Layer 1 An Overview For those of you not fimilar Layer 1 refers to the first layer of the OSI model, the physical layer. This layer is technially where 1’s and 0’s cross a medium. But ask any IT professional sometimes just getting the right power is hardm let alone getting the right cable. I will quick cover some of the basics of the In most cases the medium used for communications is, Fiber Optics, Twised Pair Copper, and Radio Frequecy (Wireless)....
Layer 1 - Copper Copper cables carry very low voltage electric signels Back in the day, copper was the medium initally used to cross the counrty back in the days of CW, and Telegrams. With the Advent of the Telephone this copper need to handel more bandwidth and longer distances “twisted pair” copper wires were used for telephone wires. These twised pair wires have evoled over time to bring us to todays CAT6a 10 Gig Copper cabling....
Layer 1 - Fiber Optics Fiber Optics uses light (visible and non-visble) to transmit communication signels All Fiber optic cables are made up of sever important compmen Core: is ushally made up of very thin crystal clear glass or platic that allows light to pass through. Think of the core as a guide to help ensure the light passes through to the other side. Cladding: is ushally made up of ### which has a high index of refraction, meaning when light its the cladding at the right angle is it reflected (refracted) back into the core....
Power Power may not techincally be consider part of “Layer 1” but it is a cirtial and often over look part of IT. Below I will go over the basics of power and then go into how it applies to IT. Voltage (V) Electromotive Force or often refered to as electric pressure. Common House voltage (in the US) is 120V but many higher end servers and UPS’s run on 240V. Amps (A) Amps are a measure of the flow of power, ushally you can think the thicker the cable the more AMPs (or electric flow) it can handel....
Layer 1 - Radio Frequncy (RF)