There are two types of transmission media: wired and wireless. Examples of wired transmission media include:
- Unshielded Twisted Pair - They work with electricity are very popular in LANs and are easy to install, however they are prone to electrical interference.
- Shielded Twisted Pair - Are more difficult to install but are more reliable since they are protected from electrical interference.
- Coaxial Cable - Consists of two copper conductors, work with radio waves and have low costs of installation.
- Fiber Optic - Optical fiber carries a beam of light, is very expensive, offers high speeds, is very secure and is used for data transmission and telephone lines.
Examples of wireless include WiFi, Bluetooth, infrared, etc.
Transmission media
|
Speed
|
Cost
|
Security
|
Reliability
|
Fiber Optic
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
Metal Conductor
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
Wireless
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
