Advantages & Disadvantages Twisted pair, Coaxial cable & Optic fiber

Twisted Pair

Advantages : 1. Cheaper and far easier to splice
2. Less susceptible to electrical interference caused by nearby equipment or wires.
3. In turn are less likely to cause interference themselves.
4. Because it is electrically "cleaner", STP wire can carry data at a faster speed.

Disadvantages : 1. STP wire is that it is physically larger and more expensive than twisted pair
wire.
2. STP is more difficult to connect to a terminating block.

Coaxial Pair

Advantages : 1. Coaxial cable can support greater cable lengths between network devices than twisted pair cable.
2. Thick coaxial cable has an extra protective plastic cover that help keep moisture
away.

Disadvantages : 1. Thick coaxial is that it does not bend easily and is difficult to install.

Fiber Optic

Advantages : 1. One single mode fiber can replace a metal of time larger and heavier.
2. Multi-mode optical cable has a larger diameter and can be used to carry signal
over short distance.

Disadvantages : 1. Fiber optic versus metal cable is that it is difficult to make connections to
fiber optic cable.
2. The optical fiber must be highly polished to allow light to pass with little loss.