1 1 00:00:00,690 --> 00:00:02,150 Cable Review. 2 2 00:00:02,150 --> 00:00:04,240 In this lesson, we're going to do a quick review 3 3 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,430 of the different specifications, limitations, 4 4 00:00:06,430 --> 00:00:09,690 considerations, and applications of network cables. 5 5 00:00:09,690 --> 00:00:12,080 First, let's consider the different specifications 6 6 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,760 and limitations of our twisted pair copper cables 7 7 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,740 in terms of throughput, speed, and distance. 8 8 00:00:17,740 --> 00:00:21,320 CAT 5, also known as fast Ethernet or 100BASE-TX, 9 9 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:23,420 operates at 100 megabits per second 10 10 00:00:23,420 --> 00:00:25,600 at a distance of up to 100 meters. 11 11 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:29,520 CAT 5e, known as gigabit Ethernet or 1000BASE-T, 12 12 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:31,640 operates at 1,000 megabits per second 13 13 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,920 or one gigabit per second at a distance of up to 100 meters. 14 14 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,850 CAT 6, also known as 1000BASE-T or 10GBASE-T, 15 15 00:00:39,850 --> 00:00:42,040 can operate at 1,000 megabits per second 16 16 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,630 or one gigabit per second at a distance up to 100 meters, 17 17 00:00:45,630 --> 00:00:48,680 or it can reach speeds of 10 gigabits per second 18 18 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,360 at a distance of up to 55 meters. 19 19 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:55,270 CAT 6a and CAT 7 are also known as 10GBASE-T 20 20 00:00:55,270 --> 00:00:57,970 and both of these operate at 10 gigabits per second 21 21 00:00:57,970 --> 00:01:00,300 at a distance of up to 100 meters. 22 22 00:01:00,300 --> 00:01:03,450 Cat 8 is also known as the 40GBASE-T 23 23 00:01:03,450 --> 00:01:05,590 and it operates at 40 gigabits per second 24 24 00:01:05,590 --> 00:01:07,890 at a distance of up to 30 meters. 25 25 00:01:07,890 --> 00:01:10,380 All right, let's consider the different specifications 26 26 00:01:10,380 --> 00:01:13,990 and limitations of our coaxial and twinaxial copper cables 27 27 00:01:13,990 --> 00:01:16,740 in terms of throughput, speed, and distance. 28 28 00:01:16,740 --> 00:01:18,530 Coaxial cables can support speeds 29 29 00:01:18,530 --> 00:01:20,140 of up to 100 megabits per second 30 30 00:01:20,140 --> 00:01:23,920 at a distance up to 500 meters when using Ethernet. 31 31 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,910 Now, coaxial cables can offer us this longer distance 32 32 00:01:26,910 --> 00:01:28,490 over a twisted pair cable, 33 33 00:01:28,490 --> 00:01:30,470 but they can't reach the higher speeds 34 34 00:01:30,470 --> 00:01:32,920 that twisted pair cables can reach in our modern networks. 35 35 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,970 Twinaxial cables though can support higher speeds 36 36 00:01:35,970 --> 00:01:38,090 of up to 10 gigabits per second, 37 37 00:01:38,090 --> 00:01:39,630 but they're limited to a distance 38 38 00:01:39,630 --> 00:01:41,760 of only five meters or less. 39 39 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,250 Newer twinaxial cables can also increase your speeds 40 40 00:01:44,250 --> 00:01:46,470 up to 100 gigabits per second 41 41 00:01:46,470 --> 00:01:48,730 at a maximum distance of seven meters. 42 42 00:01:48,730 --> 00:01:51,610 But again, these are not mainstream in use yet. 43 43 00:01:51,610 --> 00:01:53,900 Next, let's consider the different specifications 44 44 00:01:53,900 --> 00:01:55,980 and limitations of our fiber cables 45 45 00:01:55,980 --> 00:01:58,730 in terms of throughput, speed, and distance. 46 46 00:01:58,730 --> 00:02:02,130 100BASE-FX operates at 100 megabits per second 47 47 00:02:02,130 --> 00:02:03,970 at a distance of up to two kilometers 48 48 00:02:03,970 --> 00:02:05,960 using multi-mode fiber. 49 49 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,700 100BASE-SX is going to operate at 100 megabits per second 50 50 00:02:09,700 --> 00:02:13,590 at a distance of up to 300 meters using a multi-mode fiber. 51 51 00:02:13,590 --> 00:02:17,110 1000BASE-SX is going to operate at 1,000 megabits per second 52 52 00:02:17,110 --> 00:02:18,810 or one gigabit per second 53 53 00:02:18,810 --> 00:02:22,460 for a distance of up to 220 meters to 500 meters or more 54 54 00:02:22,460 --> 00:02:24,530 using a multi-mode fiber. 55 55 00:02:24,530 --> 00:02:28,070 1000BASE-LX is going to operate at 1,000 megabits per second 56 56 00:02:28,070 --> 00:02:29,780 or one gigabit per second 57 57 00:02:29,780 --> 00:02:33,540 at a distance of up to 550 meters using a multi-mode fiber 58 58 00:02:33,540 --> 00:02:35,030 and up to five kilometers 59 59 00:02:35,030 --> 00:02:37,140 if we're using a single-mode fiber. 60 60 00:02:37,140 --> 00:02:41,110 Now, 10GBASE-SR is going to operate at 10 gigabits per second 61 61 00:02:41,110 --> 00:02:45,130 at a distance of up to 400 meters using a multi-mode fiber. 62 62 00:02:45,130 --> 00:02:48,670 10GBASE-LR is going to operate at 10 gigabits per second 63 63 00:02:48,670 --> 00:02:50,450 at a distance of up to 10 kilometers 64 64 00:02:50,450 --> 00:02:52,580 using a single-mode fiber. 65 65 00:02:52,580 --> 00:02:55,490 Next, we need to discuss some cable considerations, 66 66 00:02:55,490 --> 00:02:57,500 such as shielded versus unshielded 67 67 00:02:57,500 --> 00:02:59,670 and plenum versus riser rated. 68 68 00:02:59,670 --> 00:03:02,330 First, we have two types of twisted pair cable: 69 69 00:03:02,330 --> 00:03:03,970 shielded and unshielded. 70 70 00:03:03,970 --> 00:03:04,803 At their core, 71 71 00:03:04,803 --> 00:03:06,880 both shielded and unshielded twisted pair cables 72 72 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:08,950 are created the exact same way. 73 73 00:03:08,950 --> 00:03:11,630 The only difference is that shielded twisted pair cables 74 74 00:03:11,630 --> 00:03:13,770 have each of their individual pairs of wires 75 75 00:03:13,770 --> 00:03:15,500 wrapped in a foil shielding. 76 76 00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:18,320 This gives them a little bit more protection from EMI. 77 77 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,450 Then all four of those wrapped pairs 78 78 00:03:20,450 --> 00:03:22,410 are also wrapped with another foil layer 79 79 00:03:22,410 --> 00:03:24,350 for some additional protection. 80 80 00:03:24,350 --> 00:03:26,030 This extra shielding does help protect 81 81 00:03:26,030 --> 00:03:27,480 the shielded twisted pair cables 82 82 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:29,130 from electromagnetic interference 83 83 00:03:29,130 --> 00:03:30,850 and power frequency interruptions, 84 84 00:03:30,850 --> 00:03:32,780 but it does add cost to it, 85 85 00:03:32,780 --> 00:03:35,150 making shielded twisted pair more expensive 86 86 00:03:35,150 --> 00:03:36,830 than unshielded twisted pair. 87 87 00:03:36,830 --> 00:03:38,440 So you really only use it 88 88 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,010 for specific business cases and applications. 89 89 00:03:41,010 --> 00:03:43,030 For example, let's say you're running a network 90 90 00:03:43,030 --> 00:03:45,410 inside of a radio station or an airport. 91 91 00:03:45,410 --> 00:03:46,510 Those areas are a place 92 92 00:03:46,510 --> 00:03:48,800 with a lot of electromagnetic interference. 93 93 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,750 So you probably want to opt to use shielded twisted pair 94 94 00:03:51,750 --> 00:03:52,610 to provide the network 95 95 00:03:52,610 --> 00:03:54,730 with a little bit of extra protection. 96 96 00:03:54,730 --> 00:03:57,010 Additionally, if you're running a twisted pair network 97 97 00:03:57,010 --> 00:04:00,200 inside of a factory with heavy machinery or generators, 98 98 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:01,420 it's also going to be a good idea 99 99 00:04:01,420 --> 00:04:03,250 to use shielded twisted pair here 100 100 00:04:03,250 --> 00:04:05,960 because there's extra frequencies of EMI 101 101 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,080 that are going to be exposed to your cables. 102 102 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:09,290 Now, if you're truly worried 103 103 00:04:09,290 --> 00:04:11,700 about electromagnetic interference or EMI though, 104 104 00:04:11,700 --> 00:04:13,180 it would actually be a better idea 105 105 00:04:13,180 --> 00:04:15,140 to upgrade to a fiber-based network 106 106 00:04:15,140 --> 00:04:17,940 because fiber cables are truly immune to EMI 107 107 00:04:17,940 --> 00:04:19,460 because they rely on light signals 108 108 00:04:19,460 --> 00:04:22,360 instead of electrical impulses to send their data. 109 109 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,770 Now, unshielded twisted pair cabling, on the other hand, 110 110 00:04:24,770 --> 00:04:27,460 is also used in a lot of our local area networks 111 111 00:04:27,460 --> 00:04:30,630 because it's inexpensive, easy to install, lightweight, 112 112 00:04:30,630 --> 00:04:32,110 and really flexible. 113 113 00:04:32,110 --> 00:04:33,320 Regardless of whether you're going to use 114 114 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:35,940 shielded twisted pair or unshielded twisted pair, 115 115 00:04:35,940 --> 00:04:37,290 you need to keep your cable length 116 116 00:04:37,290 --> 00:04:40,910 under the maximum recommended length of 100 meters. 117 117 00:04:40,910 --> 00:04:42,090 Next, we have to think 118 118 00:04:42,090 --> 00:04:44,810 about plenum versus riser rated cables. 119 119 00:04:44,810 --> 00:04:46,530 Now, plenum cables are going to be used 120 120 00:04:46,530 --> 00:04:48,300 when the cable is going to be run in the spaces 121 121 00:04:48,300 --> 00:04:50,610 between the ceiling and the floor above it, 122 122 00:04:50,610 --> 00:04:51,870 such as where you put your heating 123 123 00:04:51,870 --> 00:04:53,500 and air conditioning duct work. 124 124 00:04:53,500 --> 00:04:56,150 Now, these plenum cables have a higher fire rating 125 125 00:04:56,150 --> 00:04:58,630 and they're designed with fire retardant plastic jackets 126 126 00:04:58,630 --> 00:05:00,610 that use low smoke PVC 127 127 00:05:00,610 --> 00:05:04,350 or fluorinated ethanol polymer known as FEP. 128 128 00:05:04,350 --> 00:05:07,090 Now usually, plenum rated cables are going to be used 129 129 00:05:07,090 --> 00:05:09,410 when you're running cables horizontally in your building 130 130 00:05:09,410 --> 00:05:11,440 across a particular level. 131 131 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:13,520 Riser cables, on the other hand, are going to be used 132 132 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,010 to run network cables vertically between the floors 133 133 00:05:16,010 --> 00:05:20,120 in a building inside a cable riser or an elevator shaft. 134 134 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,710 These riser cables are used in non-plenum areas as well. 135 135 00:05:23,710 --> 00:05:26,000 These cables are built with special coatings 136 136 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:27,520 that allow them to self-extinguish 137 137 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,050 and they prevent the flame from burning through the cable 138 138 00:05:30,050 --> 00:05:32,500 and traveling upwards between the floors. 139 139 00:05:32,500 --> 00:05:34,100 Now, building codes are specific 140 140 00:05:34,100 --> 00:05:35,800 to the location of the building itself, 141 141 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:37,810 and they're going to be determined by your state or county 142 142 00:05:37,810 --> 00:05:38,970 that you live in. 143 143 00:05:38,970 --> 00:05:41,390 In general, most fire and building codes 144 144 00:05:41,390 --> 00:05:43,290 will allow plenum cables to be used 145 145 00:05:43,290 --> 00:05:45,550 in both plenum and riser spaces, 146 146 00:05:45,550 --> 00:05:49,160 but riser cables can only be used in the risers 147 147 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,220 and not in plenum spaces. 148 148 00:05:51,220 --> 00:05:55,260 This is because riser cables are not made from PVC or FEP, 149 149 00:05:55,260 --> 00:05:57,890 and therefore they can actually release chemicals and smoke 150 150 00:05:57,890 --> 00:06:00,500 into the air ducts if they caught fire. 151 151 00:06:00,500 --> 00:06:03,000 Finally, let's take a look at some cable applications 152 152 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,840 you may come across when working as a network technician. 153 153 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:08,650 These include things like rollover and console cables, 154 154 00:06:08,650 --> 00:06:11,640 crossover cables, and Power over Ethernet. 155 155 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,550 Now, a rollover or console cable 156 156 00:06:13,550 --> 00:06:15,290 is a type of null-modem cable 157 157 00:06:15,290 --> 00:06:17,020 that's used to connect a computer terminal 158 158 00:06:17,020 --> 00:06:18,850 to a router's console port. 159 159 00:06:18,850 --> 00:06:20,530 This cable is typically flat 160 160 00:06:20,530 --> 00:06:22,110 and has a light blue color to it 161 161 00:06:22,110 --> 00:06:24,740 to help you distinguish it from other networking cables. 162 162 00:06:24,740 --> 00:06:28,060 Typically, one side of the cable has an RJ45 connector 163 163 00:06:28,060 --> 00:06:30,410 that's used to connect directly to a router's console port. 164 164 00:06:30,410 --> 00:06:31,410 The other side of the cable 165 165 00:06:31,410 --> 00:06:33,830 traditionally has a DB9 serial connection 166 166 00:06:33,830 --> 00:06:35,890 that'll connect to a laptop computer. 167 167 00:06:35,890 --> 00:06:38,350 This specialized cable is used to allow the technician 168 168 00:06:38,350 --> 00:06:39,760 to directly connect to the router 169 169 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:41,480 and make changes to the configuration 170 170 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:43,980 as a form of outer band communication. 171 171 00:06:43,980 --> 00:06:47,130 Now, a crossover cable is a special type of network cable 172 172 00:06:47,130 --> 00:06:49,950 that's used to connect two Ethernet devices directly. 173 173 00:06:49,950 --> 00:06:51,400 So if you have two computers 174 174 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,240 and you don't have a switch or router between them, 175 175 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,700 you can use a crossover cable to connect them. 176 176 00:06:55,700 --> 00:06:57,700 They're also used to send and receive data 177 177 00:06:57,700 --> 00:06:59,530 by enabling complex data transfers 178 178 00:06:59,530 --> 00:07:01,670 between two computers, two routers, 179 179 00:07:01,670 --> 00:07:03,700 or to other network devices. 180 180 00:07:03,700 --> 00:07:05,710 Usually, a crossover cable is created 181 181 00:07:05,710 --> 00:07:10,030 by using a TIA-568B pinout on one side of the cable 182 182 00:07:10,030 --> 00:07:14,290 and the TIA-568A pinout the other side of the cable. 183 183 00:07:14,290 --> 00:07:16,350 If you need to connect a computer to a computer, 184 184 00:07:16,350 --> 00:07:18,670 a router to a router, a switch to a switch, 185 185 00:07:18,670 --> 00:07:20,030 or a computer to a router, 186 186 00:07:20,030 --> 00:07:22,380 then you're going to use a crossover cable. 187 187 00:07:22,380 --> 00:07:24,940 Now finally, we have Power over Ethernet. 188 188 00:07:24,940 --> 00:07:26,900 Power over Ethernet or PoE 189 189 00:07:26,900 --> 00:07:28,920 is a technology that passes electrical power 190 190 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,500 over twisted pair Ethernet cables to powered devices. 191 191 00:07:32,500 --> 00:07:35,260 Now, this can be done to go to a wireless access point, 192 192 00:07:35,260 --> 00:07:39,320 an IP camera or VOIP phone to give them data and power 193 193 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:40,750 on the same cable. 194 194 00:07:40,750 --> 00:07:43,110 This enables one cable to give you both data 195 195 00:07:43,110 --> 00:07:45,430 and electrical power to these powered devices 196 196 00:07:45,430 --> 00:07:47,630 instead of having to have a separate cable for each, 197 197 00:07:47,630 --> 00:07:49,460 making it really easy to install things 198 198 00:07:49,460 --> 00:07:51,540 like IP security cameras. 199 199 00:07:51,540 --> 00:07:53,120 To support Power over Ethernet, 200 200 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,240 you need to have at least a Category 5e 201 201 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,390 or better copper twisted pair cable. 202 202 00:07:57,390 --> 00:07:59,230 Otherwise, it's not going to function right, 203 203 00:07:59,230 --> 00:08:00,870 and it could be dangerous. 204 204 00:08:00,870 --> 00:08:05,290 Now, Power over Ethernet can provide 15.4-60 watts of power 205 205 00:08:05,290 --> 00:08:08,290 using two of the twisted pairs inside of the cable, 206 206 00:08:08,290 --> 00:08:11,740 or you can get 60-100 watts of power if you're using 207 207 00:08:11,740 --> 00:08:14,340 all four of the twisted pairs inside of a cable. 208 208 00:08:14,340 --> 00:08:16,740 Just like other twisted pair cable installations, 209 209 00:08:16,740 --> 00:08:19,290 Power over Ethernet can only transmit data and power 210 210 00:08:19,290 --> 00:08:22,290 up to the maximum distance of 100 meters. 211 211 00:08:22,290 --> 00:08:24,510 All right, I know that was a lot of information 212 212 00:08:24,510 --> 00:08:25,830 and I gave it to you really quick, 213 213 00:08:25,830 --> 00:08:28,150 but I hope you found this quick review of copper 214 214 00:08:28,150 --> 00:08:31,020 and fiber cables and all their different specifications, 215 215 00:08:31,020 --> 00:08:33,440 limitations, considerations, and applications 216 216 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:35,603 helpful as you're preparing for your exam.