Computer Network

Transmission Media
Transmission Media
Located below Physical Layer and controlled by Physical Layer

Signals are transmitted from one device to another through transmission media

A signal traveling along any of these media is directed and contained by physical limits of the medium

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Types
Twisted Pair Cable

Transmission Media
Guided Media Co axial Cable

Fiber Optic CAble

Radio waves

Un Guided Media Microwaves

Satellite

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Twisted Pair
. Consist of two conductor (copper) each with its own
plastic insulation, twisted together.

• One wire carry signal and other ground reference. If

both wire carry noise, receiver will be immune

• If two wire are parallel, effect of unwanted signal is not

same.

• By twisting, balance maintained (both wire equally

affected).

• Number of twist per unit of length determine quality.

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UTP Vs STP
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
-Most Common Type
-Suitable for Voice and data
Communication
-Two metal Conductors separated by
their own colored plastic insulation
-Used for Analog communication not
digital
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)
-Has a metal foil which covers each
pair of insulated conductors.
- Metal Foil avoids infiltration of
electromagnetic noise.
-Avoid Cross talks
- Provides shielded protection against
EMI
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Twisted Pair

Measured by
In telephone
comparing
lines to provide
attenuation with
voice and data
frequency and
channels
distance.

High frequency - LAN such as

> higher 10Base-T and
attenuation 100Base-T use
(>100KHz) twisted pair

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UTP

r
nn P
to
Co UT
ec
UTP 3 Category

UTP 5 Category

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 Twisted Pair Cable (Pros & Cons)

- Easy to understand
- Mass production
- Low cost
- Most widely used medium

Pros
Cons - prone to Electromagnetic
- Interference in power
plants, airport buildings,
military facilities, cars

## In-building networks at our university are almost all twisted pair

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Coaxial Cable

. Carries signal of higher frequency

• Inner conductor : copper

• Outer conductor : metal (shield against noise and

also act as second conductor to complete the
circuit).

• Standards: Categorized by Radio government(RG)

ratings

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Co axial Cable

• Attenuation is much higher

• Signal weakens quickly and need repeaters

• Analog telephone, it can carry 10,000 voice signals

• Cable TV
• Ethernet LAN
• In digital telephone, upto 600Mbps

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BNC(Bayone-Neill-Concelman) connectors

Used to connect end of the Used in Ethernet Network for Used at the end to prevent
cable to the device like TV expanding the network signal from reflection

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Co axial cable
 Performance
 Attenuation is much higher

 Signal weakens quickly and need repeaters

 Applications:
 Analog telephone, it can carry 10,000 voice signals

 In digital telephone, upto 600Mbps

 Cable TV

 Ethernet LAN

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Fiber optic

A fiber optic cable is made up glass or plastic and

transmit signal in the form of light.
Light follows principle of reflection when travelling
from one medium to another medium.
Optical fiber use reflection to guide light through
the channel.
An optical fiber cable has a cylindrical shape and
consists of three concentric sections: the core, the
cladding, and the jacket
Fiber optic
The core is the innermost section made of very thin fibers of glass or
plastic
The core has a diameter in the range of 8 to 100um. (Higher density)
Each fiber is surrounded by its own cladding, a glass or plastic
coating that has optical properties different from those of the core
The interface between the core and cladding acts as a reflector to
confine light that would otherwise escape the core.
The outermost layer, surrounding one or a bundle of cladded fibers,
is the jacket.
The jacket is composed of plastic and other material layered to
protect against moisture, abrasion, crushing and other
environmental dangers
Difference in density of two material must be such that a beam of
light moving through core is reflected off the cladding instead of
being refracted into it.
Propagation Modes
Multi Mode
multiple beams from a light source move through core in different paths.
• Multimode step index fiber, : Density of core remains constant from center to edges. Beam of light move through
constant density in straight light until it reach interface of core and cladding. Abrupt Change, results in sharp angle
• Multimode graded index fiber : Density is highest at center of core and decreases gradually to its lowest at the
edge. Decreases this distortion of signal through cable. Index refer to index of refraction
Single Mode
Have smaller diameter as compared to multimode and with lower density. Decrease in density results in a critical angle
that is close to 90 degree. To make propagation of beam almost horizontal

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Single Vs Multimode

Single Mode Multi Mode

One mode propogate Multiple modes propagate
through the fibre through the fibre

Small Core Large Core

Employed for long Distances Employed for short
distances

Less Attenuation More Attentuation

Lower Bandwidth Higher Bandwidth

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Applications
• Optical fiber provide long-distance telecommunications
• Its use in military applications is growing.
• Local area networking
Advantages to Twisted and Coaxial

Support Greater Smaller size and Lower

capacity lighter weight attenuation

Greater
Electromagnetic
repeater
isolation
spacing
Disadvantages

Installation/ Maintenance
Need
expertise

Relatively “new” technology

Unidirectional:
If we need
bidirection

Cost
al two fiber Expensive
needed
Un Guided Media
Unguided media transport electromagnetic waves without
using a physical conductor.

This type of communication is often referred as wireless

communication.

Broadcast through air and available to everyone who has

capability of receiving them

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Propagation Modes

Ground propagation Sky propagation line-of-sight propagation

Radio wave travel through high frequency radio waves Very high frequency signals
lowest portion of radiate upward where they are transmitted in straight
atmosphere. Low frequency are reflected back on earth. line directly from antenna to
signal spread in all Allow long distance antenna. Antennas must be
directions from transmitting transmission with lower directional facing each
media. Distance depend power input other.
upon power.
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 Wireless Transmission
Radio Waves Waves in frequency range between 3KHz and 1GHz are radio waves.

1 and 300GHz are microwaves

Omni Directional Antennas are used

Susceptible to interference by another antenna that may send signal with same
frequency

Radio waves are used for multicast communications, such as radio, television and
paging systems.

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 Wireless Transmission
Microwaves are unidirectional.
Microwaves

Sending and receiving antennas need to be aligned. It is L-O-S

High frequency wave cannot penetrate walls.

Repeaters are needed for long-distance transmission.

Microwaves are used for unicast communication such as cellular telephones, satellite
networks, and wireless LANs

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 Wireless Transmission
Infrared Infrared has frequencies between 300 GHz to 400 THz.

Waves
Short range communication

High frequency, cannot penetrate walls.

No interference in inter-room

Not suitable in sun rays due to interference.

Line of Sight transmission

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Practice Questions
Q1. Why should light wave be reflective rather than refractive in fiber optics?

Q2. A light signal is travelling through a fiber. What is the delay in the signal if
the length of the fiber – optic cable is 5m,500m and 1km.(assume a
propagation speed of 2*108). Use formula delay = distance/speed.

Q3. What is the significance of the twisting in twisted-pair cable?

Q4. What is the difference between Omnidirectional waves and unidirectional

waves?
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Practice Question Solutions
Sol1: Light is guided through the core, and the fiber acts as an optical waveguide. ...
Because the angle of incidence is always equal to the angle of reflection,
the reflected light continues to be reflected.
Sol2: = 0.05 ms
= 0.5 ms
= 5 ms
Sol3: The main reason for twisting in a twisted pair cable is cancelling out any
electromagnetic interference (EMI) that may be given out by external sources.
These external sources could include crosstalk from other nearby pairs of cables or
electromagnetic radiation given out by pairs of twisted cables that are not shielded
(UTP - unshielded twisted pair). This method was created by Alexander Graham Bell.

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Practice Question Solutions
Sol4: Omnidirectional waves Unidirectional waves

omnidirections meant that ‘different directions’ unidirectional means waves having single direction.

Omnidirectional devices broadcast or receive their signals from Unidirectional devices are focused on picking up or
all directions. transmitting their signals in one direction.

Example: Cell phone antennas will pick up signals from Example: Having a microphone that will give you and your
everywhere around the device. subject undivided attention.

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References
• Behroz Forouzan, " Data Communication and Networking",TMH.,5th
Edition.
THANKS

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