Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Holborow, and welcome to computing.

I'm so pleased you've decided to join me for the lesson today.

In today's lesson, we're going to be exploring what is meant by a wired network and the types of transmission media that can be used in a wired network.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit "Network Fundamentals." This lesson is called "Wired Networks," and by the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe how wired networks are connected using different types of transmission media.

Shall we make a start? We will be exploring these keywords in today's lesson.

Let's take a look at them now.

Wired network.

Wired network: a network where devices are connected using physical cables to transfer data.

Copper ethernet cable.

Copper ethernet cable: a common network cable made from twisted copper wires that transmits data using electrical signals.

Fibre optic cable.

Fibre optic cable: a high-speed network cable that sends data as pulses of light.

Look out for these keywords throughout today's lesson.

Today's lesson is split into two parts.

We'll start by explaining wired networks and transmission media, and then we'll move on to describe fibre optic and copper cable features.

Let's make a start by explaining wired networks and transmission media.

Wired transmission media is a physical cable that connects one device to another.

This is often shown as a solid or long-dashed line in a network graph or diagram.

So you can see here in the diagram, we have two laptops which are connected with wired transmission media.

So here we can see an example of a network diagram with multiple nodes connected via wired transmission media.

Some examples of wired networks include: desktop computers connected in a school room, office computers linked to a shared printer using cables, checkouts in supermarkets connected to a central system, and a home computer connected to a router with a cable.

I'm sure there are lots more examples that you can think of.

Maybe pause the video here whilst you have a think.

Time to check your understanding.

I have a true or false statement for you.

In a network diagram, wired transmission media is often shown as a wavy line.

Is this true or false? Pause the video whilst you have a think.

That's right, it's false.

In a network diagram, wired transmission media is typically shown as a solid line or a long-dashed line.

A wavy line is commonly used to represent a wireless connection.

Transmission media is the media used to transmit data.

In computing, data in its simplest form is zeros and ones.

The signals used to transmit the zeros and ones vary depending on the type of transmission media being used.

Copper cable, which is also known as ethernet cable, is a type of wired transmission media.

It uses electrical signals to transmit data.

A one is represented by a voltage of 3.

3 volts or 5 volts, whereas a zero is represented by a voltage of zero.

Fibre optic cable is a type of wired transmission media.

It uses light pulses as signals to transmit data.

A one is represented by the light being on, and a zero is represented by the light being off.

Let's now take a look at some advantages of wired networks.

Wired networks offer fast data transfer speeds compared to wireless.

They're secure because they're harder to intercept than wireless signals, and they offer a stable connection which is not affected by walls or signal interference.

Let's now take a look at some limitations of wired networks.

Cables can be costly to instal and maintain.

They're not very flexible.

Devices have to be in fixed locations where there are cables provided, and they're hard to scale or make bigger.

Adding more devices needs extra cabling.

Okay, time to check your understanding.

I have a question for you.

What is the main difference in how copper ethernet cables and fibre optic cables transmit data? Is it: A, copper cables use light pulses while fibre optic cables use electrical signals? B, copper cables use electrical signals where fibre optic cables use light pulses? Or C, both types of cables use sound waves to transmit data? Pause the video whilst you think carefully about your answer.

Did you say B? Well done.

Remember, copper cables use electrical signals, and fibre optic cables use light pulses.

Okay, we're moving on to our first task of today's lesson, task A.

For part one, I'd like you to explain what wired transmission media is and give two examples of where a wired network might be used.

So you can think about where you may have seen wired networks, maybe at school or college, or in any businesses.

For part two, I'd like you to describe two different types of wired transmission media, explaining how each uses signals to transmit data, so the zeros and ones.

Pause the video here whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on with the task? Did you manage to explain wired networks and transmission media? Well done.

Let's have a look at some sample answers together.

So for part one, you were asked to explain what wired transmission media is and give two examples of where a wired network might be used.

Wired transmission media is a physical cable that connects one device to another, allowing data to be sent between them.

You might find a wired network in a school room connecting desktop computers or in a supermarket where checkouts are linked to a central system.

Did you have any other examples of where wired networks might be used? I'm sure you managed to think of lots.

Okay, for part two, you were asked to describe two different types of wired transmission media, explaining how each uses signals to transmit data, so the zeros and ones.

Two different types of wired transmission media are copper cable, or ethernet, and fibre optic cable.

Copper cables use electrical signals to transmit data, where a one is represented by a voltage like 3.

3 or 5 volts and a zero by zero volts.

Fibre optic cables use light pulses as signals, where a one is represented by the light being on and a zero by the light being off.

Did you have this detail in your answer? Remember, if you need to, you can pause the video here and make any corrections.

Okay, so we've explained wired networks and transmission media.

Let's now move on to describe fibre optic and copper cable features.

Copper cable, ethernet cable, is commonly used to connect devices on a wired network.

They are made from twisted pairs of copper wires and are commonly used to connect devices to switches or hubs.

Copper cables have limits on speed and distance.

For example, copper cables are typically reliable over distances up to 100 metres.

They're suitable for connecting devices in the same building.

And they're used in ethernet networks with speeds up to one gigabit per second.

However, higher speeds require better quality cables.

Copper cables use standard connectors.

They usually end in a modular connector.

They plug into ports on computers, switches, or hubs.

They're easy to instal and are widely supported.

I'm sure you've seen these cables before.

Maybe have a look around your computer room at school or college and see if you can find some.

Okay, time to check your understanding.

I have a true or false statement here for you.

Copper cables are typically reliable over distances of up to 100 metres.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video whilst you think about your answer.

That's right, it's true.

This is a common distance limitation for copper ethernet cables, making them suitable for connections within the same building.

Some advantages of copper cable include: it's cheaper to buy and instal than fibre optic cable; it's widely available in the UK, using the existing phone network; it works well over short distances; and it's more stable than wireless in most conditions.

Features that limit copper cable include: the fact that signals get weaker over longer distances; there's slower data transfer than fibre optic cables; they're more likely to suffer from signal interference; and they're harder and more expensive to expand than a wireless network.

Fibre optic cables can carry data over long distances with minimal loss.

Standard fibre optic cables can transmit data up to two kilometres.

High-quality fibre optic cables can reach distances of up to 100 kilometres.

Over distances of more than 100 kilometres, the signal weakens and is harder to detect accurately.

Repeaters are used to boost the signal and extend its range even further.

The process of boosting the signal is called regeneration.

This is essential over very long distances, such as undersea connections.

Okay, time to check your understanding.

I have a question for you.

What is the purpose of using repeaters with fibre optic cables over very long distances? Is it: A, to convert the light signal into an electrical signal? B, to make the light signal travel faster? Or C, to boost the signal and extend its range through a process called regeneration? Pause the video here whilst you think carefully about your answer.

Did you select C? Well done.

Remember, repeaters are used to boost a signal and extend the range of fibre optic cable.

Let's have a look at some advantages of fibre optic cable.

They maintain a stronger signal over longer distances.

They offer faster data transfer compared to copper.

There's less interference than copper or wireless, and they provide a stable connection.

Some features that limit the use of fibre optic cable include: the fact that they're expensive to buy and instal.

They're also difficult and costly to expand compared to wireless.

Copper and fibre optic cables have different features that affect how they're used in networks.

Let's take a look at them now.

Copper cables use electrical signals, while fibre optic cables use light pulses.

Copper is cheaper but slower and works best over short distances.

Fibre optic is faster and better for long distances, but it is more expensive.

Both provide a stable connection but are harder to expand than wireless.

Okay, we're moving on to our second task of today's lesson, task B.

For part one, describe the key features of copper ethernet cable, including how it transmits data, one positive feature, and one feature that limits its use.

For part two, explain two distinct advantages of fibre optic cable over copper cable and describe how its signal can travel very long distances.

Pause your video here whilst you complete the task.

How did you get on with the activity? I'm sure you did a great job in answering the questions.

Well done.

Let's look at some sample answers together.

So for part one, you were asked to describe the key features of copper Ethernet cable, including how it transmits data, one positive feature, and one feature that limits its use.

Copper ethernet cable is commonly used to connect devices on wired networks.

It transmits data using electrical signals, where a one is represented by a voltage, like 3.

3 or 5 volts, and a zero is represented by no volts.

A positive feature is that it is cheaper to buy and instal than fibre optic cable.

However, a feature that limits its use is that the signal gets weaker over long distances, being reliable only up to 100 metres.

For part two, you were asked to explain two distinct advantages of fibre optic cable over copper cable and describe how its signal can travel very long distances.

Two distinct advantages of fibre optic cable over copper cable are that it maintains a strong signal over very long distances and provides faster data transfer speeds.

Fibre optic cables can transmit data up to two kilometres, and high-quality ones can reach up to 100 kilometres.

For even longer distances, such as undersea connections, repeaters are used to boost the signal.

This process of boosting the signal is called regeneration, which extends its range further.

Did you have some of these points in your answers? Remember, if you need to, you can pause the video here and add some extra detail to your answer if you need to.

Okay, we've come to the end of today's lesson, "Wired Networks," and you've done a fantastic job, so well done.

Let's summarise what we've learned together in this lesson.

Wired networks use physical cables to connect devices and efficiently transfer data.

Copper ethernet cable and fibre optic cable are two common types of wired connection.

Each possesses different features that significantly impact network speed, the distance data can travel, and overall reliability.

I hope you've enjoyed today's lesson, and I hope you'll join me again soon.

Bye.