Telecommunication and

Networks
Telecommunications and Networks,
describes basic concepts and
components of networks used for data
communications.
Communications is defined as the
transmission of a signal over a medium
from a sender to a receiver.
Communications
 Communication Flow
Synchronous communication
Asynchronous communication
Synchronous Communication
In synchronous communication, the
receiver gets the message immediately.

Telephone conversations are examples of

synchronous communication
Asynchronous Communication
asynchronous communication, the
receiver gets the message at a late time
– possibly even days after the message is
sent.

Sending a letter is an example of

asynchronous communication, as is e-
mail.
Telecommunications
 Telecommunications
Telecommunications is the electronic
communication of signals, such as
telephone, radio and television.

Data communications is a subset of

telecommunications referring to the
electronic collection, processing, &
distribution of data.
Telecommunications Media
Bandwidth

The range of frequencies that an electronic
signal occupies on a given transmission
medium.
Broadband

Telecommunications in which a wide band of
frequencies is available to transmit
information, allowing more information to be
transmitted in a given amount of time.
 Data Transmission Speeds
Measured in bits per second (bps)
Kilobits per second (kbps)
Megabits per second (Mbps)
Gigabits per second (Gbps)
Data communications is characterized by
the speed at which the data is sent,
measured in bits per second. The most
common data transmission speeds range
from thousands to millions of bits per
second, or kilobits to megabits per
second. Some networks can support
transmission of billions of bits, or gigabits,
per second.
 Computer Networks
Telecommunications media
Telecommunications devices
Software
Hardware devices
 Types of Media
Twisted-Pair
Coaxial Cable
Fiber-Optic Cable
Microwave Transmission
The first 3 types of media – twisted pair,
coaxial cable, and fiber optic cable – are
usually referred to as guided or conducted
media. That is, a signal is conducted over
a physical medium.
Microwave and other forms of wireless
transmission are called broadcast media.
Twisted-Pair Wire Cable
 Twisted-Pair Wire Cable
consisted of pairs of twisted copper wire

used for both analogue and digital transmission

low in cost

low in transmission speed

Twisted pair cabling is made of pairs of copper wires twisted
together. Twisted pair is used for the phone connection to
your house. In networking it is common to see cable
consisting of 4 pairs of wires. Each pair is twisted together
to reduce electrical interference between neighboring
pairs, or crosstalk. The more twists there are per foot, the
less interference there will be. Twisted pair is classified by
the number of twists per foot. Data grade cable has more
twists per foot than does voice grade cable.
Shielded twisted pair cabling includes additional shielding
against external electro-magnetic interference. Unshielded
twisted pair, although it doesn’t have the extra shielding, is
used more often because of its lower costs and greater
practicality.
Coaxial Cable
 Coaxial Cable

A thick insulated copper wire

Can transmit large volumes of data quickly

Faster and more interference free medium

Speed up to 200MB per second

Cannot support analogue phone

conversations
Like twisted pair, coaxial cable, or “co-ax”, is also
made from copper. However, because of extra
shielding and insulation, coax has less interference,
and therefore a higher capacity, or bandwidth,
than does twisted pair. Data can be sent over coax
at about 500 Mbps, whereas data transmission
speeds over twisted pair for long distances are
typically well below that, although in a local area
network fast speeds can be attained using twisted
pair.
A type of coaxial cable is used for cable TV to your
home. Cable modems can be used for Internet
access several hundreds as times as fast as a
modem and dial-up phone line.
Fiber Optic Cable
 Fiber optic cable
Consists of strands of clear glass fiber

Has the thickness of a human hair

Data are transformed into pulses of light

Rate 500kb – several trillion bit per second

 Fiber optic cable

Faster lighter and more durable than wire

media

Suitable to transfer large volumes of data

More expensive
 Fiber optic cable
Difficult to work with
Harder to install
Used for backbone cabling
 that handle the major traffic
a primary path

No delays and no degradation in quality

Unlike twisted pair and coax, fiber optic cable is
made of thin filaments of glass or plastic, not of
copper wire. Whereas a data signal travels over
twisted pair or cable as electricity, signals are
transmitted as light pulses over fiber. Lasers or
LCDs produce the light. A thin coating, called
cladding, prevents the light from leaving the strand.
Also unlike copper media, fiber is not vulnerable to
electro-magnetic interference.
Fiber has a much higher bandwidth than does
copper media – that is, it can carry more data faster.
Fiber can have a capacity of billions of bits per
second. Fiber is also the most secure medium
around today. The biggest drawback of fiber is that
labor costs to install and repair fiber are very high.
 Microwave
Transmission
 Microwave
High frequency radio signals are
transmitted trough the atmosphere from
one terrestrial transmission station to
another

A high volume

long distance

point – to – point transmission method

The expense of physical media can be great.
Whereas broadcast media, such as microwave,
don’t require the purchase of physical media, the
hardware required is more expensive. Microwave
is a high frequency radio signal.
In terrestrial microwave, a signal travels directly
between microwave transmission towers. This
requires an unobstructed straight path between
towers. Also, due to the curvature of the earth,
towers must be spaced about 30 miles apart.
Satellite Transmission
Satellite transmission involves sending a signal
from a microwave tower to the satellite, which is
basically a microwave station, then back to another
microwave tower.
Although this eliminates the need for a line-of-
sight between towers, the delays to upload and
download the signal often make satellite
transmission impractical for sending signals short
distance.
 Wireless transmission
Sends signals through air or space

Technologies include
 microwave transmission

communication satellites

pagers
 cellular phones
 smart phones
 PDAs
 Infrared Transmission
Line of sight
Short distances
Infrared transmission can be used to send
data short distances, for example, from a
handheld computer to a desktop or a
printer. Infrared transmission can also be
used to connect peripherals, such as a
mouse, to a computer.
Telecommunications Devices
Telecommunications devices are
hardware that make an electronic
transmission occur or make it more
efficient.

Modems, multiplexers, and front-end

processors are examples of
telecommunications devices.
 Modems
Analog signals: continuous
Digital signals: discrete
Modulation: translating digital data to
analog
Demodulation: translating analog data to
digital
Modems modulate & demodulate data
Often, data is sent over the regular
telephone network, which transmits analog
signals.
An analog signal is a continuous signal;
the transmission line varies smoothly
among an infinite number of states.
Analog waves can carry a continuous
range of data
computers produce digital signals. Digital
signals send discrete pulses and
represent a limited number of states.
In the case of a computer, two states are
represented.
In order to send a digital signal over an
analog line, the signal must first be
modulated, or changed to a form that can
be carried over an analog line. When the
signal is received, it must be demodulated
so the computer can understand it.
This is what a modem does.
Multiplexers
Multiplexers are devices that combine
signals from several computers to allow
them to be sent over a single transmission
line.
 Networks & Distributed
Processing
Telecommunications networks are
becoming increasingly important since
they allow work to be done wherever and
whenever it is most advantageous. Data,
software, hardware, and other resources
are becoming ubiquitous – that is, easily
accessible by anyone, anytime, any place.
 Basic Processing Strategies
Centralized processing
Decentralized processing
Distributed processing
There are 3 basic processing strategies when
more than 2 computer systems are used.

In centralized processing, all processing is

done at one location. This is the easiest
strategy for the IS department to control and is
appropriate when an enterprise needs a high
level of security.
In decentralized computing, different locations
have their own processing devices. Devices at
different locations aren’t connected together.
This strategy works well when there are
independent operating units and no data
interchange between units.
In distributed processing, computers at
different locations are connected by a
communications network. Data and processing
are located where it is most efficient and
effective. For example, data and programs used
most by the Miami office would be located in
Miami, and those used most by the Boston office
would be in Boston. Users at both locations
could access data and programs at the other
site when needed.
 Network Concepts &
Considerations
Network topology
Network types
 Local Area Networks
 Wide Area Networks

International networks
 Home & small business networks
 Network Topology

Network topology describes how a

network is logically organized – that is,
how the data flows in the network.
Depending on the distance between
nodes and the services provided,
networks may be classified as local area
networks or wide area networks.
Network Topologies
Bus
A bus network contains devices connected
directly in a straight line. Each device can
communicate directly with every other
device one the network.
Ring
In a ring network, devices are connected
in a ring and message are routed around
the ring from one device to the next.

In bus and ring topologies, there is no

central coordinating computer.
Star
A star network has a central, coordinating
device; each computer on the network is
directly attached only to the central device.
The central device is the vulnerability of
the network – it can become a bottleneck
under heavy traffic and the whole network
fails if it fails.
 Network Types
Logical Area Network (LAN)

Limited geographical area
 Any topology possible
 Network Interface Card (NIC)

Designs
Peer-to-peer
Client-server
Wide Area Network (WAN)
 LAN
Local Area Networks connect processing
devices within a limited geographic area
and do not usually use common carrier
facilities.

Devices are attached to the media using

network interface cards, also called
network adapters.
 WAN
Wide Area Networks connect devices over
large geographic distances using common
carrier facilities. Companies may use
wide area networks provided by others,
such as AT&T long distance service or
may deploy their own WAN using
enterprise facilities along with common
carrier facilities.