Network/It Communications Selecting the Type of Cable

Network/IT Communications

Selecting the type of cable to be used when developing a LAN from the ground up can be a complex process with many considerations, including issues of functionality and of cost. Twisted pair cables provide a cheaper alternative to other cable types and are also the most flexible type of cable, but they are less secure and are more prone to losses in data integrity than are other standard cable types (Hsieh, 2012). Fiber optic cables provide the best protection against interference and are the most secure cable for use in a network, but the cost can be prohibitive and the heightened performance aspects are not necessary in all applications (Hsieh, 2012). Coaxial cables come in two varieties, thinnet and thicknet, with thinnet being both cheaper and more flexible than twisted pair cables (though still more expensive and less flexible) and also provide a decent amount of security and freedom from interference (Hsieh, 2012). Wireless networks can also be established, but speeds are generally slower than equivalent wired networks and speed and performance also vary greatly with distance from the wireless router (Rodgers, 2008). For a network with a maximum run of 100 meters, thinnet coaxial cable will provide the best cost-to-benefit ratio (Hsieh, 2012; Rodgers, 2008). A decision table for selecting cable appears at the end of this document.

2)

In addition to the ground infrastructure that would be necessary, establishing a satellite radio company with full worldwide coverage would require a bare minimum of three satellites in geostationary orbit, and in order to provide more secure service that is less prone to interruption and is capable of handing heavier traffic loads, six satellites would be recommended (Bonsor, 2012). Geostationary orbit means that the satellites would stay positioned over the same area of the Earth at all times, orbiting the Earth so that the change in angle matches the change in angle of the Earth as it rotates, meaning that the satellites are travelling much faster because they are 22,000 miles away from Earth's surface and must cover much more distance to describe a circle at the same rate as the Earth's rotation (Bonsor, 2012). Transmissions would need to take place in the 2.3 GHz range in order for the service to be allowed in the United States, as this is the spectrum area the FCC has allocated for digital radio signals (and digitization would be a necessity due to the traffic loads expected and simply out of practicality in an increasingly digitized world) (Bonsor, 2012).

3)

In addition to the user-desired information being sent during a signal transmission in a synchronous connection, there are several other blocks of information. A start sequence signals the beginning of a communication, control bytes might set other parameters of the message, an address sequence helps to direct the message within a network or terminal, a checksum validates the data, and an end sequence signals the end of the transmission (Major, 2009). An analog can be found in sending a package: the package contents is equivalent to the user-desired information, while the doorbell ringing signals the packages arrival (like a start sequence), a "fragile" sticker gives some handling instructions (control byte), the address ensures that the package is at the right place (address sequence), the signature validates the package's delivery (checksum), and the UPS driver climbing back in his truck and taking off is an effective end to the transaction (End sequence).