Networking

        Most of the networks today are connected using some kind of wiring or cabling thus acting as a medium of network transmission which carries signals between the hosts in a network. There are many types of cable to meet various needs of the networks. The types of cables can be confusing. There are up to more than 2000 types of cabling. However, there are only three major groups cabling used in connection of the majority of networks. The three categories are:
(i)    6 unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
(ii)    Coaxial cabling
(iii)    Single mode fiber optic
CAT 6 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
        UTP cable is a network transmission medium made up of pairs of wires. The cable is used in various networks. The CAT6 UTP cable costs $0.26 per foot from various shops in the United States.  The cost for cabling installation of CAT6 UTP is $285.68 while conduit installation costs $1,168.82. In terms of termination, CAT6 UTP cabling uses RJ-45, RJ-11, RS-449, and RS-232 connectors. The UTP is also popular because of its bandwidth which is 250 MHz. The CAT 6 UTP is allowed for a maximum length of up to 100 meters (328 feet). The CAT6 UTP endpoint devices are the telephones and the computers in a network. The CAT6 UTP is used as the backbone cable. Therefore, it can run either vertically or horizontally depending on the layout of the building. Its interface equipment includes Data Terminal Equipment such as router interfaces and Data Communication Equipment (Sarma & Sarma, 2013).

Coaxial Cable
        Coaxial cable comes in both thinnet and thicknet. The two classifications of coaxial cable do not have many differences. Coaxial cable is inexpensive and goes for an average price of $0.30 per foot. The installation cost of coax cable per foot is $2.50 depending on the installer. It also has a transmission rate of 10Mbps which is its bandwidth. Coaxial cable has a cable length of 500 meters for thicknet while thinnet has a cable length of 185 meters. The endpoint devices for the coaxial cable are televisions, DVD players, VCRs, and receivers which are generally electronic devices. Coaxial cable is similar to CAT6 UTP in that it can run either vertically or horizontally depending on how the building has been planned. Coaxial cables are mostly used in connecting home video and electronic equipment (Haberek & Montena, 2013).
Single Mode Fiber Optic
        Single mode fiber optic is a type of cable that uses optical as opposed to electrical pulses in the transmission of signals. It is composed of pure silicon glass cylinders which surround the cladding capable of passing a signal in only one direction. It, therefore, consists of two strands one for each direction. Single mode fiber optic has different prices. When it is installed on I-85 which is 288 Count Fiber, it costs $5.87 per foot. When installed in 144 Count it costs $2.98 per foot and when installed on 24 Count it costs $0.68 per foot. The cost of full installation is $8.00 per foot on aerial installation while it goes for $12.00 per foot for underground installation. Single mode fiber optic delivers data rates of more than 10Gbps of a bandwidth of up to 20Ghz. It has a cable length of 20 Km or more. It is mostly used between buildings and Token Ring networks after which other cables connect to the endpoint devices such workstations, routers, and servers among others. It can also be used either vertically or horizontally depending on how a building has been laid. The interface equipment for the single mode fiber optic is the data circuit-terminating equipment such as coupler, data bus, and fiber optic bus. Another one is the interfacing equipment (DeCusatis, 2013).
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Cables
CAT6 UTP Advantages
(i)    Flexible than coaxial and single model fiber optic
(ii)    It is the cheapest cable. However, it requires costly support
(iii)    Easy to install
(iv)    Easy to add users
(v)    Capable of using an existing phone cable
Disadvantages
(i)    It has the shortest usable cable length
(ii)    Prone to electrical interference
(iii)    It is insecure
(iv)    It is not recommended for use between buildings
Coaxial Cable Advantages
(i)    Flexible and easily installed
(ii)    It is a better resistance to electrical interference
(iii)    It requires expensive electronic support equipment

Disadvantages
(i)    It has a short cable length
(ii)    It is more costly than the UTP
(iii)    It is insecure
(iv)    Its configurations cannot be changed easily
(v)    Thinnet cannot generally be used between buildings
Single Mode Fiber Optic Advantages
(i)    It has the fastest mode of transmission
(ii)    It is not prone to electrical interference
(iii)    It is secure
(iv)    It good to be used between buildings
Disadvantages
(i)    It is the most expensive
(ii)    It is difficult to work with

References
DeCusatis, C. (Ed.). (2013). Handbook of fiber optic data communication: a practical guide to     optical networking. Academic Press.
Haberek, A., & Montena, N. (2013). U.S. Patent No. D679,660. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent     and Trademark Office.
Sarma, M., & Sarma, S. K. (2013, January). Effect of ac power line on utp cable: A review. In     2013 4th International Conference on Intelligent Systems, Modelling and Simulation (pp.     549-552). IEEE.

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at Melda Research in nursing writing services if you need a similar paper you can place your order for non plagiarized essay for sale.