Handbook of Information Security, Volume 1, Key Concepts, Infrastructure, Standards, and Protocols

Conducted Communications Media

Thomas L. Pigg, Jackson State Community College

Introduction

Overview of Network Transmission Basics

Network Transmission Basics

Coaxial Cable

Components

Coaxial Cable Network Applications

Twisted-Pair Cable

Components

Twisted-Pair Cable Network Applications

Token Ring Cabling

Fiber Optic Cable

Components

Fiber Modes

Fiber Optic Cable Network Applications

Comparisons and Contrasts

Media Security

Conclusion

Glossary

Cross References

References

INTRODUCTION

The Internet consists of millions of digital passages that carry signals all over the world. These conduits, which connect us to the World Wide Web, come in many shapes, sizes, and modes. The bewildering assortment and seemingly endless conduits, more commonly referred to as communication media, that are used to connect computers together can be boiled down to two types: conductive cable and wireless. Conductive media is simply a hard-wired connection, which requires someone to physically join network devices with some type of cable. The three major types of cable are coaxial, twisted pair, and fiber optic. The focus of this chapter is on conducted communications media. Wireless communication is the alternative to conducted communications media. This is accomplished using a variety of broadcast transmission technologies, including radio, terrestrial microwave, and satellite communications.

To aid in understanding conductive communications media, a short explanation of network transmission basics ...