Characteristics: –
• The name of the cable is Co-axial as it contains conductors parallel to each other.
• It has a higher frequency as compared to Twisted pair cable.
• The inner conductor of the Coaxial cable is made up of copper mesh. The middle core is made up of a non-conductive cover that separates the inner and outer conductor.
• Mainly Co-axial cables are used as Network and Broadcast cables. Example – Cable T.V. wire.

Components of Co-axial Cable. — Image Credit – Google

Advantages of Co-axial Cable: –
• Its data transmission rate is high.
• Its Bandwidth is higher compare to other cables.
• Its installation process is easy.
• It is less expensive.

Disadvantages of Co-axial Cables: –
• If any fault in the Co-axial cable cause then the entire network is failure.

Types of Coaxial Cable: –

There are 2 types of Co-axial Cables –

• Baseband Transmission: –

It is defined as the process of transmitting a single signal at high speed. It is used for digital transmission.
Example – LANs cabling.

• Broadband Transmission: –

It is defined as the process of transmitting multiple signal simultaneously. It is used for analog transmission.
Example – Television Cabling.

Co-axial Cable Standards: –

The Co-axial cables are categorized by their Radio Government (RG) rating.

RG – 8: –

• It is also known as Thick Ethernet or 10 Base 5.
• It is used AUI connectors.
• Here maximum connected nods 100.
• Here 10 Base 5 means –
10 – 10 Mbps speed or Bandwidth
Base – Baseband Signals
5 – 500 Meter Segment Length

RG – 58: –

• It is also known as Thin Ethernet or 10 Base 2.
• It is uses BNC connectors.
• Here maximum connected nodes 30.
• Here 10 Base 2 means –
10 – 10 Mbps speed or Bandwidth
Base – Baseband Signals
2 – 200 Meter Segment Length (actual usage is 185 m.)

RG – 59: –

• It is used for Cable T.V.

RG – 6: –

• It is used for CCTV.

Twisted Pair Cable: –

Definition: –
Twisted Pair Cabling is a type of wiring in which two wire are twisted each other to prevent the data loss.

Characteristics: –
• Here two wire are twisted each other.
• It is Cheap as compare to other cables.
• Its installation process is easy.
• It is used for phone communication and cable ethernet network.

Types of Twisted-pair Cable: –

There are 2 types of Twisted pair cable –

UTP: –

Definition: –
UTP means Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable, which is copper media and wires are twisted together to reduced noise and crosstalk.

UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable) — Image Credit – Google

Characteristics: –
• Here no additional shielding or meshes or aluminum foil are used.
• It is widely in Telecommunication.

Advantages of UTP: –
• It is Cheaper.
• Its installation process is easy.
• It can be used for high-speed LAN.

Disadvantages of UTP: –
• Its main disadvantages of the bandwidth. We cannot achieve high bandwidth with UTP cables.
• This cable can only be used in shorter distance.

UTP categories: –

UTP Category	Data Rate/ Maximum Transmission Speed	Frequency	Application
CAT – 1	Up to 1 Mbps	0.4 MHz	Old Television Cable
CAT – 2	Up to 4 Mbps	4 MHz	Token Ring Network
CAT – 3	Up to 10 Mbps	16 MHz	Token Ring and 10 Base T Ethernet
CAT – 4	Up to 16 Mbps	20 MHz	Token Ring Network
CAT – 5	Up to 100 Mbps	100 MHz	Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Token Ring
CAT – 5e	Up to 1 Gbps	100 MHz	Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
CAT – 6	Up to 10 Gbps	250 MHz	Gigabit Ethernet, 10 G Ethernet
CAT – 6a	Up to 10 Gbps	500 MHz	Gigabit Ethernet, 10 G Ethernet
CAT – 7	Up to 10 Gbps	600 MHz	Gigabit Ethernet, 10 G Ethernet
CAT – 8	Up to 10 Gbps	2000 MHz	40 G Ethernet

STP: –

Definition: –
STP means Shielded Twisted Pair Cable, which is the copper media and this cable is shielded or mesh surrounding the wire that guards the cable against electromagnetic interference.

STP (Shielded Twisted Pair Cable). — Image Credit – Google

Advantages of STP: –
• Its data transmission rate is high.
• It is uses shielded or mesh that removes the crosstalk.

Disadvantages of STP: –
• It is more expensive than UTP cable.
• Its attenuation rate is high.

Fiber Optic Cable: –

Definition: – Fiber Optic consists of glass or plastic fiber that carries data in the form of light signals.

Characteristics: –
• Fiber Optic cables communication signals using light signals or Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
• The light reflected through the core of the cable.
• The core of the cable is enclosed with less thick plastic or glass and it is known as Cladding.
• The Fiber Optic Cables provide faster data transmission than another copper cable.

Advantages of Fiber Optic Cables: –
• The Fiber Optic Cable provides more bandwidth and capacity as compared to copper cables.
• It is lightweight.
• It carries the data at a longer distance.
• Its data transmission rate is high.
• Its signal attenuation rate is high.

Disadvantages of Fiber Optic Cables: –
• It is difficult to install and maintain.
• Its installation cost is high.

Basic Components of Fiber Optic Cable: –
• Core: – The Fiber Optic Cable consists as thin plastic or glass known as Core. Here the light transmits one place to another place.

• Cladding: – The Optic Fiber Cable consists as a thick plastic layer of glass knows as Cladding. It is providing the light reflective at the core part.

• Jacket: – The Fiber Optic Cable consists a Jacket. It is protecting the core part outer of the damages.

Types of Fiber Optic Cable: –

There are 2 types of Fiber Optic Cable –

1) Single-Mode Fiber Optic cable: –

It is defined as the process of transfer data at a Single-mode at a time.

2) Multi-mode Fiber Optic Cable: –

It is defined as the process of transfer data at a multi-mode at a time.

Wireless Transmission Media: –

It is also known as Unbounded or Unguided Transmission media. Here signals are transmitted through wireless without any physical medium.
Wireless transmission media classified into 3 categories –

Radio Waves: –

• Radio waves are electromagnetic waves that are transmitted in all free space.
• The frequency range of Radiowaves is 3 Khz – 1 Ghz.
• Here sender and receiver use an antenna to data transfer.
• It is mainly used for multicasting when there in one sender and multiple receivers.
• Example – FM radio, Cordless phone.

Microwaves: –

• Microwaves are electromagnetic waves.
• Its frequency range is 1 Ghz – 300 Ghz.
• Here sender and receiver antennas need to be properly aligned with each other.
• It is 2 types – Terrestrial Microwaves & Satellite Microwaves.

Infrared: –

• Infrared waves are used for very short distance communication, as they cannot go through obstacles.
• Its frequency range is 300 Ghz – 400 Thz.
• Example – TV remotes, Keyboard, Wireless Mouse & printer etc.

Transmission Media Interview Questions

Q. What is Bandwidth?
Ans: – The amount of data that can be transferred through a communication medium in a unit of time is called as Bandwidth.
The Bandwidth of digital signals is measured in Cycles per Second (bps) or Bytes per Second (Bps).
The Bandwidth of analog signal is measured in Cycles per Second or Hertz.

Q. What is Frequency?
Ans: – the rate at which something changes or repeated over a particular period of time is called Frequency.
It is measured in Hartz.

Q. What is Throughput?
Ans: – Throughput refers to how much data can be transferred from sender to receiver in a digital amount of time. Example – It is measured the performance of hard drives and RAM as well as Internet and Network connection.

Q. What is the difference between Bandwidth, Throughput and Speed?
Ans: – Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data transfer per second.
Throughput is the actual amount of data passing through media or a connection.
Speed is referred to how much data can be downloaded or uploaded per second.

Q. What is Attenuation?
Ans: – Attenuation refers to the energy loss when a signal travels through a medium.

Q. What is Distortion in Network?
Ans: – When the signal trouble through some medium from one point to another, it may change the form or save of the signal is called Distortion.

Q. What is Crosstalk?
Ans: – It is interference

Q. What is Segment Length?
Ans: – The maximum length of a cable that can carry the signal with strength without any amplifying the device is called Segment Length.

Q. What is the difference between Communication and Transmission?
Ans: – A process of sending and receiving data between source and destination, in only one way. It is the physical movement of data, called as Transmission.
A process of sending and receiving data between source and destination in both ways is called as Communication.

Q. What is Baseband Signal?
Ans: – Only one signal transfer at a time in a link called as Baseband Signal.
Example – LAN.

Q. What is Broadband Signal?
Ans: – Multiple Signal transfer at a time in a link called as Broadband Signal.

Q. What is Transmission Media?
Ans: – Transmission media is a path that transfers the data from a sender to the receiver.

Q. What are the types of Transmission Media?
Ans: – There are 2 types of Transmission Media – Guided Media and Unguided Media.

Q. Why is wired media called as Guided Media?
Ans: – Because of wired media, we can guide the data signals using wires from one location to another. So that’s why it can also be called as Guided media.

Q. What do you mean wireless communication?
Ans: – Unguided media transport electromagnetic waves without using a physical medium. This type of communication is referred to as wireless communication.

Q. What are the types of Wired Transmission media?
Ans: – There are 3 types of Wired Transmission media –
1) Co- axial Cable
2) Twisted-Pair Cable
3) Fiber Optic Cable

Q. What is Co-axial Cable?
Ans: – A Co-axial Cable or Coax is a cable, is used in the transmission of audio, video and communication. Mainly it is used as network and broadband cable.

Q. What is Twisted-Pair Cable?
Ans: – Twisted-Pair Cable is a type of wiring in which two wires are twisted each other to reduce the data loss.

Q. Why Twisted-Pair cables twisted with each other?
Ans: – Twisted-Pair cables are twisted because this twist between the wires is helpful to reduce the electromagnetic interference, which helps to reduce the noise.

Q. What are the types of Twisted-Pair cable?
Ans: – There are 2 types of Twisted-Pair cable –
1) UTP
2) STP

Q. What is mean by 10 Base 5?
Ans: – It is also known as Thick Ethernet or RG – 8. It is a Co-axial standardized cable. Here, 10 Base 5 means –
10 – 10 Mbps speed or Bandwidth
Base – Baseband Signals
5 – 500 m. Segment Length

Q. What is mean by 10 Base 2?
Ans: – It is also known as Thin Ethernet or RG – 58. It is a Co-axial standardized cable. Here, 10 Base 2 means –
10 – 10 Mbps speed or Bandwidth
Base – Baseband Signals
2 – 200 m. Segment Length (actual usage 185 m.)

Q. What is STP?
Ans: – STP means Shielded Twisted-Pair Cable, which is the copper media and this cable is shielded or mesh surrounding the wire that guards the cable against electromagnetic interference.

Q. What is UTP?
Ans: – UTP means Unshielded Twisted-Pair cable, which is copper media and wires are twisted together to reduced noise and crosstalk.

Q. Compare the following cable and use their connection?
Ans: –

Cable Type	Types of Connector
UTP	RJ – 45
STP	RJ – 45
Co-axial RG – 58	BNC
Co – axial RG – 8	AUI
Fiber Optic Cable	ST, SC, SMA, MIC

Q. What is the difference between CAT – 5 and CAT – 6 cables?
Ans: –

CAT – 5	CAT – 6
It supports data transfer up to 100 Mbps is an External Network.	It can go up to 10 Gbps in data transfer speed in on Ethernet Network.
Its frequency is 100 Mhz.	Its frequency is 250 Mhz.
It is not able to tackle crosstalk due to its limitations.	It significantly reduces crosstalk issues due to protective shielding.

Q. What is the difference between UTP & STP?
Ans: – UTP is a cable with wires that are twisted together to reduce noise and crosstalk.
STP is a twisted pair cable that is connected in foil or mesh shielded that guards the cable against electromagnetic interference.

Q. Which types of cable are mostly used in telephone networks?
Ans: – Twisted-pair cable.

Q Which cable type is using the highest data transmission?
Ans: – Fiber Optic Cable.

Q. What is the difference between Single mode and Multi-mode Fiber Optic Cable?
Ans: –

Single-Mode Fiber Optic Cable	Multi-Mode Fiber Optic Cable
Its bandwidth is Low.	Its bandwidth is High.
It is used for Long-distance (60 k.m.)	It is used for a Short distance (up to 2 k.m.)
Its installation cost is Higher.	Its installation cost is Lower.
It is used in WAN, MAN.	It is used in LAN, SAN.

Q. What is Infrared Transmission?
Ans: – Infrared (IR) is a wireless transmission medium that sends signals using infrared light waves.
Example – Wireless Mouse & Printer, Smart Phone etc.

Q. What is Microwaves Transmission?
Ans: – Microwaves are radio waves that provide a high-speed signal transmission.

Q. What is Radio waves?
Ans: – Radio waves are electromagnetic waves that are transmitted in all free space. It is mainly used in FM radio.

Q. What is EMI/RFI?
Ans: – EMI stands for Electromagnetic Interference, it is also known as RFI (Radio Frequency Interference). EMI is the frequency of electromagnetic noise and RFI is a subset of electrical noise o the EMI spectrum.

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What is Transmission Media? Types of Transmission Media?

Transmission Media

Classification of Transmission Media:

Wired Transmission Media:

Co-axial Cable: