.

3. Identify necessary network materials in accordance with established procedures and check against system requirements

4. Obtain and check tools, equipment, and testing devices in accordance with established procedures.

Network Media

It refers to the communication channels used to interconnect nodes on a computer network. It is also refers to the actual path over which an electrical signal travels as it moves from one component to another. There are common types of network media, including twisted pair cable, co-axial cable, fiber-optic cable used in wired networks and radio waves used in wireless data communication networks.

Twisted Pair Cable

It is a type of cabling that is used for telephone communication and most Ethernet networks.

Coaxial Cable

– It is a cable used in the transmission of video, communications, and audio. The kind of copper cable used by cable TV companies between community antenna user homes and businesses.

Fiber Optic Cable

– It is a cable that contains optical fibers (usually glass) coated in plastic that is used to send data by pulses of light. They are designed for long-distance, high-performance data networking and telecommunications. Fiber optic cables provide higher bandwidth and transmit data over longer distances.

Wireless Communication

– It uses radio frequencies or Infrared waves to transmit data between devices on a LAN. For wireless LANs, a key component is the wireless hub, an access point, used for signal distribution.

Common applications of wireless data communication: ▪ Accessing the Internet using cellular phones

▪ Establishing a home or business Internet connection via satellite

▪ Beaming data between two hand-held computing devices (e.g transferring of data using ShareIt app via hotspot)

▪ Using a wireless keyboard and mouse for a PC

The choice of media type will affect the type of NICs installed, the speed of the network, and the capability of the network to meet future needs.

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