Transmission Media/Communication Media:
Definition and Explanation:
Transmission Media or Communications media are the paths, or physical channels, in a network over which information travels from one place to another. A key aspect of networks and telecommunication is the movement of information electronically from one place to another. It may be as simple as sending information from one office to another in the same building, or it may be as far- reaching as sending information around the word. What ever the case, information must travel over some path from its source to its destination.
Key Considerations for Transmission Media:
Communications media technology is vitally important in a network. To determine the most appropriate communications media, you must consider the capacity, reliability, cost, and distance of your network as well as the mobility of your network users. Let's consider each of these:
a. capacity:
In its simplest form, network capacity determines:
- How much information can simultaneously travel over the communications media (force).
- How fast that information will travel (speed).
Determining capacity is, determining how much amount of information you need to communicate (force) and the speed with which you need to communicate that information (speed) will determine which communications media you require.
b. Reliability:
Reliability really addresses the guarantee of perfect service of your network. For example, if you require a network with a great guarantee to perfect, you probably won't choose twisted-pair as the communications media because they have a tendency to outside interference and noise.
c. Cost:
Cost is always on overriding consideration in building a network, and your choice of capacity and reliability will affect cost the most. Communication media with greater capacity and reliability.
d. Distance:
Knowing the extent of geographic distance that your network must cover will also help you determine the most appropriate communication media. some communications media such as wire pair and microwave systems, only work well over small distances, where as optical fiber, microwave, and satellite communications media work well over great distances.
e. Mobility:
Finally, you need to consider the mobility of network users. Many organizations today are equipping telecommuters with cellular phones so that they can work any where without contact to an actual phone line. Other organizations are building LANs based on wireless technologies, so the entire network becomes mobiles.
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