Fiber-Optic Cable Vs. Coaxial Cable

What is coaxial cable and how is it used?

Coaxial cable is commonly used by cable operators, telephone companies, and Internet service providers around the world to transmit data, video, and voice communications to customers. It was also widely used in homes.

It has been around as a technology for a long time (since the early 20th century) and has many unique advantages for reliable and accurate transmission.

It also has limitations that will cause it to be replaced in some cases by fiber optic cable, category cable, or sometimes by wireless signals.

The key to coaxial cable's success has been its shielded design, which allows the cable's copper core to transmit data quickly, without succumbing to interference or damage from environmental factors.

The three most common cable sizes are RG-6, RG-11, and RG-59:

RG stands for "radio guide". The numbers of the different versions of RG cable refer to the diameter (59 meaning .059, and 6 meaning .06, etc.). They are also called RF cables, which means "radio frequency".

Most non-industrial coaxial cables are now known as RG-6, but installers can use thicker cable, such as RG-11.

RG cables used in homes should have an impedance of 75 ohms.

Most connectors are F-type connectors, but your system may use N-type connectors. There are several types of F-type connectors for RG-6 cables:

• Compression connectors
• Screw connectors
• Crimp connectors

To make a connection, you will need a male connector and a female connector of the same type. Male connectors have the center wire sticking out, while female connectors have space for the center wire.

Be aware that coaxial cables sometimes have a signal leak known as an input or an output. This causes tiled, blurry, or snowy signals.

What is the coaxial cable?

Coaxial cable is a type of cable that has an inner conductor surrounded by an insulating layer, surrounded by a conductive shield. Many also have an insulating outer jacket. The diagram below illustrates the construction of a typical cable. The electrical signal flows through the center conductor.

Central conductor - copper-plated steel.

Center conductor bonding - a clean stripping polymer is used to block moisture migration.

Dielectric - polyethylene provides a mechanically stable closed-cell foam with a high VP.

First outer conductor - shielding with an aluminum-polymer aluminum tape firmly bonded to the dielectric core.

Second outer conductor - additional aluminum-polymer-aluminum tape is used in three and four shield constructions to further improve HF shield isolation before and after bending.

Third outer conductor - additional aluminum-polymer-aluminum tape is used in three and four shield constructions to further improve HF shield isolation before and after bending.

Fourth outer conductor - an additional 34 or 36 AWG aluminum braid is used in quad-shield constructions to further improve LF shield isolation in extreme RF noise environments.

Corrosion-resistant protector

Indoor and Air - an anti-drip material designed to eliminate moisture migration into the cable construction.

Underground - a flowable compound capable of sealing small sheath breaks.

Sheath - a UV stable outer sheath of flame retardant polyethylene (PE) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is available to protect the core during installation and throughout the life of the cable.

Integral messenger - a support member of galvanized carbon steel wire attached to the cable by a separable band.

Which is better coaxial cable or fiber optic cable?

Both types of cables can be used to carry video, audio, and other forms of data, and both can offer you distinct advantages and disadvantages when setting up your network.

Deciding which one is best for your situation depends on how far your connection is and how much data you'll be sending. Fiber optic cables carry a signal for several miles before a repeater is needed. Signal losses are higher in coaxial cable, so you should use it for shorter distances. Fiber optic cables carry much more information. Fiber optic cable is also much more expensive. Fiber optic cables are less common in residential and consumer environments than coaxial cables.

Coaxial cables are easy to install and very durable. Since fiber has higher and faster data transfer than coaxial, it is best used for business networks, such as those found at a corporate campus or university. If you're working on a home installation or medium-capacity data transfer network, you're probably best off sticking with coaxial cable.

Many businesses today use cable connections for their business broadband service. The biggest disadvantage of cable internet is the fluctuation in speed. Considering fiber internet versus cable internet again, cable internet service is usually shared among a number of subscribers. This means that if there are a large number of users in a wired region all running bandwidth-intensive applications using the Internet at the same time, the speeds of each may vary between 100% and 25% of the promised speed.

When it comes to the cost of fiber versus coax, fiber is usually much higher upfront. After installation, the price of a dedicated fiber Internet access will also be higher than a shared wired Internet connection.