Transmission Media

Transmission media refers to the physical medium through which data is transmitted from one device to
another within a network. These medium can be wired or wireless. The choice of medium depends on
factors like distance, speed, and interference. In this article, we will discuss the transmission media. In
this article we will see types of transmission media in detail.

What is Transmission Media in Computer Networks?

A transmission medium is a physical path between the transmitter and the receiver i.e. it is the channel
through which data is sent from one device to another. Transmission Media is broadly classified into the
following types:

Types of Transmission Media

1. Guided Media
Guided Media is also referred to as Wired or Bounded transmission media. Signals being transmitted are
directed and confined in a narrow pathway by using physical links.
Features:
 High Speed
 Secure
 Used for comparatively shorter distances

There are 3 major types of Guided Media:

a. Twisted Pair Cable

It consists of 2 separately insulated conductor wires wound about each other. Generally, several such
pairs are bundled together in a protective sheath. They are the most widely used Transmission
Media. Twisted Pair is of two types:

Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP): UTP consists of two insulated copper wires twisted around one
another. This type of cable has the ability to block interference and does not depend on a physical shield
for this purpose. It is used for telephonic applications.

Advantages of Unshielded Twisted Pair

 Least expensive
 Easy to install
 High-speed capacity

Disadvantages of Unshielded Twisted Pair
 Lower capacity and performance in comparison to STP
 Short distance transmission due to attenuation

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP): Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) cable consists of a special jacket (a copper
braid covering or a foil shield) to block external interference. It is used in fast-data-rate Ethernet and in
voice and data channels of telephone lines.

Advantages of Shielded Twisted Pair

 Better performance at a higher data rate in comparison to UTP
 Eliminates crosstalk
 Comparatively faster
Disadvantages of Shielded Twisted Pair
  Comparatively difficult to install and manufacture
 More expensive
 Bulky

b. Coaxial Cable
Coaxial cable has an outer plastic covering containing an insulation layer made of PVC or Teflon and 2
parallel conductors each having a separate insulated protection cover. The coaxial cable transmits
information in two modes: Baseband mode(dedicated cable bandwidth) and Broadband mode(cable
bandwidth is split into separate ranges). Cable TVs and analog television networks widely use Coaxial
cables.

Advantages of Coaxial Cable

 Coaxial cables has high bandwidth.
 It is easy to install.
 Coaxial cables are more reliable and durable.
 Less affected by noise or cross-talk or electromagnetic inference.
 Coaxial cables support multiple channels

Disadvantages of Coaxial Cable
 Coaxial cables are expensive.
 The coaxial cable must be grounded in order to prevent any crosstalk.
 As a Coaxial cable has multiple layers it is very bulky.
 There is a chance of breaking the coaxial cable and attaching a “t-joint” by hackers, this
compromises the security of the data.

c. Optical Fiber Cable

Optical Fibre Cable uses the concept of refraction of light through a core made up of glass or plastic. The
core is surrounded by a less dense glass or plastic covering called the coating. It is used for the
transmission of large volumes of data. The cable can be unidirectional or bidirectional. The WDM
(Wavelength Division Multiplexer) supports two modes, namely unidirectional and bidirectional mode.

Advantages of Optical Fibre Cable

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

Disadvantages of Optical Fibre Cable

 Difficult to install and maintain
 High cost

Applications of Optical Fibre Cable

 Medical Purpose: Used in several types of medical instruments.
 Defence Purpose: Used in transmission of data in aerospace.
 For Communication: This is largely used in formation of internet cables.
 Industrial Purpose: Used for lighting purposes and safety measures in designing the interior and
exterior of automobiles.
2. Unguided Media
It is also referred to as Wireless or Unbounded transmission media . No physical medium is required for
the transmission of electromagnetic signals.
Features of Unguided Media
 The signal is broadcasted through air
 Less Secure
 Used for larger distances

There are 3 types of Signals transmitted through unguided media:

a. Radio Waves
Radio waves are easy to generate and can penetrate through buildings. The sending and receiving
antennas need not be aligned. Frequency Range:3KHz – 1GHz. AM and FM radios and cordless phones
use Radio waves for transmission.

b. Microwaves
It is a line of sight transmission i.e. the sending and receiving antennas need to be properly aligned with
each other. The distance covered by the signal is directly proportional to the height of the antenna.
Frequency Range:1GHz – 300GHz. Micro waves are majorly used for mobile phone communication and
television distribution.

c. Infrared
Infrared waves are used for very short distance communication. They cannot penetrate through obstacles.
This prevents interference between systems. Frequency Range:300GHz – 400THz. It is used in TV
remotes, wireless mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.

Difference Between Radio Waves, Micro Waves, and Infrared Waves

Basis Radiowave Microwave Infrared wave

These are
These are omni-directional in These are unidirectional in
unidirectional in
nature. nature.
Direction nature.

At low frequency, they can At low frequency, they can

They cannot
penetrate through solid penetrate through solid
penetrate through any
objects and walls but high objects and walls. at high
solid object and
frequency they bounce off frequency, they cannot
walls.
Penetration the obstacle. penetrate.

Frequency range: 3 KHz to Frequency range: 1 GHz to Frequency range: 300

Frequency range 1GHz. 300 GHz. GHz to 400 GHz.

These offers medium These offers high

These offers poor security.
Security security. security.

Attenuation Attenuation is high. Attenuation is variable. Attenuation is low.

Government Some frequencies in the Some frequencies in the There is no need of

Basis Radiowave Microwave Infrared wave

License radio-waves require microwaves require government license

government license to use government license to use to use these waves.
these. these.

Setup and usage Cost is Setup and usage Cost is Usage Cost is very
Usage Cost moderate. high. less.

These are not used in

These are used in long These are used in long
long distance
distance communication. distance communication.
Communication communication.

Applications of Transmission Media in Computer Networks

Transmission media in computer networks are used to connect devices and transfer data. Here are some
common applications:
Transmission Media Application

Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Local Area Networks (LAN), telephones

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Industrial networks, environments with high interference

Optical Fiber Cable Long-distance communication, internet backbones

Coaxial Cable Cable TV, broadband internet, CCTV

Stripline Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), microwave circuits

Microstripline Antennas, satellite communication, RF circuits

Radio Wireless communication, AM/FM radio, mobile phones

Infrared Remote controls, short-range communication

Microwave Satellite communication, radar, long-distance links