Lesson 4 - Cabling & Hardware

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In today's update, I will share about cables and hardware needed to setup a network between computer/devices. But before that, lets take a look at simple explanation the 2 types of network.

1. Wired Network

Wired networks provide users with plenty of security and the ability to move lots of data very quickly. It is typically faster than wireless networks and they can be very affordable. However, the cost of Ethernet cable can add up more computers on your network and the farther apart they are. Thus, the more expensive your network will be. In addition, unless you're building a new house and installing Ethernet cable in the walls, you'll be able to see the cables running from place to place around your home, and wires can greatly limit your mobility. A laptop owner, for example, won't be able to move around easily if his computer is tethered to the wall.

2. Wireless Network (Wi-Fi)

The easiest and least expensive way to connect the computers in your home is to use a wireless network, which uses radio waves instead of wires. The absence of physical wires makes this kind of network very flexible. For example, you can move a laptop from room to room without fiddling with network cables and without losing your connection. The weakness is that wireless connections are generally slower than wired connections and they are less secure unless you take measures to protect your network

There are 3 types of cables that usually used to set up a network connections such as:

1. Coaxial

- Coaxial cables have concentric layers of electrical conductors and insulating material. It ensures that signals are enclosed within the cable and prevents electrical noise from interfering with the signal. It also yields the name "coaxial," referring to its two physical channels running along the same axis

- The center layer is a thin conducting wire, either solid or braided copper. A dielectric layer, made up of an insulating material with very well-defined electrical characteristics, surrounds the wire. A shield layer then surrounds the dielectric layer with metal foil or braided copper mesh. The whole assembly is wrapped in an insulating jacket. The outer metal shield layer of the coax cable is typically grounded in the connectors at both ends to shield the signals, and as a place for stray interference signals to dissipate

- Nowadays, these type of cable usually used to connect television and community antenna 

Bayonett-Neill-Concelman (BNC) connector

- The most common type of connector of this cable is Bayonett-Neill-Concelman (BNC) connector

2. Fibre Optic

- Fibre optic cable is based on optical fibres which are long, flexible, hair-width strands of ultra-pure glass. Optical fibres are formed when preform blanks portions of specially manufactured glass are heated to between 3000 and 4000 degrees and then drawn out at a rate of up to 66 feet per second

- It can transmit larger quantities of data with far less loss, maintain signals over long distances, carries little risk of corrosion, and virtually free from interference

- The light in a fibre-optic cable travels through the core by constantly bouncing from the cladding. 

The following connectors is an example of the fibre optic cable connector. The common type of connector used is ST & SC connector. 

3. Unshielded & Shielded Twisted Pair

Unshielded (UTP)

- Has 4 pairs of wire 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

Shielded (STP)

- Two individual wires wrap in a foil shielding

- Shielding to help provide a more reliable data communication

The common connector used in this both cable is RJ-45 type connector

Now lets take a look at networking equipment/hardware needed in processing data and communication within the network 

1. Server

- A Computer Server is a computer program that provides services to other computer programs and their users) in the same or other computers

- It has large amount of RAM and fastest networking card processor installed to support/provide network smoothly. 

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

2. Workstation

- Computer/device that connect in a network are called workstation

- It must have a network interface card, networking software, and the appropriate cables

- The workstation doesn't require large storage capability because it can be saved in file server

3. Network Interface Card

- Provide physical connection between network and workstation

- The performance of the network card is one of the major factor in determine the performance of network

- There are 3 most common network interface connections:

i. Ethernet cards

ii. LocalTalk connectors

iii. Token ring cards

4. Hubs

- Transmit all data received to all node connected to the hub
- Act as central connection point






5. Switch

- A switch serves as a controller, enabling networked devices to talk to each other efficiently
- Through information sharing and resource allocation, switches save businesses money and increase employee productivity
- Can connect Ethernet, token ring, fibre channel or other types of packet switched network segments together to form an internetwork
- Identifies the device on the network for which the data is intended and sends the data to that node only

6. Repeater

- A repeater is a device that boosts a network’s signal as it passes through
- It works by electrically amplifying the signal it receives and rebroadcasting it
- Repeaters require a small amount of time to regenerate the signal

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
- It can inspect each message and, if necessary, broadcast it on the other side of the network
- Bridges can be used to connect different types of cabling, or physical topologies but in the same protocol
-  Only a Translation bridge will allow two networks of different architectures to be connected

8. Routers

- A router translates information from one network to another similar to a super-intelligent bridge
- Routers select the best path to route a message based on the destination address and origin
- The router can direct traffic to prevent head-on collisions and smart enough to know when to direct traffic along back roads and shortcuts
- It can then redirect data around those sections until they clear up
- The router can be connected across fibre optic, coaxial, and twisted-pair cabling





The routers wrap up today's post about cabling & hardware. In next update, I will discuss about few types of wireless network nowadays. Thank you. :)