DESCRIPTION
This course is the second course in a series covering Networking Hardware Components. This course opens with a look at the copper media found in today's computer networks. This course investigates the structure, operation, and types of coaxial, twisted pair, and fiber optic cables that are commonly used in data networking. These discussions include the parameters that may affect fiber operation, light sources and photodiode detectors, and the connectors used in fiber, coaxial, and twisted pair based networks. The benefits each of these cable types have to offer, and where in computer networks they can be best applied is also considered. This course also investigates structured wiring systems and the international standard that specifies the structure and components of communications wiring systems for commercial buildings. This course concludes with a discussion of the passive networking hardware components that are applied in the physical layer and are devoted to the signaling aspects of computer networking. These devices include transceivers, repeaters, and modems.

PREREQUISITES
Participants in this course are expected to have computer hardware and/or software experience. Data networking experience may be limited or narrowly focused. Although some of the target audience may have in-depth knowledge of some specialized area of networking, experience with data networking and networking hardware can be limited to basic knowledge of the standard structure and functions of data networking protocol stacks, common LAN and WAN technologies, and standard data network topologies. This prerequisite knowledge can be obtained through participation in TechOnLine's Data Networking Hardware 1: Basics course.