Network Media

Network Media

Network Media Communication across a network is carried on a medium. The medium provides the channel over which the message travels... 16:23:00

Network Media

Communication across a network is carried on a medium. The medium provides the channel over which the message travels from source to destination. The plural for medium is media.

Network devices are linked together using a variety of media. As shown in Figure 1, these media are:

• Copper cabling - Uses electrical signals to transmit data between devices

• Fiber-optic cabling - Uses glass or plastic fiber to carry information as light pulses

• Wireless connection - Uses radio signals, infrared technology, or satellite transmissions

The icons shown in Figure 2 are used throughout this course to represent the different types of network media. Local area network (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), and wireless networks are discussed in the next topic.

The Cloud will be used throughout this course to represent connections to the Internet. The Internet is often the medium for communications between one network and another network.