3 Cables, connectors, and ports

 

This chapter covers

  • The specifications and standards that allow computers to communicate
  • The fundamentals of traffic over a network
  • Types of wired connections and cabling standards
  • The uses of unshielded twisted pair and fiber-optic connections in networks

In chapter 2, we looked at a few diagrams showing network nodes connected with cables. In this chapter, we will look at the specific kinds of cables, connectors, and ports used to make those connections. These topics are part of section 1.0, Network Fundamentals, of the CCNA exam. Specifically, we will cover aspects of exam topic 1.3, which is as follows:

  • 1.3 Compare physical interface and cabling types
    • 1.3.a Single-mode fiber, multimode fiber, copper
    • 1.3.b Connections (Ethernet shared media and point-to-point)

In the past, there have been many different ways to connect devices, and there still are. However, in modern networks, Ethernet reigns supreme and is by far the most common connection type. Perhaps you have heard of Ethernet before in reference to Ethernet cables. Ethernet is not one single thing but rather a collection of standards for physical wired connections as well as rules for communicating over those connections. In this chapter, we will look at two different kinds of physical connections between devices: those using copper cables and those using fiber-optic cables.

3.1 Network standards

3.2 Binary: Bits and bytes

3.3 Copper UTP connections

3.3.1 IEEE 802.3 standards (copper)

3.3.2 Straight-through and crossover cables

3.4 Fiber-optic connections

3.4.1 The anatomy of a fiber-optic cable

3.4.2 UTP vs. fiber

Summary