Wireless LAN organizations and standards / Wireless devices and topologies

Wireless LAN organizations and standards
3.3.1 This page will introduce the regulations and standards that apply to wireless technology. These standards ensure that deployed networks are interoperable and in compliance.


Just as in cabled networks, IEEE is the prime issuer of standards for wireless networks. The standards have been created within the framework of the regulations created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

A key technology contained within the 802.11 standard is Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS). DSSS applies to wireless devices operating within a 1 to 2 Mbps range. A DSSS system may operate at up to 11 Mbps but will not be considered compliant above 2 Mbps. The next standard approved was 802.11b, which increased transmission capabilities to 11 Mbps. Even though DSSS WLANs were able to interoperate with the Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) WLANs, problems developed prompting design changes by the manufacturers. In this case, IEEE’s task was simply to create a standard that matched the manufacturer’s solution.

802.11b may also be called Wi-Fi™ or high-speed wireless and refers to DSSS systems that operate at 1, 2, 5.5 and 11 Mbps. All 802.11b systems are backward compliant in that they also support 802.11 for 1 and 2 Mbps data rates for DSSS only. This backward compatibility is extremely important as it allows upgrading of the wireless network without replacing the NICs or access points.

802.11b devices achieve the higher data throughput rate by using a different coding technique from 802.11, allowing for a greater amount of data to be transferred in the same time frame. The majority of 802.11b devices still fail to match the 11 Mbps bandwidth and generally function in the 2 to 4 Mbps range.

802.11a covers WLAN devices operating in the 5 GHZ transmission band. Using the 5 GHZ range disallows interoperability of 802.11b devices as they operate within 2.4 GHZ. 802.11a is capable of supplying data throughput of 54 Mbps and with proprietary technology known as "rate doubling" has achieved 108 Mbps. In production networks, a more standard rating is 20-26 Mbps.

802.11g provides the same bandwidth as 802.11a but with backwards compatibility for 802.11b devices using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation technology. Cisco has developed an access point that permits 802.11b and 802.11a devices to coexist on the same WLAN. The access point supplies ‘gateway’ services allowing these otherwise incompatible devices to communicate.

The next page explains the devices and topologies used in wireless networks.

Wireless devices and topologies
3.3.2 This page describes the devices and related topologies for a wireless network.


A wireless network may consist of as few as two devices. - The nodes could simply be desktop workstations or notebook computers. Equipped with wireless NICs, an ‘ad hoc’ network could be established which compares to a peer-to-peer wired network. Both devices act as servers and clients in this environment. Although it does provide connectivity, security is at a minimum along with throughput. Another problem with this type of network is compatibility. Many times NICs from different manufacturers are not compatible.

To solve the problem of compatibility, an access point (AP) is commonly installed to act as a central hub for the WLAN infrastructure mode. The AP is hard wired to the cabled LAN to provide Internet access and connectivity to the wired network. APs are equipped with antennae and provide wireless connectivity over a specified area referred to as a cell. Depending on the structural composition of the location in which the AP is installed and the size and gain of the antennae, the size of the cell could greatly vary. Most commonly, the range will be from 91.44 to 152.4 meters (300 to 500 feet). To service larger areas, multiple access points may be installed with a degree of overlap. The overlap permits "roaming" between cells. This is very similar to the services provided by cellular phone companies. Overlap, on multiple AP networks, is critical to allow for movement of devices within the WLAN. Although not addressed in the IEEE standards, a 20-30% overlap is desirable. This rate of overlap will permit roaming between cells, allowing for the disconnect and reconnect activity to occur seamlessly without service interruption.

When a client is activated within the WLAN, it will start "listening" for a compatible device with which to "associate". This is referred to as "scanning" and may be active or passive.

Active scanning causes a probe request to be sent from the wireless node seeking to join the network. The probe request will contain the Service Set Identifier (SSID) of the network it wishes to join. When an AP with the same SSID is found, the AP will issue a probe response. The authentication and association steps are completed.

Passive scanning nodes listen for beacon management frames (beacons), which are transmitted by the AP (infrastructure mode) or peer nodes (ad hoc). When a node receives a beacon that contains the SSID of the network it is trying to join, an attempt is made to join the network. Passive scanning is a continuous process and nodes may associate or disassociate with APs as signal strength changes.

The first Interactive Media Activity shows the levels of the OSI reference model and the related networking devices.

The second Interactive Media Activity shows the addition of a wireless hub to a wired network.

The next page explains how wireless LANs communicate.

Signals and noise in optical fibers / Installation, care, and testing of optical fiber

Signals and noise in optical fibers
3.2.9 This page explains some factors that reduce signal strength in optical media.


Fiber-optic cable is not affected by the sources of external noise that cause problems on copper media because external light cannot enter the fiber except at the transmitter end. The cladding is covered by a buffer and an outer jacket that stops light from entering or leaving the cable.

Furthermore, the transmission of light on one fiber in a cable does not generate interference that disturbs transmission on any other fiber. This means that fiber does not have the problem with crosstalk that copper media does. In fact, the quality of fiber-optic links is so good that the recent standards for gigabit and ten gigabit Ethernet specify transmission distances that far exceed the traditional two-kilometer reach of the original Ethernet. Fiber-optic transmission allows the Ethernet protocol to be used on metropolitan-area networks (MANs) and wide-area networks (WANs).

Although fiber is the best of all the transmission media at carrying large amounts of data over long distances, fiber is not without problems. When light travels through fiber, some of the light energy is lost. The farther a light signal travels through a fiber, the more the signal loses strength. This attenuation of the signal is due to several factors involving the nature of fiber itself. The most important factor is scattering. The scattering of light in a fiber is caused by microscopic non-uniformity (distortions) in the fiber that reflects and scatters some of the light energy.

Absorption is another cause of light energy loss. When a light ray strikes some types of chemical impurities in a fiber, the impurities absorb part of the energy. This light energy is converted to a small amount of heat energy. Absorption makes the light signal a little dimmer.

Another factor that causes attenuation of the light signal is manufacturing irregularities or roughness in the core-to-cladding boundary. Power is lost from the light signal because of the less than perfect total internal reflection in that rough area of the fiber. Any microscopic imperfections in the thickness or symmetry of the fiber will cut down on total internal reflection and the cladding will absorb some light energy.

Dispersion of a light flash also limits transmission distances on a fiber. Dispersion is the technical term for the spreading of pulses of light as they travel down the fiber.

Graded index multimode fiber is designed to compensate for the different distances the various modes of light have to travel in the large diameter core. Single-mode fiber does not have the problem of multiple paths that the light signal can follow. However, chromatic dispersion is a characteristic of both multimode and single-mode fiber. When wavelengths of light travel at slightly different speeds through glass than do other wavelengths, chromatic dispersion is caused. That is why a prism separates the wavelengths of light. Ideally, an LED or Laser light source would emit light of just one frequency. Then chromatic dispersion would not be a problem.

Unfortunately, lasers, and especially LEDs generate a range of wavelengths so chromatic dispersion limits the distance that can be transmitted on a fiber. If a signal is transmitted too far, what started as a bright pulse of light energy will be spread out, separated, and dim when it reaches the receiver. The receiver will not be able to distinguish a one from a zero.

The next page will discuss the installation, care, and testing of optical fiber.

Installation, care, and testing of optical fiber
3.2.10 This page will teach students how to troubleshoot optical fiber.


A major cause of too much attenuation in fiber-optic cable is improper installation. If the fiber is stretched or curved too tightly, it can cause tiny cracks in the core that will scatter the light rays. Bending the fiber in too tight a curve can change the incident angle of light rays striking the core-to-cladding boundary. Then the incident angle of the ray will become less than the critical angle for total internal reflection. Instead of reflecting around the bend, some light rays will refract into the cladding and be lost.

To prevent fiber bends that are too sharp, fiber is usually pulled through a type of installed pipe called interducting. The interducting is much stiffer than fiber and cannot be bent so sharply that the fiber inside the interducting has too tight a curve. The interducting protects the fiber, makes it easier to pull the fiber, and ensures that the bending radius (curve limit) of the fiber is not exceeded.

When the fiber has been pulled, the ends of the fiber must be cleaved (cut) and properly polished to ensure that the ends are smooth. A microscope or test instrument with a built in magnifier is used to examine the end of the fiber and verify that it is properly polished and shaped. Then the connector is carefully attached to the fiber end. Improperly installed connectors, improper splices, or the splicing of two cables with different core sizes will dramatically reduce the strength of a light signal.

Once the fiber-optic cable and connectors have been installed, the connectors and the ends of the fibers must be kept spotlessly clean. The ends of the fibers should be covered with protective covers to prevent damage to the fiber ends. When these covers are removed prior to connecting the fiber to a port on a switch or a router, the fiber ends must be cleaned. Clean the fiber ends with lint free lens tissue moistened with pure isopropyl alcohol. The fiber ports on a switch or router should also be kept covered when not in use and cleaned with lens tissue and isopropyl alcohol before a connection is made. Dirty ends on a fiber will cause a big drop in the amount of light that reaches the receiver.

Scattering, absorption, dispersion, improper installation, and dirty fiber ends diminish the strength of the light signal and are referred to as fiber noise. Before using a fiber-optic cable, it must be tested to ensure that enough light actually reaches the receiver for it to detect the zeros and ones in the signal.

When a fiber-optic link is being planned, the amount of signal power loss that can be tolerated must be calculated. This is referred to as the optical link loss budget. Imagine a monthly financial budget. After all of the expenses are subtracted from initial income, enough money must be left to get through the month.

The decibel (dB) is the unit used to measure the amount of power loss. It tells what percent of the power that leaves the transmitter actually enters the receiver.

Testing fiber links is extremely important and records of the results of these tests must be kept. Several types of fiber-optic test equipment are used. Two of the most important instruments are Optical Loss Meters and Optical Time Domain Reflectometers (OTDRs).

These meters both test optical cable to ensure that the cable meets the TIA standards for fiber. They also test to verify that the link power loss does not fall below the optical link loss budget. OTDRs can provide much additional detailed diagnostic information about a fiber link. They can be used to trouble shoot a link when problems occur.

This page concludes this lesson. The next lesson will discuss wireless media. The first page will discuss Wireless LAN organizations and standards.

Multimode fiber / Single-mode fiber / Other optical components

Multimode fiber
3.2.6 This page will introduce multimode fiber.


The part of an optical fiber through which light rays travel is called the core of the fiber. Light rays can only enter the core if their angle is inside the numerical aperture of the fiber. Likewise, once the rays have entered the core of the fiber, there are a limited number of optical paths that a light ray can follow through the fiber. These optical paths are called modes. If the diameter of the core of the fiber is large enough so that there are many paths that light can take through the fiber, the fiber is called "multimode" fiber. Single-mode fiber has a much smaller core that only allows light rays to travel along one mode inside the fiber.

Every fiber-optic cable used for networking consists of two glass fibers encased in separate sheaths. One fiber carries transmitted data from device A to device B. The second fiber carries data from device B to device A. The fibers are similar to two one-way streets going in opposite directions. This provides a full-duplex communication link. Copper twisted-pair uses a wire pair to transmit and a wire pair to receive. Fiber-optic circuits use one fiber strand to transmit and one to receive. Typically, these two fiber cables will be in a single outer jacket until they reach the point at which connectors are attached.

Until the connectors are attached, there is no need for shielding, because no light escapes when it is inside a fiber. This means there are no crosstalk issues with fiber. It is very common to see multiple fiber pairs encased in the same cable. This allows a single cable to be run between data closets, floors, or buildings. One cable can contain 2 to 48 or more separate fibers. With copper, one UTP cable would have to be pulled for each circuit. Fiber can carry many more bits per second and carry them farther than copper can.

Usually, five parts make up each fiber-optic cable. The parts are the core, the cladding, a buffer, a strength material, and an outer jacket.

The core is the light transmission element at the center of the optical fiber. All the light signals travel through the core. A core is typically glass made from a combination of silicon dioxide (silica) and other elements. Multimode uses a type of glass, called graded index glass for its core. This glass has a lower index of refraction towards the outer edge of the core. Therefore, the outer area of the core is less optically dense than the center and light can go faster in the outer part of the core. This design is used because a light ray following a mode that goes straight down the center of the core does not have as far to travel as a ray following a mode that bounces around in the fiber. All rays should arrive at the end of the fiber together. Then the receiver at the end of the fiber receives a strong flash of light rather than a long, dim pulse.

Surrounding the core is the cladding. Cladding is also made of silica but with a lower index of refraction than the core. Light rays traveling through the fiber core reflect off this core-to-cladding interface as they move through the fiber by total internal reflection. Standard multimode fiber-optic cable is the most common type of fiber-optic cable used in LANs. A standard multimode fiber-optic cable uses an optical fiber with either a 62.5 or a 50-micron core and a 125-micron diameter cladding. This is commonly designated as 62.5/125 or 50/125 micron optical fiber. A micron is one millionth of a meter (1µ).

Surrounding the cladding is a buffer material that is usually plastic. The buffer material helps shield the core and cladding from damage. There are two basic cable designs. They are the loose-tube and the tight-buffered cable designs. Most of the fiber used in LANs is tight-buffered multimode cable. Tight-buffered cables have the buffering material that surrounds the cladding in direct contact with the cladding. The most practical difference between the two designs is the applications for which they are used. Loose-tube cable is primarily used for outside-building installations, while tight-buffered cable is used inside buildings.

The strength material surrounds the buffer, preventing the fiber cable from being stretched when installers pull it. The material used is often Kevlar, the same material used to produce bulletproof vests.

The final element is the outer jacket. The outer jacket surrounds the cable to protect the fiber against abrasion, solvents, and other contaminants. The color of the outer jacket of multimode fiber is usually orange, but occasionally another color.

Infrared Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) are two types of light source usually used with multimode fiber. Use one or the other. LEDs are a little cheaper to build and require somewhat less safety concerns than lasers. However, LEDs cannot transmit light over cable as far as the lasers. Multimode fiber (62.5/125) can carry data distances of up to 2000 meters (6,560 ft).

The next page describes single-mode fiber.

Single-mode fiber
3.2.7 This page will introduce single-mode fiber.


Single-mode fiber consists of the same parts as multimode. The outer jacket of single-mode fiber is usually yellow. The major difference between multimode and single-mode fiber is that single-mode allows only one mode of light to propagate through the smaller, fiber-optic core. The single-mode core is eight to ten microns in diameter. Nine-micron cores are the most common. A 9/125 marking on the jacket of the single-mode fiber indicates that the core fiber has a diameter of 9 microns and the surrounding cladding is 125 microns in diameter.

An infrared laser is used as the light source in single-mode fiber. The ray of light it generates enters the core at a 90-degree angle. As a result, the data carrying light ray pulses in single-mode fiber are essentially transmitted in a straight line right down the middle of the core. This greatly increases both the speed and the distance that data can be transmitted.

Because of its design, single-mode fiber is capable of higher rates of data transmission (bandwidth) and greater cable run distances than multimode fiber. Single-mode fiber can carry LAN data up to 3000 meters. Although this distance is considered a standard, newer technologies have increased this distance and will be discussed in a later module. Multimode is only capable of carrying up to 2000 meters. Lasers and single-mode fibers are more expensive than LEDs and multimode fiber. Because of these characteristics, single-mode fiber is often used for inter-building connectivity.

Warming: The laser light used with single-mode has a longer wavelength than can be seen. The laser is so strong that it can seriously damage eyes. Never look at the near end of a fiber that is connected to a device at the far end. Never look into the transmit port on a NIC, switch, or router. Remember to keep protective covers over the ends of fiber and inserted into the fiber-optic ports of switches and routers. Be very careful.

Figure compares the relative sizes of the core and cladding for both types of fiber optic in different sectional views. The much smaller and more refined fiber core in single-mode fiber is the reason single-mode has a higher bandwidth and cable run distance than multimode fiber. However, it entails more manufacturing costs.

The next page introduces some components that are used with optical fiber.

Other optical components
3.2.8 This page explains how optical devices are used to transmit data.


Most of the data sent over a LAN is in the form of electrical signals. However, optical fiber links use light to send data. Something is needed to convert the electricity to light and at the other end of the fiber convert the light back to electricity. This means that a transmitter and a receiver are required.

The transmitter receives data to be transmitted from switches and routers. This data is in the form of electrical signals. The transmitter converts the electronic signals into their equivalent light pulses. There are two types of light sources used to encode and transmit the data through the cable:

• A light emitting diode (LED) producing infrared light with wavelengths of either 850 nm or 1310 nm. These are used with multimode fiber in LANs. Lenses are used to focus the infrared light on the end of the fiber.

• Light amplification by stimulated emission radiation (LASER) a light source producing a thin beam of intense infrared light usually with wavelengths of 1310nm or 1550 nm. Lasers are used with single-mode fiber over the longer distances involved in WANs or campus backbones. Extra care should be exercised to prevent eye injury.

Each of these light sources can be lighted and darkened very quickly to send data (1s and 0s) at a high number of bits per second.

At the other end of the optical fiber from the transmitter is the receiver. The receiver functions something like the photoelectric cell in a solar powered calculator. When light strikes the receiver, it produces electricity. The first job of the receiver is to detect a light pulse that arrives from the fiber. Then the receiver converts the light pulse back into the original electrical signal that first entered the transmitter at the far end of the fiber. Now the signal is again in the form of voltage changes. The signal is ready to be sent over copper wire into any receiving electronic device such as a computer, switch, or router. The semiconductor devices that are usually used as receivers with fiber-optic links are called p-intrinsic-n diodes (PIN photodiodes).

PIN photodiodes are manufactured to be sensitive to 850, 1310, or 1550 nm of light that are generated by the transmitter at the far end of the fiber. When struck by a pulse of light at the proper wavelength, the PIN photodiode quickly produces an electric current of the proper voltage for the network. It instantly stops producing the voltage when no light strikes the PIN photodiode. This generates the voltage changes that represent the data 1s and 0s on a copper cable.

Connectors are attached to the fiber ends so that the fibers can be connected to the ports on the transmitter and receiver. The type of connector most commonly used with multimode fiber is the Subscriber Connector (SC). On single-mode fiber, the Straight Tip (ST) connector is frequently used.

In addition to the transmitters, receivers, connectors, and fibers that are always required on an optical network, repeaters and fiber patch panels are often seen.

Repeaters are optical amplifiers that receive attenuating light pulses traveling long distances and restore them to their original shapes, strengths, and timings. The restored signals can then be sent on along the journey to the receiver at the far end of the fiber.

Fiber patch panels similar to the patch panels used with copper cable. These panels increase the flexibility of an optical network by allowing quick changes to the connection of devices like switches or routers with various available fiber runs, or cable links.

The next page will discuss data loss in optical fiber.

Reflection / Refraction / Total internal reflection

Reflection
3.2.3 This page provides an overview of reflection.


When a ray of light (the incident ray) strikes the shiny surface of a flat piece of glass, some of the light energy in the ray is reflected. The angle between the incident ray and a line perpendicular to the surface of the glass at the point where the incident ray strikes the glass is called the angle of incidence. The perpendicular line is called the normal. It is not a light ray but a tool to allow the measurement of angles. The angle between the reflected ray and the normal is called the angle of reflection. The Law of Reflection states that the angle of reflection of a light ray is equal to the angle of incidence. In other words, the angle at which a light ray strikes a reflective surface determines the angle that the ray will reflect off the surface.

The next page describes refraction.

Refraction
3.2.4 This page provides an overview of refraction.


When a light strikes the interface between two transparent materials, the light divides into two parts. Part of the light ray is reflected back into the first substance, with the angle of reflection equaling the angle of incidence. The remaining energy in the light ray crosses the interface and enters into the second substance.

If the incident ray strikes the glass surface at an exact 90-degree angle, the ray goes straight into the glass. The ray is not bent. However, if the incident ray is not at an exact 90-degree angle to the surface, then the transmitted ray that enters the glass is bent. The bending of the entering ray is called refraction. How much the ray is refracted depends on the index of refraction of the two transparent materials. If the light ray travels from a substance whose index of refraction is smaller, into a substance where the index of refraction is larger, the refracted ray is bent towards the normal. If the light ray travels from a substance where the index of refraction is larger into a substance where the index of refraction is smaller, the refracted ray is bent away from the normal.

Consider a light ray moving at an angle other than 90 degrees through the boundary between glass and a diamond. The glass has an index of refraction of about 1.523. The diamond has an index of refraction of about 2.419. Therefore, the ray that continues into the diamond will be bent towards the normal. When that light ray crosses the boundary between the diamond and the air at some angle other than 90 degrees, it will be bent away from the normal. The reason for this is that air has a lower index of refraction, about 1.000 than the index of refraction of the diamond.

The next page discusses the concept of total internal refraction.

Total internal reflection
3.2.5 This page explains total internal refraction as it relates to optical media.


A light ray that is being turned on and off to send data (1s and 0s) into an optical fiber must stay inside the fiber until it reaches the far end. The ray must not refract into the material wrapped around the outside of the fiber. The refraction would cause the loss of part of the light energy of the ray. A design must be achieved for the fiber that will make the outside surface of the fiber act like a mirror to the light ray moving through the fiber. If any light ray that tries to move out through the side of the fiber were reflected back into the fiber at an angle that sends it towards the far end of the fiber, this would be a good "pipe" or "wave guide" for the light waves.

The laws of reflection and refraction illustrate how to design a fiber that guides the light waves through the fiber with a minimum energy loss. The following two conditions must be met for the light rays in a fiber to be reflected back into the fiber without any loss due to refraction:

• The core of the optical fiber has to have a larger index of refraction (n) than the material that surrounds it. The material that surrounds the core of the fiber is called the cladding.

• The angle of incidence of the light ray is greater than the critical angle for the core and its cladding.

When both of these conditions are met, the entire incident light in the fiber is reflected back inside the fiber. This is called total internal reflection, which is the foundation upon which optical fiber is constructed. Total internal reflection causes the light rays in the fiber to bounce off the core-cladding boundary and continue its journey towards the far end of the fiber. The light will follow a zigzag path through the core of the fiber.

A fiber that meets the first condition can be easily created. In addition, the angle of incidence of the light rays that enter the core can be controlled. Restricting the following two factors controls the angle of incidence:

• The numerical aperture of the fiber – The numerical aperture of a core is the range of angles of incident light rays entering the fiber that will be completely reflected.

• Modes – The paths which a light ray can follow when traveling down a fiber.

By controlling both conditions, the fiber run will have total internal reflection. This gives a light wave guide that can be used for data communications.

The next page will describe multimode fiber.

Ray model of light

Ray model of light
3.2.2 This page describes the properties of light rays.


When electromagnetic waves travel out from a source, they travel in straight lines. These straight lines pointing out from the source are called rays.

Think of light rays as narrow beams of light like those produced by lasers. In the vacuum of empty space, light travels continuously in a straight line at 300,000 kilometers per second. However, light travels at different, slower speeds through other materials like air, water, and glass. When a light ray called the incident ray, crosses the boundary from one material to another, some of the light energy in the ray will be reflected back. That is why you can see yourself in window glass. The light that is reflected back is called the reflected ray.

The light energy in the incident ray that is not reflected will enter the glass. The entering ray will be bent at an angle from its original path. This ray is called the refracted ray. How much the incident light ray is bent depends on the angle at which the incident ray strikes the surface of the glass and the different rates of speed at which light travels through the two substances.

The bending of light rays at the boundary of two substances is the reason why light rays are able to travel through an optical fiber even if the fiber curves in a circle.

The optical density of the glass determines how much the rays of light in the glass bends. Optical density refers to how much a light ray slows down when it passes through a substance. The greater the optical density of a material, the more it slows light down from its speed in a vacuum. The index of refraction is defined as the speed of light in vacuum divided by the speed of light in the medium. Therefore, the measure of the optical density of a material is the index of refraction of that material. A material with a large index of refraction is more optically dense and slows down more light than a material with a smaller index of refraction.

For a substance like glass, the Index of Refraction, or the optical density, can be made larger by adding chemicals to the glass. Making the glass very pure can make the index of refraction smaller. The next lessons will provide further information about reflection and refraction, and their relation to the design and function of optical fiber.

The Interactive Media Activity demonstrates how light travels.

The next page discusses reflection.

Optical Media / The electromagnetic spectrum

The electromagnetic spectrum
3.2.1 This page introduces the electromagnetic spectrum.


The light used in optical fiber networks is one type of electromagnetic energy. When an electric charge moves back and forth, or accelerates, a type of energy called electromagnetic energy is produced. This energy in the form of waves can travel through a vacuum, the air, and through some materials like glass. An important property of any energy wave is the wavelength.

Radio, microwaves, radar, visible light, x-rays, and gamma rays seem to be very different things. However, they are all types of electromagnetic energy. If all the types of electromagnetic waves are arranged in order from the longest wavelength down to the shortest wavelength, a continuum called the electromagnetic spectrum is created.

The wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is determined by how frequently the electric charge that generates the wave moves back and forth. If the charge moves back and forth slowly, the wavelength it generates is a long wavelength. Visualize the movement of the electric charge as like that of a stick in a pool of water. If the stick is moved back and forth slowly, it will generate ripples in the water with a long wavelength between the tops of the ripples. If the stick is moved back and forth more rapidly, the ripples will have a shorter wavelength.

Because electromagnetic waves are all generated in the same way, they share many of the same properties. The waves all travel at the same rate of speed though a vacuum. The rate is approximately 300,000 kilometers per second or 186,283 miles per second. This is also the speed of light.

Human eyes were designed to only sense electromagnetic energy with wavelengths between 700 nanometers and 400 nanometers (nm). A nanometer is one billionth of a meter (0.000000001 meter) in length. Electromagnetic energy with wavelengths between 700 and 400 nm is called visible light. The longer wavelengths of light that are around 700 nm are seen as the color red. The shortest wavelengths that are around 400 nm appear as the color violet. This part of the electromagnetic spectrum is seen as the colors in a rainbow.

Wavelengths that are not visible to the human eye are used to transmit data over optical fiber. These wavelengths are slightly longer than red light and are called infrared light. Infrared light is used in TV remote controls. The wavelength of the light in optical fiber is either 850 nm, 1310 nm, or 1550 nm. These wavelengths were selected because they travel through optical fiber better than other wavelengths.

The next page will discuss the ray model of light.

STP cable / UTP cable

STP cable

3.1.8 STP cable combines the techniques of cancellation, shielded, and twisted wires. Each pair of wires is wrapped in metallic foil. The two pairs of wires are wrapped in an overall metallic braid or foil. It is usually 150-ohm cable. As specified for use in Token Ring network installations, STP reduces electrical noise within the cable such as pair to pair coupling and crosstalk. STP also reduces electronic noise from outside the cable such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI). STP cable shares many of the advantages and disadvantages of UTP cable. STP provides more protection from all types of external interference. However, STP is more expensive and difficult to install than UTP.

A new hybrid of UTP is Screened UTP (ScTP), which is also known as foil screened twisted pair (FTP). ScTP is essentially UTP wrapped in a metallic foil shield, or screen. ScTP, like UTP, is also 100-ohm cable. Many cable installers and manufacturers may use the term STP to describe ScTP cabling. It is important to understand that most references made to STP today actually refer to four-pair shielded cabling. It is highly unlikely that true STP cable will be used during a cable installation job.

The metallic shielding materials in STP and ScTP need to be grounded at both ends. If improperly grounded or if there are any discontinuities in the entire length of the shielding material, STP and ScTP can become susceptible to major noise problems. They are susceptible because they allow the shield to act like an antenna that picks up unwanted signals. However, this effect works both ways. Not only does the shield prevent incoming electromagnetic waves from causing noise on data wires, but it also minimizes the outgoing radiated electromagnetic waves. These waves could cause noise in other devices. STP and ScTP cable cannot be run as far as other networking media, such as coaxial cable or optical fiber, without the signal being repeated. More insulation and shielding combine to considerably increase the size, weight, and cost of the cable. The shielding materials make terminations more difficult and susceptible to poor workmanship. However, STP and ScTP still have a role, especially in Europe or installations where there is extensive EMI and RFI near the cabling.

The following page discusses UTP cable.

UTP cable
3.1.9 UTP is a four-pair wire medium used in a variety of networks. Each of the eight copper wires in the UTP cable is covered by insulating material. In addition, each pair of wires is twisted around each other. This type of cable relies on the cancellation effect produced by the twisted wire pairs to limit signal degradation caused by EMI and RFI. To further reduce crosstalk between the pairs in UTP cable, the number of twists in the wire pairs varies. Like STP cable, UTP cable must follow precise specifications as to how many twists or braids are permitted per foot of cable.

TIA/EIA-568-B.2 contains specifications that govern cable performance. It involves the connection of two cables, one for voice and one for data, to each outlet. The cable for voice must be four-pair UTP. Category 5 is the cable most frequently recommended and implemented in installations. However, analyst predictions and independent polls indicate that Category 6 cable will supersede Category 5 cable in network installations. The fact that Category 6 link and channel requirements are backward compatible to Category 5e makes it very easy for customers to choose Category 6 and supersede Category 5e in their networks. Applications that work over Category 5e will work over Category 6.

UTP cable has many advantages. It is easy to install and is less expensive than other types of networking media. In fact, UTP costs less per meter than any other type of LAN cabling. However, the real advantage is the size. Since it has such a small external diameter, UTP does not fill up wiring ducts as rapidly as other types of cable. This can be an extremely important factor to consider, particularly when a network is installed in an older building. When UTP cable is installed with an RJ-45 connector, potential sources of network noise are greatly reduced and a good solid connection is almost guaranteed.

There are some disadvantages of twisted-pair cabling. UTP cable is more prone to electrical noise and interference than other types of networking media, and the distance between signal boosts is shorter for UTP than it is for coaxial and fiber optic cables.

Twisted pair cabling was once considered slower at transmitting data than other types of cable. This is no longer true. In fact, today, twisted pair is considered the fastest copper-based media.

For communication to occur the signal that is transmitted by the source needs to be understood by the destination. This is true from both a software and physical perspective. The transmitted signal needs to be properly received by the circuit connection designed to receive signals. The transmit pin of the source needs to ultimately connect to the receiving pin of the destination. The following are the types of cable connections used between internetwork devices.

In Figure , a LAN switch is connected to a computer. The cable that connects from the switch port to the computer NIC port is called a straight-through cable.

In Figure , two switches are connected together. The cable that connects from one switch port to another switch port is called a crossover cable.

In Figure , the cable that connects the RJ-45 adapter on the com port of the computer to the console port of the router or switch is called a rollover cable.

The cables are defined by the type of connections, or pinouts, from one end to the other end of the cable. See Figures , , and . A technician can compare both ends of the same cable by placing them next to each other, provided the cable has not yet been placed in a wall. The technician observes the colors of the two RJ-45 connections by placing both ends with the clip placed into the hand and the top of both ends of the cable pointing away from the technician. A straight-through cable should have both ends with identical color patterns. While comparing the ends of a cross-over cable, the color of pins #1 and #2 will appear on the other end at pins #3 and #6, and vice-versa. This occurs because the transmit and receive pins are in different locations. On a rollover cable, the color combination from left to right on one end should be exactly opposite to the color combination on the other end.

In the first Lab Activity, a simple communication system is designed, built, and tested.

In the next Lab Activity, students will use a cable tester to determine if a straight-through or crossover cable is good or bad.


This page concludes this lesson. The next lesson will discuss optical media. The first page will describe the electromagnetic spectrum.