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Why are we comparing these two methods?
When needing to connect to networks, devices can do it in 1 of 2 ways, though a wired or wireless form.
"Wired” connections use physical media, such as twisted-pair Ethernet cables or fiber optic cables, to transmit data directly between devices and network infrastructure.“Wireless” connections rely on radio frequency signals to transmit data through the air between devices, they transfer data over electromagnetic waves.
Wired
Copper Cables
Copper cables are a common medium for transmitting data in networking due to their electrical conductivity. The three primary types of copper cables used are:
Coaxial Cable: Consists of a central copper conductor surrounded by an insulating layer, a metallic shield, and an outer insulating layer. The shielding helps reduce electromagnetic interference, making it suitable for high-frequency signals, often used in cable TV and older Ethernet networks. These are cheap and easy to install however with moderate data tranfer speeds
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP): Made up of pairs of twisted copper wires without any additional shielding. These are only useful in shorter distances however (100m or less) due to the interference that it recieves. UTP cables are widely used in Ethernet networks due to their flexibility and cost-effectiveness. These are also relatively cheap and easy to install, this time with high data transfer speeds
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP): Similar to UTP but includes additional shielding, either around each wire pair or around all pairs collectively. This shielding offers extra protection against electromagnetic interference, making STP ideal for environments with high interference. Similar to UTP's, these can also only travel a short distance (1oom or less) although STP are harder to install
Fiber Optic Cables
Fiber optic cables transmit data as pulses of light through thin strands of glass or plastic fibers. They are designed to carry large amounts of data over long distances at high speeds. Each fiber is made up of a core, where the light travels, surrounded by a cladding layer that reflects the light back into the core. Fiber optic cables are highly resistant to electromagnetic interference, making them ideal for high-speed data transmission. Since light can only travel in 1 direction at a time, 2 cables need to be paried together in order to go both ways. Fiber optic cables also have pretty high security, meaning that the data that is transmitted is very hard to intercept without being detected. However, they are notably expensive to make and even harder to install.
Wireless
WiFi
WiFi transmits data by converting digital information into radio waves, which are then sent over the air between a device and a Wi-Fi router. It transmits this data over a range of frequencies which it can 'hop' to and from, each frequency including many channels to avoid high traffic and congestion. WiFi is quite cheap and easily scalable, which makes it a great candidate for everyday use and why almost everyone has it in their homes.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is used for direct device to device transmission, so there isn't an intermediary router involved. This also means the range for bluetooth is quite short, typically only about 10m or less. Bluetooth is achieved using low power radio waves to transmit, which is great since it can last quite a long time. The technique that bluetooth uses to connect is called spread spectrum frequency, which works by hopping to mant radio wave channels. When in range, 2 or more devices automatically detect and connect to one another, each pair will randomly select a channel to facilitate commnications through. To avoid interference and eavesdropping it will switch channels approxametely 1600 times per second
Satellite
The most prominent component of this technology is obviously the satellite itself, which orbits the earth whilst transmitting and relaying data from devices on the ground using radio waves. The huge advantange that satellites have are that they can transmit signals over a very wide area, spanning whole continents and reaching remote locations that otherwise would be neglected. However it has an extremely high initial cost, that being for it to be sent to space, but that satellite will remain up there for many years to come.
Infrared
This kind of wireless transmition is also very commonly used throughout a typical household. An infrared signal is sent by a emitter and recieved by a reciever, this connects 2 devices together directly within direct sigh of each other, and for that reason it has a very short range (typically 5m more or less). Infrared is typically seen in TV remotes, mice and keyboards
RFID
RFID can typically be placed within object such as an ID card or Metro Pass, it uses radio waves to transmit information. An object with RFID uses radio waves to detect other nearby RFID tags. The passive form of RFID only reads tags, such as a the ones in contactless payment cards (Credit cards and train cards). The active form of RFID can read as well at write tags, such as an AirTag or toll collection systems. After they interact with the tags, the server
Comparison of the two:
Wired
Price: Relatively cheap to setup and maintain
Transfer speeds: Relatively faster data transfer speeds than wireless
Reliability: Isn't reliant on connection and only counts on the physical cable being in good conditon
Security: Better protection against eavesdroppers and hackers from intercepting data being transferred
Mobility: Devices connected by wired cannot be taken and used in a lot of places, and is bound by places where an ethernet cable is
Accessiblity: Cannot be used by devices that do not have certain ports to connect through wired
Distance: Wired devices struggle over long distances due to interference, increased latency and the need for extension cables
Wireless
Wireless
Ergonomic: There is less wires and cable management to account for, therefore less mess and hazards of tripping over them
Distance: Easier than wires to connect over longer distances, no long extension cables required
Accesibility: All devices can have access to wireless connections, even if they don't ports
Mobility: Devices can be taken almost anywhere and not bound by location
Transfer speeds: Typically slower transfer speeds relatively to wired
Price: More expensive to maintain and setup in comparision to wired
Privacy: Higher likelyhood of data bein intercepted through wireless compared to wired
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