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CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

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NOTE A structured cabling system is useful for more than just computer

networks. You’ll find structured cabling defining telephone networks and

video conferencing setups, for example.

You should understand three issues with structured cabling. We’ll start

with the basics of how cables connect switches and computers. You’ll then

look at the components of a network, such as how the cable runs through the

walls and where it ends up. This section wraps up with an assessment of

connections leading outside your network.

Cable Basics—A Star Is Born

Earlier in this chapter we developed the idea of an Ethernet LAN in its most

basic configuration: a switch, some UTP cable, and a few computers—in

other words, a typical physical star network (see Figure 18-19).

Figure 18-19 A switch connected by UTP cable to two computers

No law of physics prevents you from placing a switch in the middle of

your office and running cables on the floor to all the computers in your

network. This setup works, but it falls apart spectacularly when applied to a

real-world environment. Three problems present themselves to the network

tech. First, the exposed cables running along the floor are just waiting for

someone to trip over them, giving that person a wonderful lawsuit

opportunity. Simply moving and stepping on the cabling will, over time,

cause a cable to fail due to wires breaking or RJ-45 connectors ripping off

cable ends. Second, the presence of other electrical devices close to the cable

can create interference that confuses the signals going through the wire.

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