- 2071 Shrawan · 5 marks
Guided vs unguided transmission media
Short answer
Guided media (twisted pair, coax, fibre) confine signals in a cable, offering higher security, less interference, and fixed installation. Unguided media (radio, microwave, satellite) transmit through air, allowing mobility and easier deployment over wide areas but are more susceptible to interference, weather, and lower security due to broadcast nature.
Compare guided and unguided transmission media.
Guided media carry signals along a physical path (cable). Unguided media carry signals through free space (air, vacuum) as electromagnetic waves.
| Point | Guided media | Unguided media |
|---|---|---|
| Path | Physical cable | Free space (air / vacuum) |
| Examples | Twisted pair, coaxial, optical fibre | Radio waves, microwave, infrared, satellite |
| Also called | Wired / bounded media | Wireless / unbounded media |
| Direction | Signal confined to the cable | Broadcast in all directions or directed by an antenna |
| Mobility | Fixed | Allows mobility |
| Installation | Needs laying of cables; costly in difficult terrain | Easy, quick to set up |
| Interference | Less (shielded cable / fibre) | More, from weather, other users and obstacles |
| Security | Higher | Lower, since anyone in range can receive the signal |
| Bandwidth | Fibre very high | Limited by the spectrum allocated |
| Reliability | High | Affected by weather and fading |
✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)
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