PM Networking

CCNA
Exam (200-301) v1.1
Study Companion
+91-85118 26341

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Day - 3
 Physical Interfaces and Cabling Types
The physical interface is the actual hardware connection that lets a
network device communicate. Different devices have different physical
interfaces, which work with different types of cables. We choose the right
one based on what we need.

For example, there are two types of Switches Modular Switches and
Stackable Switches. Both types of Switches have different physical
interfaces.

Modular Switch:

● Modular switches are large network switches made up of multiple

slots where different modules can be inserted.
● They allow for customization and expansion by adding various
modules, such as additional ports, power supplies, or cooling
systems.
● Commonly used in data centers and large enterprise networks.
Eg. Cisco Catalyst 9400 Series

Stackable Switch:
● Stackable switches are smaller network switches that can be connected or
"stacked" together to work as a single unit.
● They allow for network expansion without the need for large modular
switches.
● It provides Scalability so it is easy to expand by adding more switches to
the stack.

Eg. Cisco Catalyst 9300

Based on the Physical interface there are some differences between both
Switch - Modular Switches and Stackable Switches

Aspect Modular Switches Stackable Switches

Design Large chassis with multiple slots Smaller units that can be
for modules. physically stacked together.

Expansion Expansion is achieved by Expansion by stacking multiple

adding/removing modules switch units together.
within the chassis.

Port Density High port density within a single Port density increases with each
chassis, depending on the additional switch in the stack.
number of modules installed.

Physical Footprint Requires signi cant space and Compact and can t in standard
dedicated cooling systems in network racks, requiring less
network racks. space.
 Cabling Types

Fibre Cable Ethernet Cable

Single Mode Fiber Coaxial Cable

Multi-Mode Fiber Twisted Pair Cable

● Cabling Types are the physical wires used to connect network

devices.
● Different cables have unique characteristics, making them
suitable for different environments and purposes.

Fiber Cable:

● Fiber optic cables use optical bers which are made of glass cores
surrounded by several layers of covering material generally made of PVC or
Te on.
● It transmits data in the form of light signals due to which there are no
interference issues in ber optics.
● Fiber optics can transmit signals over a very long distance as compared to
twisted pairs or coaxial cables.
● It uses ethernet standard 10BaseF, 100BaseFX, 100BaseBX, 100BaseSX,
1000BaseFx, 1000BaseSX, and 1000BaseBx.
 ● 10BaseF: This is an older standard for 10 Mbps Ethernet over ber optics. Now we are not using this.
● 100BaseFX: This standard speci es 100 Mbps Ethernet over multimode ber. It’s used for Fast
Ethernet connections over short distances with multimode ber.
● 100BaseBX: This standard supports 100 Mbps Ethernet over single-mode ber using a single
wavelength. The “BX” stands for “Bidirectional,” meaning it uses one ber for both sending and
receiving data, but with different wavelengths.
● 100BaseSX: This standard speci es 100 Mbps Ethernet over multimode ber. It’s used for Fast
Ethernet connections over short to medium distances with multimode ber.
● 1000BaseFX: This standard supports 1 Gbps Ethernet over multimode ber. It’s used for Gigabit
Ethernet connections over short distances with multimode ber.
● 1000BaseSX: This is another standard for 1 Gbps Ethernet over multimode ber. It’s commonly used
for Gigabit Ethernet connections over short to medium distances with multimode ber.
● 1000BaseBX: This standard supports 1 Gbps Ethernet over single-mode ber using a single
wavelength. Similar to 100BaseBX but for Gigabit Ethernet. It also uses a bidirectional approach
with different wavelengths for sending and receiving.

Types of Fiber Cable:

There are Two Types of Fibre Cable Single Mode Fiber Cable & Multi-Mode Fiber Cable.

Single-Mode Fiber: SMF (Single-Mode Fibers) is the ber cable that is

designed to carry only a single mode of light that is the transverse mode. These are used for
the long-distance transmission of signals.

Multi-Mode Optical Fiber Cable: Multimode ber cables have a

larger core that allows many light signals to pass through at the same time.Because of this,
the data can spread out and become less clear over long distances. That's why these cables
are best for sending data over short distances, like inside a building or within a data center.

Difference Between Single Mode Fiber and Multi-Mode Fiber:

 Single Mode Fiber Multi-Mode Fiber

Carries a single mode of light, Carries multiple modes of light,

reducing signal interference. which can lead to signal dispersion.

Suitable for long-distance Ideal for short-distance transmission,

transmission, often up to 80 km or typically up to 2 km.
more.

Smaller core diameter, approximately Larger core diameter, typically 50 µm

9 µm. or 62.5 µm.

Higher bandwidth, supporting up to Lower bandwidth, typically

100,000 GHz. supporting up to 4700 MHz·km.

More difficult to handle and Easier to handle and terminate due to

terminate due to the smaller core size. the larger core size.

Ethernet Cable:

● An Ethernet cable connects devices such as computers, phones, and routers to a

network.
● This allows you to access the internet and share information with other devices through
a wired connection.
● It also carries internet signals between the devices, helping them communicate with each
other.
There are Two types of Ethernet Cables Coaxial Cable & Twisted Pair Cable.

Coaxial Cable:
● Acoaxial cable is a type of cable used to connect devices and send signals.
● It has a central copper wire surrounded by an insulating layer, a metal shield, and an
outer cover.
● This setup helps it carry TV signals, internet data, and other information clearly and with
less interference.
● Coaxial cables are commonly used for cable TV and internet connections.

Twisted Pair Cable:

● Atwisted pair cable is a type of cable made up of two insulated copper
wires twisted together.
● This twisting helps reduce interference and signal mixing between the
wires.
 ● It’s used for connecting devices in networks and comes with connectors
called RJ-45.
● It uses 10BASE-T(10 Mbps ) and 100BASE-T(100 Mbps ) Ethernet Variants.

There are two types of Twisted Pair Cable: Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable &
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cable

● STP cables have extra shielding, such as a foil or braided copper cover,
around the twisted wires.
● This shielding helps protect the cable from electrical interference and
external noise.

● UTP cables have pairs of insulated copper wires twisted together but lack
additional shielding.
● The twisting of the wires helps reduce interference from external sources
and crosstalk between wires in the cable.
 Types of Ethernet Media

There are Two Types of Ethernet Media: Point-to-Point & Shared Media

Ethernet Point-to-Point
● In a point-to-point Ethernet connection, there is a direct, dedicated link
between two devices.
● It Means Each device is connected to another device directly using a
cable, with no other devices sharing the connection.
● Since the connection is direct, there are no collisions with other devices.
● Direct connections provide better performance and faster data transfer
speeds because no other devices are sharing the medium.
● More expensive to set up if many point-to-point connections are needed,
as each connection requires its cable.
● It is more complex to manage and scale as the network grows.
● Example: Connecting a computer directly to a network switch or router
using an Ethernet cable is a point-to-point
 connection. The switch or router manages the data traffic between devices.

Ethernet Shared Media

● In a shared media Ethernet network, multiple devices share the same
communication channel or medium to send and receive data.
● All devices connected to the network share the same physical cable or network
segment.
● Since multiple devices use the same cable, there’s a chance that two devices
might try to send data at the same time. This can cause a collision (where signals
interfere with each other).
● Example: Traditional Ethernet hubs use shared media. All devices connected to
the hub share the same network segment.
Thank you
PM Networking