A new analytics office, three choices
A data firm moves into an old building with thick stone walls. It needs a link for 30 desks, a link to the data store in the building next door 400 metres away, and Wi-Fi for visitors.
One cable type will not suit all three. Your job is to match the link to the need.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Copper cable | a cable of copper wires that carries electrical signals | an Ethernet cable |
| Fibre-optic cable | a cable of glass strands that carries light | a cable between buildings |
| Wireless access point | a device that joins Wi-Fi devices to the wired network | a ceiling box |
| Interference | unwanted signals that spoil a link | |
| Ethernet | the usual wired way to join devices in a building | |
| Network | devices joined so they can share things | |
| Bandwidth | how much data a link can carry each second |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can choose copper, fibre or wireless for a job and give reasons.
Starter
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Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Copper cable is the everyday choice
Ethernet over copper cable is the usual wired link in a building. Inside the cable, pairs of copper wires are twisted to cut interference. It plugs into a square RJ45 socket.
It is cheap and easy to fit, and it works well. But a run is limited to about 100 metres, and electrical noise can spoil the signal.
Fibre carries light a long way
Fibre-optic cable has thin glass strands. It sends pulses of light. Light is not affected by electrical interference, so fibre carries a lot of data over many kilometres.
It is very fast and harder to tap. But it costs more, glass can break if bent too sharply, and fitting it needs special tools and skills.
Copper compared with fibre
| Feature | Copper (Ethernet) | Fibre-optic |
|---|---|---|
| Carries | Electrical signals | Pulses of light |
| Distance in one run | About 100 metres | Many kilometres |
| Speed and bandwidth | Good | Very high |
| Interference | Can be affected | Not affected by electrical noise |
| Cost and fitting | Cheap and easy | Dear and skilled |
| Best for | Desks to the nearest switch | Between buildings and for the backbone |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.