CompTIA+ Unit 3.1

what are twisted pair cables

A type of network cabling that uses pairs of insulated copper wires twisted together to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) and crosstalk.

how many pairs of wires aer in a standard twisted pair cable and what are the colors?

4 pairs (8 wires)
blue

green

orange/white

brown/white

what type of signaling does a twisted pair cable use?

differential signaling - each pair carries equal and opposite signals (transmit + and transmit -)

why are the wires twisted together in twisted pair cabling?

the twist helps to cancel out electromagnetic interference by constantly changing the wire’s position relative to the sources of noise

what happens to the interferece at the receiving end of a twisted pair cable?

the receiver compares both signals with one another and tests them to see where the interference is coming frome

what is a coxial cable?

a type of cable with 2 or more conductors that share a common axis designed to carry high frequency signals with minimal interference

what is the most common use for coxial cables?

commonly used for televisions, cable modems, satellite connections, and some older network systems

why is a coxial cable resistant to interference?

the magnetic shield around the center conductor blocks electromagnetic interference (EMI) and signal leakage

what is a plenum space?

a designated area for air circulation that is a part of a building’s HVAC system

what is a non plenum space?

a building ares not used for HVAC air circulation such as inside walls, conduits, or standard rooms

why are cables in plenum spaces a concern?

in case of a fire, cable jackets can release toxic fumes that spread through the HVAC system

what type of cable is required in plenum spaces?

plenum rated cables, which has fire-resistant, low smoke jackets

what material are plenum rated cable jackets made from?

flourinated ethylene polymer (FEP) or low smoke polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

what is the trade off of plenum rated cables compared to regular ones?

they are less flexible and more expensive

what are regular non plenum cable jackets made of?

regular polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

what does UTP stand for

Unshielded twisted pair

what does STP stand for?

shielded twisted pair

what type of twisted pair cable is most common in networking?

UTP

Why is shielding used in STP cables?

to provide more protection against interference from nearby electrical equipment or other cables

what requirement is necessary for STP cabling?

it needs to be properly grounded using something like a grounding wire or connector

what environment is STP cabling typically used in ?

high interference environments like industrial areas or data centers

what is the main advantage of UTP over STP?

UTP is cheaper, lighter, and easier to install

what are the common abbrieviations for UTP and STP cables?

the format is (overall cable/individual pair)TP

then these abbrieviations go into the overall cable or individual pair section:

u - unshielded

s - braided shielding

f - foil shielding

what is optical fiber communication?

transmission of data using light signals instead of electrical signals

does fiber optic communicaiton use radio frequencies?

no, it uses light, so it is immune to radio frequency interference and much harder to intercept

what are the advantages of using optic fiber cabling?

• more secure

• allows for longer distance transmission with less signal degredation

• immune to EMI and radio frequency interference

how does the light travel through the optic fiber cable?

the light bounces within the fiber core using reflection until it reaches the other side

what is the purpose of cladding in a fiber optic cable?

it surrounds the core and has a lower refrative index causing light to stay within the core by reflecting inwards

what are the 2 main type of fiber optic cables?

multimode fiber and single mode fiber

what type of light source does multimode fiber use?

LED

what type of light source does single mode fiber use?

laser (more costly and more precise)

What is the typical range of multimode fiber?

Up to 2 kilometers, suitable for short-range communication

Up to 2 kilometers, suitable for short-range communication

Up to 100 kilometers without signal processing — ideal for long-distance communication

Why is multimode fiber called “multimode”?

Because the core is wide, allowing multiple light paths (modes) to reflect through it simultaneously.

Why is single-mode fiber more efficient for long distances?

Its narrow core allows only one light path, minimizing reflection and signal loss over long distances.

What does ANSI/TIA-568 define?

Standards for structured cabling in commercial buildings.

What do T568A and T568B define?

Wire color and pin assignments for Ethernet cables.

Which wiring standard is more common?

T568B

Can you mix T568A and T568B on the same cable?

No both ends must match.

What does USB stand for?

Universal Serial Bus.

What type of connector is reversible and supports data + power?

USB-C

What is Thunderbolt used for

High-speed data and power over one cable

What does VGA carry?

Analog video only

What does HDMI carry?

Digital video and audio

What does DVI carry?

Digital video (no audio).

What is DisplayPort used for?

Digital audio and video transmission

What does SATA connect?

Internal storage devices like hard drives and SSDs.

What is eSATA used for?

External SATA storage.

What does SCSI stand for?

Small Computer System Interface.

What replaced Parallel SCSI?

Serial Attached SCSI (SAS).

What does PATA stand for?

Parallel ATA, a legacy hard-drive interface.