Unit 4 Assignment 1 Copper vs. Fiber Pape
The two most common and widely used cabling types today for the means of communication all over the world are copper and fiber. They both do the same thing, transmit information from point A to point B but both have their strengths and weaknesses and therefore, a person installing cabling may be reluctant to choose one over the other.
Copper cabling is less expensive to install. Copper wiring is flexible when installing so incase a technician has to bend it around a wall or at a certain angle to reach it to an end point, the cable can handle it. Also equipment to support copper wiring is relatively inexpensive to run. The weaknesses to copper wiring would be that it is susceptible to electromagnetic inference (EMI) from outside forces and also has a higher rate of corrosion over time by oxidation.
Fiber optic cabling is a more expensive option for communications. Fiber optic cabling is immune to EMI and other noise interferences and therefore the chance of signal loss is greatly reduced. One drawback on this type of cabling is that just like its copper; fiber optic cabling is very durable and tough making it harder to work with when it comes to installing it. A technician will have to be very well trained in handling it to get the most out of it for the customer. But fiber optic cabling has a much higher bandwidth over copper so it can handle much more traffic as well as at higher speeds than copper wiring. In the real world, one might choose one cabling type over the other. For example, a customer in a single family home with a few laptops and a desktop computer, along with television service and phone service may opt for copper cabling since its inexpensive to install and would be just enough for what the customer is looking for in a small home network with speed and bandwidth size. On the other hand with something on a larger scale such as a large university or maybe a company with different branch offices located in different parts of a state or even different parts of the county then they would go for fiber optic cabling since is can handle more data over greater distances and has better security to help prevent signal loss and data loss due to noise interferences from the outside.

Unit 4. Exercise 1: Cabling Definition 1. Horizontal Cable-A type of inside cable designed for horizontal use in non-plenum areas. 2. Backbone cable-A cable connection between telecommunication or wiring closet, floor distribution terminals, entrance facilities, and equipment rooms either within or between buildings. 3. Patch cords-Short, manufactured cables offered in various length and colors for patching from permanent cable installations to workstations or switch points. 4. Connectors-The thing copper wires go into that allows them to connect to jacks. 5. Conduit- Is a tube or trough for protection electric wiring. 6. Racks-A fixture for mounting various hardware components providing ease of access, better ventilation, and more flexibility than cases. 7. Punch-Down Blocks- Connection bits which cut the insulation of copper wires and forces the copper itself into contact with a circuit. 8. Consolidation Points- A convergence point for the horizontal cabling of section or floor. 9. Crimpers-used to connect connectors to the connection end of wires. 10. Fish tape- Is a tool used by electricians to route new wiring through walls and electrical conduit. 11. Continuity Tester- Is an item of electrical test equipment used to determine if an electrical path can be established between two points that is if an electrical circuit can be made. 12. Category 5e/6 cable-Is a standardized cable for gigabit Ethernet and other network physical layers that is backwards compatible with the cat 5/5e and cat 3 cable standards. 13. Binder Groups-A Group of wire pairs bound together, usually by some sort of color-coded plastic tape or thread. 14. Hybrid/composite cable- is a telecommunications industry term for a broadband network that combines optical fiber and coaxial cable. 15. Pulling cable-A phrase used to describe the act of running network cable from one location to another. 16. Wavelengths of light- The distance between two successive wave crests or troughs. 17. EMI-Is the disruption of operation of an electronic device when it is in the vicinity of an electromagnetic field. 18. Optical-fiber strand- A thin glass strand designed for light transmission. 19. Index of refraction-Is the speed of light in vacuum divided by the speed of light in the medium. 20. Cable jacket- Is a protective outer covering for a cable. 21. Cladding size- A metal coating bonded onto another metal under high pressure and temperature. 22. Multifiber cable- Is a fiber-optic cable having two or more fibers, each of which is capable of serving as an independent optical transmission channel. 23. Differential Mode Delay- Is difference in the time delays amongst the fiber’s propagating modes caused by imperfections of fiber refractive index profile. 24. Chromatic Dispersion-In fiber optic transmissions, is a term used to describe the spreading of a light pulse as it travels down a fiber when light pulses launched close together (high data rates) spread too much and result in errors and a loss of information.

Apply Activity 1: New Building-Tools and Wiring One of the first decisions I would need to make is the design selection of the network type. Products in the same group each follow the same networking rules, and you can count on them to work together properly. This will also dictate what tools and testing would be done during and after installation is complete. Today's most common network types include Ethernet, token ring, and ATM. Each of these three offers a viable alternative for supporting a LAN, each with its own costs and performance benefits.
I would choose multi-mode fiber optic cable. On premise cabling- cabling installed in a building or campus - involves short lengths, rarely longer than a few hundred feet, with 2 to 48 fibers per cable typically. The fiber is mostly multimode, except for the enlightened user who installs hybrid cable with both multimode and single-mode fibers. Splicing is practically unknown in premises applications. Cables between buildings can be bought with double jackets, PE for outside plant protection over PVC for building applications requiring flame retardant cable jackets, so cables can be run continuously between buildings.
Today's connectors often have lower loss than splices, and patch panels give more flexibility for moves, additions and changes. Most connectors are ST style with a few SCs here and there. Termination is by installing connectors directly on the ends of the fibers, primarily using adhesive technology or occasionally some other variety of termination method. Testing is done by a source and meter, but every installer should have a flashlight type tracer to check fiber continuity and connection. Required tools Hand Held Electronic Cable Labelers to label the ends of the cables for easier identification. The telecom installation drop-light is light weight and compact unit is ideal for use while installing copper and fiber connectors in those hard to reach areas in and around equipment racks, cabinets and frames. Cable pulling lubricant: for pulling inner duct, communications, coaxial and fiber optic cables. It is always good to follow the rules below when working with fiber:
1. Dispose of all scraps properly.
2. Always use a properly marked container to dispose of later and work on a black pad which makes the slivers of glass easier to spot.
3. Do not drop them on the floor where they will stick in carpets or shoes and be carried elsewhere. 4. Do not eat or drinks anywhere near the work area.
Fiber optic splicing and termination use various chemical adhesives and cleaners as part of the processes. Follow the instructions for use carefully. Remember, even simple isopropyl alcohol, used as a cleaner, is flammable
Fiber Optic Patch Cable Assemblies
-Patch Cables, Mode Conditioning, Pre-Terminated Assemblies, MTP Cables & Modules
Fiber Optic Test Instruments
-Test Kits, Power Meters, Length Testers, Fault Locators, Talk Sets, & Connector Adapters
Fiber Optic Hardware & Accessories
-Termination Boxes, Mating Sleeves, Bare Fiber Adapters, & Optical Attenuators
Reference:
http://www.waytekwire.com/products/1441/Tools/ http://www.cepro.com/article/9_must_have_tools_for_working_with_electrical_wiring/ http://www.homecontrols.com/Categories/WireInstallationTools