Cabling

What is Network Cabling?

Cable is the medium through which information usually moves from one
network device to another. There are several types of cable which are
commonly used with LANs. In some cases, a network will utilize only
one type of cable, other networks will use a variety of cable types. The
type of cable chosen for a network is related to the network's topology,
protocol, and size. Understanding the characteristics of different types of
cable and how they relate to other aspects of a network is necessary for
the development of a successful network.

The following sections discuss the types of cables used in networks and
other related topics.

 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cable

 Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable
 Coaxial Cable
 Fiber Optic Cable
 Cable Installation Guides
 Wireless LANs
 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cable

Twisted pair cabling comes in two varieties: shielded and unshielded.

Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is the most popular and is generally the
best option for school networks (See fig. 1).

Fig.1. Unshielded twisted pair

The quality of UTP may vary from telephone-grade wire to extremely
high-speed cable. The cable has four pairs of wires inside the jacket.
Each pair is twisted with a different number of twists per inch to help
eliminate interference from adjacent pairs and other electrical devices.
The tighter the twisting, the higher the supported transmission rate and
the greater the cost per foot. The EIA/TIA (Electronic Industry
Association/Telecommunication Industry Association) has established
standards of UTP and rated six categories of wire (additional categories
are emerging).

Categories of Unshielded Twisted Pair

Category Speed Use

1 1 Mbps Voice Only (Telephone Wire)
2 4 Mbps LocalTalk & Telephone (Rarely used)
3 16 Mbps 10BaseT Ethernet
4 20 Mbps Token Ring (Rarely used)
100 Mbps (2 pair) 100BaseT Ethernet
5
1000 Mbps (4 pair) Gigabit Ethernet
5e 1,000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet
6 10,000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet

Unshielded Twisted Pair Connector

The standard connector for unshielded twisted pair cabling is an RJ-45

connector. This is a plastic connector that looks like a large telephone-
style connector (See fig. 2). A slot allows the RJ-45 to be inserted only
one way. RJ stands for Registered Jack, implying that the connector
follows a standard borrowed from the telephone industry. This standard
designates which wire goes with each pin inside the connector.

Fig. 2. RJ-45 connector

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable

Although UTP cable is the least expensive cable, it may be susceptible

to radio and electrical frequency interference (it should not be too close
to electric motors, fluorescent lights, etc.). If you must place cable in
environments with lots of potential interference, or if you must place
cable in extremely sensitive environments that may be susceptible to the
electrical current in the UTP, shielded twisted pair may be the solution.
Shielded cables can also help to extend the maximum distance of the
cables.

Shielded twisted pair cable is available in three different configurations:

1. Each pair of wires is individually shielded with foil.

2. There is a foil or braid shield inside the jacket covering all wires
(as a group).
3. There is a shield around each individual pair, as well as around the
entire group of wires (referred to as double shield twisted pair).

Coaxial Cable

Coaxial cabling has a single copper conductor at its center. A plastic

layer provides insulation between the center conductor and a braided
metal shield (See fig. 3). The metal shield helps to block any outside
interference from fluorescent lights, motors, and other computers.

Fig. 3. Coaxial cable

Although coaxial cabling is difficult to install, it is highly resistant to

signal interference. In addition, it can support greater cable lengths
between network devices than twisted pair cable. The two types of
coaxial cabling are thick coaxial and thin coaxial.

Thin coaxial cable is also referred to as thinnet. 10Base2 refers to the

specifications for thin coaxial cable carrying Ethernet signals. The 2
refers to the approximate maximum segment length being 200 meters. In
actual fact the maximum segment length is 185 meters. Thin coaxial
cable has been popular in school networks, especially linear bus
networks.

Thick coaxial cable is also referred to as thicknet. 10Base5 refers to the

specifications for thick coaxial cable carrying Ethernet signals. The 5
refers to the maximum segment length being 500 meters. Thick coaxial
cable has an extra protective plastic cover that helps keep moisture away
from the center conductor. This makes thick coaxial a great choice when
running longer lengths in a linear bus network. One disadvantage of
thick coaxial is that it does not bend easily and is difficult to install.

Coaxial Cable Connectors

The most common type of connector used with coaxial cables is the
Bayone-Neill-Concelman (BNC) connector (See fig. 4). Different types
of adapters are available for BNC connectors, including a T-connector,
barrel connector, and terminator. Connectors on the cable are the
weakest points in any network. To help avoid problems with your
network, always use the BNC connectors that crimp, rather screw, onto
the cable.

Fig. 4. BNC connector

Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber optic cabling consists of a center glass core surrounded by several

layers of protective materials (See fig. 5). It transmits light rather than
electronic signals eliminating the problem of electrical interference. This
makes it ideal for certain environments that contain a large amount of
electrical interference. It has also made it the standard for connecting
networks between buildings, due to its immunity to the effects of
moisture and lighting.

Fiber optic cable has the ability to transmit signals over much longer
distances than coaxial and twisted pair. It also has the capability to carry
information at vastly greater speeds. This capacity broadens
communication possibilities to include services such as video
conferencing and interactive services. The cost of fiber optic cabling is
comparable to copper cabling; however, it is more difficult to install and
modify. 10BaseF refers to the specifications for fiber optic cable
carrying Ethernet signals.

The center core of fiber cables is made from glass or plastic fibers (see
fig 5). A plastic coating then cushions the fiber center, and kevlar fibers
help to strengthen the cables and prevent breakage. The outer insulating
jacket made of teflon or PVC.
Fig. 5. Fiber optic cable

There are two common types of fiber cables -- single mode and
multimode. Multimode cable has a larger diameter; however, both cables
provide high bandwidth at high speeds. Single mode can provide more
distance, but it is more expensive.

Specification Cable Type

10BaseT Unshielded Twisted Pair
10Base2 Thin Coaxial
10Base5 Thick Coaxial
100BaseT Unshielded Twisted Pair
100BaseFX Fiber Optic
100BaseBX Single mode Fiber
100BaseSX Multimode Fiber
1000BaseT Unshielded Twisted Pair
1000BaseFX Fiber Optic
1000BaseBX Single mode Fiber
Multimode Fiber
1000BaseSX

Installing Cable - Some Guidelines

When running cable, it is best to follow a few simple rules:

 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.

Network Devices

Today's network environment is predominently Ethernet technologies.

Ethernet is a broadcast protocol that provides the physical layer and
data-link layer functions within a network. To connect devices that use
ethernet, you need a hub, bridge, switch or router, and which device you
use depends on how you will use the network and the computers.

Hubs

A hub is a device used to create a broadcast domain so that several

computers can communicate. Hubs are very inexpensive. Hubs receive
frames and broadcast the frame on all ports. Hubs are dying out of
existence and the only place you see them today is in extremely small
networks, especially in homes. Once there are too many computers
connected to a hub, communication begins to break down and a more
intelligent solution is required.

Bridges

A bridge is a smarter version of a hub, and performs the same function.

A learning bridge can figure out where a given computer is located and
transmit frames only on the port connected to that device.
Switches

A switch is a specialized type of learning bridge that can learn which

devices are connected to which ports and can forward frames only to
those ports that are supposed to hear the transmission. Bridges maintain
a forwarding table. Switches are the most common way in which
ethernet networks are wired together.

Routers

Routers break up broadcast domains and segment networks, which allow

network administrators to control broadcasts and control access to
various network resources. Routers provide a means to allow computers
to share a logical network that is separate from the physical switched
network. Routers are used to connect several ethernet networks together
to make a larger network. Routers can further extend the network by
connecting local networks to the global network called the "Internet".

Other devices include:

gateways