6.

6 Data Transmission Media

Remember
Types of data transmission media.
Coaxial cable: this is made of stiff copper wire and the surround by
insulating materials, the cased in a cylindrical conductor kind of like
mesh and then coated in plastic.
Twisted pair cable: this is a pair of insulated copper wire twisted
together and cover in an outer coating. They is also the unshielded
twisted pair (UTP) used in networks.
Optical fibre: this is a very thin fibre of glass or plastic which is then
surrounded by another layer of glass or plastic. This acts like a
mirror and traps the light pulse inside the inner cable.
2. Give three advantages of optical fibres over copper wire
cables for data transmission. Give one disadvantage
ADVANTAGES
· It is not affected by electrical interference, such as lightning and power surges.
· It is thinner and lighter than coaxial cables.
· It provides greater security because it is difficult to intercept.
DISADVANTAGE
It is expensive to install and repair
3. Describe one disadvantage of using radio waves to
transmit data.
Using radio waves has a lack of security and there is a lot of signal
interference. Anyone can tine into a radio frequency and intercept a
transmission.

Think
4. Explain the differences between optical fibre and UTP
cables.
The different between optical fibre and UTP is that the inner cables are different while
the optical fibres have either glass or plastic in them and uses a mirror affect. The
UTP has two wires that are unshielded and bond together.