NETWORKS

631
Cables and their connector types
Fiber

Fiber Connectors
• ST stands for the (Straight Tip). This straight tip can be seen coming
out of the each end of the connector. The connection would also be
containing some little bayonet type connectors at the end of it. So
they are normally just pushed in the link and turned around and
hence they are locked into the place. This way, one can re arrange the
cables an can move the fiber around. They are pretty tight and the
only way to remove them is again, to turn them.
• SC stands for (Subscriber Connector). Also it is known as the standard
connector. It is actually a square connector since the fiber present
inside this cable is in the round shape. The actually connector, is
square. These cables are normally connected in some pairs. They also
have a connection established among them so that the data can keep
travelling to the only one same direction.
• LC is the short form of the (Lucent Connector). It is also known as the
Little Connector or the Local Connector. It is smaller in size if
compared to some other connectors. These connectors are normally
combined, forming a pair. They can't be separated so it becomes
pretty easy to work with them out in some big environment
Fibre
A cable type which is very common and is used quite often is the fiber
based. It is used to communicate between the devices. They are
different from those wires that are used in the copper cables which
send the electrical signals.
Cable is the medium through which information usually moves from
one network device to another.
Types
Single-mode
Multi-mode
In multi-mode, light travels in the fiber and then it takes various paths
to get to the point B from the point A. It further has various models. It
can be bouncing around only one connection or it can use some other
connection to get to that one's side.
Single mode fiber: This can travel to some really long distances. So if
the distance is too much, one should be using this cable. But it is
expensive than the multi-mode since the laser connection is being used
here.
Types

Twisted pair cables are widely used in transmitting information, especially across
great distances. The twist in the wire cancels out any magnetic interference that may
develop in the wiring. There are two common types of twisted pair cabling, STP and
UTP. The S stands for Shielded, the U stands for Unshielded, and the TP stands for
twisted pair for both
STP: STP is used in one industrial environment where the electrical interface is a lot.
One can use the STP since by doing that they can save themselves the trouble of ever
going into these wires and can remove the interference.
UTP: it is the untwisted shielded pair. There won't be any shield around any of the
pair that is inside it. It is the most common type of the cable.

NOTE: The basic difference between UTP and STP is UTP (Unshielded twisted pair) is
a cable with wires that are twisted together to reduce noise and crosstalk. On the
contrary, STP (Shielded twisted pair) is a twisted pair cable confined in foil or mesh
shield that guards the cable against electromagnetic interference.
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Shielded Twisted Pair (STP), like UTP, also
has four pairs of wires with each wire in each pair twisted together.
However, the difference is that STP is surrounded with a foil shield and
copper braided around the wires that allows more protection from any
external electromagnetic interference.
Because of the shielding, the cable is physically larger, more difficult to
install and terminate, and more expensive than UTP. For applications in
electrically noisy environments, STP uses RJ-45, RJ-11, RS-232, and RS-
449 connectors. Like UTP, STP also comes in Cat 2, 3, 4, or 5 grades;
however, only Cat5 is recommended for any data applications. The
maximum cable length with no signal regenerating device is 100
meters, with a maximum data transfer rate is 500 Mbps.
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) is a set of three or four pairs of wires
with each wire in each pair twisted around the other to prevent
electromagnetic interference. UTP cabling uses RJ-45, RJ-11, RS-232,
and RS-449 connectors. Because it is less expensive and easier to
install, UTP is more popular than Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) or Coaxial
Cabling. An example of UTP application is telephone networks, which
use RJ-11 connectors, and 10BASE-T networks, which use RJ-45
connectors. UTP comes in the form of Cat 2, 3, 4, and 5 grades;
however, only Cat 5 is now recommended for any data applications.
The maximum length is 100 meters, without using any kind of signal
regeneration device, and a maximum data transfer rate of 1000 Mbps
for Gigabit Ethernet.
Categories of Unshielded Twisted Pair Type Use:
• Category 1Voice Only (Telephone Wire)
• Category 2Data to 4 Mbps (Local Talk)
• Category 3Data to 10 Mbps (Ethernet)
• Category 4Data to 20 Mbps (16 Mbps Token Ring)
• Category 5Data to 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet)
• CAT3, CAT5, and CAT5e: These 3 cables type are also the types of
cables which are available to provide some superior data
transmission. Their performance is normally outstanding and some of
them are cheaper than the other ones
Connectors: RJ-11, RJ-45: there are two connectors which are associated to the
twisted cables. They are;
RJ-11: if one is working with a telephone connection, then it is obvious that he
would be using the RJ-11 cable. It is a 2 conductor and the 6 positions standard
connection. Inside it, if one sees, he will find two pieces of the copper which are
responsible for receiving those positions. Hence when the telephone line is
received by us, there are normally two connections working inside it.
RJ-45: If one finds that there are four connections in the cable that is because
there are 4 wires which have been wired. They would be getting connected to
only the two connections which exist inside. Whenever such wire is seen, it is
surely RJ-45. There are total 6 positions and the 4 conductor which this wire has.
It is mostly used when one has to pass two phones lines through the single cable.
This wire is always used in the network connection. Mostly, they are used for the
Ethernet connection. Bu there are some other types of the WLAN connections
and the other connectors as well which are inside the infrastructure. One has to
be careful while plugging into the Ethernet cable in the connection.
Coaxial: There is the connector type which is normally used in the
video connections.
There are the forms of the connectors which the cable has;

Coaxial Cable Connectors

Connectors:
BNC connector is the old fashioned one. It is now used in the old
computers and it is actually the coax Ethernet connection, it is also the
Bayonet Neil Concelman. These connectors also have to be locked in by
putting it in and turning it around. Hence they are difficult to come out
F-connector: is a common connection type that one uses at the homes.
This connector is common in the TVs and they look like the RG-6/U.
They all are connected to the back of the TVs and DSL modems.
Coaxial Characteristics
These cables are seen often being used with the modem networks.
They are also used for some wise places and the other purposes too.
This word coaxial has been generated from having two or more than 2
forms what share some common access Types
RG-56: These are some common types of the coaxial cables which are
being used for the TV and the cable modems which run at home and
the offices.
• RG-59: The RG-59 cables are used for the short distanced videos. Also,
they would be found in the DSL internet connections which are used
at homes.
Tools for wiring and the technique used
Installing Cable Guidelines
• Always use more cable than you need. Leave plenty of slack.
• Test every part of a network as you install it. Even if it is brand new, it
may have problems that will be difficult to isolate later.
• Stay at least 3 feet away from fluorescent light boxes and other
sources of electrical interference.
• If it is necessary to run cable across the floor, cover the cable with
cable protectors.
• Label both ends of each cable.
• Use cable ties (not tape) to keep cables in the same location together.
Advantages of twisted pair cable
• Trained personnel easily available due to shallow learning curve
• Can be used for both analog and digital transmissions
• Least expensive for short distances
• Entire network does not go down if a part of network is damaged
Disadvantages of twisted pair cable
• Signal cannot travel long distances without repeaters
• High error rate for distances greater than 100m
• Very thin and hence breaks easily
• Not suitable for broadband connections
Advantages of Coaxial Cables
• Excellent noise immunity
• Signals can travel longer distances at higher speeds, e.g. 1 to 2 Gbps
for 1 Km cable
• Can be used for both analog and digital signals
• Inexpensive as compared to fibre optic cables
• Easy to install and maintain
Disadvantages of Coaxial Cables
• Expensive as compared to twisted pair cables
• Not compatible with twisted pair cables
Optical Fibre
Thin glass or plastic threads used to transmit data using light waves are
called optical fibre. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or Laser Diodes (LDs)
emit light waves at the source, which is read by a detector at the other
end. Optical fibre cable has a bundle of such threads or fibres bundled
together in a protective covering. Each fibre is made up of these three
layers, starting with the innermost layer −
• Core made of high quality silica glass or plastic
• Cladding made of high quality silica glass or plastic, with a lower
refractive index than the core
• Protective outer covering called buffer
Optical fibre is rapidly replacing copper wires in telephone lines,
internet communication and even cable TV connections because
transmitted data can travel very long distances without
weakening. Single node fibre optic cable can have maximum segment
length of 2 kms and bandwidth of up to 100 Mbps. Multi-node fibre
optic cable can have maximum segment length of 100 kms and
bandwidth up to 2 Gbps.
Advantages of Optical Fibre
• Optical fibre is fast replacing copper wires because of these
advantages that it offers −
• High bandwidth
• Immune to electromagnetic interference
• Suitable for industrial and noisy areas
• Signals carrying data can travel long distances without weakening
Disadvantages of Optical Fibre
• Optical fibre cables are expensive
• Sophisticated technology required for manufacturing, installing and
maintaining optical fibre cables
• Light waves are unidirectional, so two frequencies are required for full
duplex transmission
A current running through a wire generates a magnetic field. When the current
changes, the magnetic field also changes. These changes can create currents and
interfere with signals in surrounding wires. This interference is called cross-talk and it
occurs between wires even when the wires are separated by insulation. The longer the
cables and the higher the frequency signals, the more cross-talk occurs.

Twisted Pair Testing

Generally the purpose of twisted pairs is to minimize cross-talk to and from other
wires. A twisted pair is two wires wound together. Signals are sent down the wires such
that when one wire in the pair becomes positive the other wire becomes negative by
the same amount. Neighbouring wires close to this pair will be affected by cross-talk
equal to the sum of the two signals. So if this sum is zero (or nearly zero) then the
effects of cross-talk are eliminated. This makes the signals sent down a cable cleaner
because most electrical noise entering into and/or radiating from the cable can be
removed.
Split pair error
Conventional tests such as continuity, resistance, and insulation tests will not
sufficiently find all errors associated with twisted pairs. One type of error
undetectable by conventional test methods is called a split pair. A split pair error
occurs when one wire from each of two different pairs gets swapped identically on
both ends of the cable. The result is a cable that will pass a standard continuity test,
but will have serious cross-talk problems, and will most likely not perform
adequately at specified data rates.
Tips for testing twisted pairs
The nature of twisted pairs can make them difficult to test. If the wires
are too short or the quality of the twisted pairs is poor, you will need to
compensate for the limitations. The following are tips to try when
testing twisted pairs.
Media Converter
Ethernet to Fiber Converters

Managed Media Convertors

Unmanaged Media Converter

Ethernet-Fiber Converters enable connections of UTP copper-based
Ethernet equipment over a fiber optic link to take advantage of the
benefits of fiber which include;
• Extending links over greater distances using fiber optic cable
• Protecting data from noise and interference
• Future proofing your network with additional bandwidth capacity
• Copper-based Ethernet connections are limited to a data transmission
distance of only 100 meters when using unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
cable. By using an Ethernet to fiber conversion solution, fiber optic
cabling can now be used to extend this link over a greater distance.
An Ethernet to Fiber Media Converter can also be used where there is
high level of electromagnetic interference or EMI which is a common
phenomenon found in industrial plants. This interference can cause
corruption of data over copper-based Ethernet links. Data transmitted
over fiber optic cable however is completely immune to this type of
noise.
Benefits of Ethernet to Fiber Optic Converters
• Protects your investment in existing copper Ethernet-based hardware
• Provides you with the flexibility to add fiber on a port-by-port basis
• Enjoy the benefits of fiber without have to make wholesale changes
• Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet to multi-mode or single mode
• Ethernet to fiber and fiber back to Ethernet links
• Create copper-fiber connections with fiber switches