Network Connections
Loribeth Santiago
NTC/415
March 2, 2015
Mark Baker

Network Connections
Providing a sufficient network architecture is an important part of network administration. A good network architecture will provide reliable connectivity for its end users. The most common modes of connectivity are copper, fiber, DSL, coaxial cables, and wireless. Different protocols are used to move data based on the type of connectivity. Each also has a different cost and this plays a big part of the final network design decision. Speed is another factor administrators must look at in order to implement a successful network. Speed will help the company maintain business operations and lends to their overall success. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) use connectivity modes like DSL, Cable TV (CATV), and Fiber to the Home (FTTH) to provide internet access to customers at home. Each option changes as personal and business needs dictate what speed and cost customers require.
Network Connectivity Issues
Ethernet supports unshielded twisted pair cables, fiber optics and coaxial cable. Ethernet can be subject to physical limitations such as the length of the cable and collisions that can happen on the network. Most twisted pair cabling has a maximum length of 100 meters and supports 1024 users on a single subnet. Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) is the access method used in Ethernet. If the network is free and two devices transmit at the same time there will be a collision on the line. The packets will be retransmitted when the line becomes free. “When a device wants to gain access to the network, it checks to see if the network is free. If the network is not free the device waits before retrying” (Cisco, n.d.).
Wireless networks are different from wired networks when it comes to connectivity. Power is an issued for small mobile devices like