Transmission media

In data communication, a transmission medium can be broadly defined as anything that can carry information from a source to a destination i.e. it is the channel through which data is sent from one place to another. For example, the transmission medium for two people having a dinner conversation is the air.

Transmission media can be classified into :

fig: Classes of transmission media

What are the different types of guided transmission media?

Guided media :

Guided media, also called Wired or Bounded transmission media, provides a conduit from one device to another by using physical links. It includes twisted-pair cable, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable.

Twisted-pair cable :

It comprises two separate insulated conductor wires wound around each other. Several such pairs are usually bundled together in a protective sheath. There are two types of twisted-pair cables :

Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP): Most commonly used for Ethernet networks. It consists of pairs of twisted copper wires, and each pair is further insulated and twisted to reduce crosstalk and interference.

Advantages:

Least expensive
Easy to install
High-speed capacity

Disadvantages:

Susceptible to external interference
Lower capacity and performance in comparison to STP
Short-distance transmission due to attenuation

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP): Similar to UTP but with additional shielding to better protect against external electromagnetic interference.

Advantages :

Better performance at a higher data rate in comparison to UTP
Eliminates crosstalk
Comparatively faster

Disadvantages :

Comparatively difficult to install and manufacture
highly expensive

2. Coaxial Cable:

Consists of a central copper conductor surrounded by an insulating layer, a metallic shielding, and an outer protective sheath. Used in older Ethernet networks (10BASE2 and 10BASE5), as well as for cable television (CATV) and broadband internet connections.

Advantages:

easy installation
high bandwidth
Better immunity to noise
cheap

Disadvantages :

Connections are in series, therefore single cable can disrupt the entire network

3. Optical Fiber Cable:

The optical fiber cable works on the concept of refraction of light through a core made up of glass or plastic. Its core is surrounded by a less denser glass which is also called the cladding. The cable can be unidirectional or bidirectional. It is used for the transmission of large volumes of data.

Advantages :

Increased capacity and bandwidth
Less signal attenuation
Immunity to electromagnetic interference
Resistance to corrosive materials

Disadvantages :

Difficulty in installation
high maintenance
Expensive

Unguided media :

Unguided media transport electromagnetic waves without using a physical conductor. This type of communication is often referred to as wireless communication. In this media, different types of waves are transferred such as Radio Waves, Microwaves, and infrared waves.

Radio Wave :

Radio waves are used for multicast communications, such as radio and television, and paging systems. They can penetrate through walls. Highly regulated. Use Omni directional antennas. Range: 3KHz – 1GHz

2. Microwave :

Microwaves are used for unicast communication such as cellular telephones, satellite networks, and wireless LANs. Higher frequency ranges cannot penetrate walls. Use directional antennas – point-to-point line-of-sight communications. Frequency Range:1GHz – 300GHz

3. Infrared waves :

Infrared signals can be used for short-range communication in a closed area using line-of-sight propagation. Frequency Range:300GHz – 400THz .

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