WIRED TECHNOLOGY

Connecting a cable

So what I learned in chapter last week is “Connecting a cable : cabling and hardware”. In this chapter, I learned more to wired connection because wireless connection will be explain in next chapter. Generally, cable is the medium through which information usually moves from one network device to another.

There are 3 types of cables which is

Ø  Coaxial

Ø  Twisted pair

i. unshielded

ii. shielded

Ø  Fibre optic

There are the difference between these three types of cable :

There are also cable connectors that use to connect the cable, but there are several types of connectors.

1.Coaxial cable connector

•The most common type of connector used with coaxial cables is the Bayonet-Neill-                              Concelman       

(BNC) connector

•Different types of adapters are available for BNC connectors, including a T-connector, barrel

connector, and terminator.

2. Fibre optic cable connector

•The most common type of connector used with fiber optic cable is the ST & SC connector

3. UTP cable connector

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

(RJ=Registered Jack)

•Look like a large telephone-style connector

•A slow allows RJ-45 to be inserted only one way

                When we use the topology, there are some type of cable that suitable to some topology :

Physical topology	Cable used
Linear bus	Coaxial                     Twisted pair                     Fibre optic
Star	Twisted pair                     Fibre optic
Star wired ring	Twisted pair
Tree	Coaxial                     Twisted pair                     Fibre optic

                In this chapter also, I also learned network hardware. What is network hardware?. Networking hardware includes all computers, peripherals, interface cards and other equipment needed to perform data-processing and communications within the network.

             
 There are 8 hardware or equipment that I learn which is:

ü  File server

ü  Workstation

ü  Network interface card

ü  Concentrator or hubs

ü  Switch

ü  Repeaters

ü  Bridges

ü  Routers

1. File server

•A file server stands at the heart of most networks.

•very fast computer

•large amount of RAM and storage space,

•a fast network interface card.

•network operating system software resides on this computer, along with any software applications and data files that need to be shared.

2. Workstation

•user computers that is connected to a network are called workstations.

•configured with a network interface card, networking software, and the appropriate cables.

•do not necessarily storage capability , files can be saved on the file server.

•almost any computer can serve as a network workstation.

3. Network Interface Card (NIC)

•provides the physical connection between the network and the computer workstation.

•major factor in determining the speed and performance of a network

•Most NICs are internal, with the card fitting into an expansion slot inside the computer.

•Some computers, such as Mac Classics, use external boxes which are attached to a serial port or a SCSI port.

•Laptop computers - built-in NIC or network cards that slip into a PCMCIA slot.

•The three most common network interface connections are

–Ethernet cards,

–LocalTalk connectors

–Token Ring cards.

4. Concentrator/Hubs

•Central connection point

•Transmit all data received to all node connected to the hub. Regardless to which device the data being sent to

•Lots of extra network traffic, network less efficient

5. Switch

•Switch vs Hubs : Both devices contain ports to connect the devices together via networking cables and to facilitates communication between the devices, but they differ in how they transfer data.

•Identifies the device on the network for which the data is intended and sends the data to that node only

•Can connect Ethernet, token ring, Fiber Channel or other types of packet switched network segments together to form an internetwork

6. Repeater

•to boost the signal with a device called a repeater. The repeater electrically amplifies the signal it receives and rebroadcasts it.

•can be separate devices or they can be incorporated into a concentrator.

•used when the total length of your network cable exceeds the standards set for the type of cable being used.

7. Bridges

•A bridge monitors the information traffic on both sides of the network so that it can pass packets of information to the correct location. The bridge manages the traffic to maintain optimum performance on both sides of the network

•It keeps information flowing on both sides of the network, but it does not allow unnecessary traffic through.

•Can be used to connect different types of cabling, or physical topologies. They must be between networks with the same protocol.

•A network bridge connects multiple network segments

•Bridges are similar to repeaters or network hubs, devices that connect network segments at the physical layer, however a bridge works by using bridging where traffic from one network is managed rather than simply rebroadcast to adjacent network segments.

8. Routers

•Connectors that used to link different networks

•translates information from one network to another; it is similar to a superintelligent bridge.

•select the best path to route a message, based on the destination address and origin.

•direct traffic to prevent head-on collisions, and is smart enough to know when to direct traffic along back roads and shortcuts.

•While bridges know the addresses of all computers on each side of the network, routers know the addresses of computers, bridges, and other routers on the network. Routers can even "listen" to the entire network to determine which sections are busiest -- they can then redirect data around those sections until they clear up.

•Also determines the best route to send the data over the Internet.

        
   •Routers can:

ü  Direct signal traffic efficiently

ü  Route messages between any two protocols

ü  Route messages between linear bus, star, and star-wired ring topologies

ü  Route messages across fiber optic, coaxial, and twisted-pair cabling

That’s all that I learned in this chapter. Thank you.