Types of Cabling and Ethernet Standards
There is a connection between the types of cabling and the Ethernet standards. For example, 100BASE-TX (a version of fast Ethernet) runs over two wire pairs inside a category 5 cable (or up). There are a lot of these combinations so it is easy to lose track. For this assignment, it is your task to create one table with types of cable (including UTP and fiber optic) and a second table with Ethernet standards. Finally, you should cross-reference the tables so that it is clear what Ethernet runs over what cable and vice versa.
Table 1: Types of Cable
| Type of Cable | Description |
|---|---|
| UTP | Unshielded Twisted Pair cable consists of four pairs of twisted copper wires. It is the most common type of cable used for Ethernet networks. |
| STP | Shielded Twisted Pair cable is similar to UTP, but each pair of wires is wrapped in a metal foil or braided shield to reduce electromagnetic interference. |
| Coaxial Cable | Coaxial cable consists of a copper core surrounded by a layer of insulation, a braided metal shield, and an outer layer of insulation. It is less commonly used for Ethernet networks. |
| Fiber Optic Cable | Fiber optic cable consists of glass or plastic fibers that transmit data as pulses of light. It is used for high-speed, long-distance Ethernet networks. |
Table 2: Ethernet Standards
| Ethernet Standard | Description |
|---|---|
| 10BASE-T | Standard Ethernet, which uses UTP or STP cable and provides a data rate of 10 Mbps. |
| 100BASE-TX | Fast Ethernet, which uses UTP or STP cable and provides a data rate of 100 Mbps. |
| 1000BASE-T | Gigabit Ethernet, which uses UTP or STP cable and provides a data rate of 1 Gbps. |
| 10GBASE-T | 10 Gigabit Ethernet, which uses UTP or STP cable and provides a data rate of 10 Gbps. |
| 1000BASE-SX | Gigabit Ethernet, which uses fiber optic cable with a short wavelength and provides a data rate of 1 Gbps. |
| 1000BASE-LX | Gigabit Ethernet, which uses fiber optic cable with a long wavelength and provides a data rate of 1 Gbps. |
| 10GBASE-SR | 10 Gigabit Ethernet, which uses fiber optic cable with a short wavelength and provides a data rate of 10 Gbps. |
| 10GBASE-LR | 10 Gigabit Ethernet, which uses fiber optic cable with a long wavelength and provides a data rate of 10 Gbps. |
Cross-Reference Table:
| Ethernet Standard | Type of Cable |
|---|---|
| 10BASE-T | UTP, STP |
| 100BASE-TX | UTP, STP |
| 1000BASE-T | UTP, STP |
| 10GBASE-T | UTP, STP |
| 1000BASE-SX | Fiber Optic |
| 1000BASE-LX | Fiber Optic |
| 10GBASE-SR | Fiber Optic |
| 10GBASE-LR | Fiber Optic |
This cross-reference table shows what type of cable is used for each Ethernet standard. For example, 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet runs over UTP or STP cable, while 1000BASE-SX Gigabit Ethernet runs over fiber optic cable with a short wavelength.
