Computer Communications

& Networks CS-576

Lecture#06
 Unguided Media
Unguided Media or Wireless Communication
transport Electromagnetic waves without a
physical conductor.
 signals are normally broadcast through air and
are available to anyone who has a receiver
capable of receiving them.
 Unguided Media
Electromagnetic spectrum for
wireless communication
 Propagation of Radio Waves
Radio Wave transmission utilizes s different types of
propagation.
• Ground Propagation
• Sky Propagation
• Line-of-sight Propagation
 Ground Propagation

In surface propagation, radio waves travel through the

lowest layer of the atmosphere, hugging the earth.
At the lowest frequencies signal emanate in all
direction from
the transmitting antenna and follow the curvature of
the planet.
Distance depends on the amount of power in the signal
 Sky Propagation
Higher frequency radio waves are radiated
towards the ionosphere(the layer of atmosphere
where particles exist as ions) where they are
reflected back to earth.
This type of transmission allows for greater
distances with lower output.
 Line-of-sight propagation
Very high frequencies signals are transmitted in straight
line from antenna to antenna.
Antennas must be directional facing each other or either
tall enough or close enough to each other to avoid earth’s
curvature .
Radio waves can reflect of the objects in the middle and
can reach late to the receiver. These late signals distort
signal.
Bands
 Unguided Media
Wireless transmission waves
 Radio Waves

Omni directional Antenna

Frequencies between 3 KHz and 1 GHz.
Radio waves are used for multicast
communications, such as radio and television,
and paging systems.
 Microwaves
Frequencies between 1 and 300 GHz.
Microwaves are used for unicast
communication such as cellular telephones,
satellite networks, and wireless LANs.
 Infrared
Infrared signals can be used for short-range
communication in a closed area using line-of-
sight propagation
Frequency range from 300GHz to 400THz.