Most cable connection providers commonly offer coaxial cable internet. The coaxial internet sends a data signal through the coaxial cable to the modem to a domestic user’s location. The data is transmitted through the modem’s Ethernet connection to a computer, delivering high-speed internet access.
Performance of cable
The internet data travels inform of packets, that are measured in size as bits or megabits. The successful transmission of data packets from sender to receiver is dependent on the efficient performance of the cable.
What is Bandwidth?
Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data packets that can be transferred from sender to receiver in a specific time period of time. It is not the speed of the internet, as it does not measure how fast the data can be sent but how much data can be sent in a specific time. However, the two concepts are relevant. The default bandwidth of the coaxial cable is 750 MHz whereas cable download speeds range anywhere from 1 Mbps to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps).
What is Throughput?
Throughput is the actual amount of data that is transferred over a time of period. Unlike idealistic bandwidth, throughput takes into account the external or environmental factors impacting the transmission, leading to data loss and latency. This is why throughput is a very important measure of the performance of a network and network cable. Throughput can be optimized by minimizing the latency.
What is Latency?
Latency is the delay in transmission of data from sender to receiver. The heavy workload on a network can increase the latency. Latency can be reduced by reducing the load on the network.
To ensure no data packets are lost, some systems will send an acknowledgment from the receiver that the amount of data has been received for keeping in check the efficiency of transmission. In TCP networks, after a stream of data has been sending the receiver waits to receive an acknowledgment message before sending out the next stream of data. This can increase the latency. In UDP networks, a receiver can send out a number of streams before pausing to wait for an acknowledgment message. This can improve latency.
Performance of coaxial cables
Coaxial cables are designed to reduce electromagnetic interference for the better quality of signal transmission. They perform better than twisted-pair cables and are more affordable than optic fiber. Coaxial cables do not have a maximum speed as they are just a carrier but they can sport high bandwidth internet. The speed of internet-delivered through coaxial cable depends upon the technology behind the cable, basically, the quality of internet a service provider is offering. The coaxial cable transmits data at the speed of 10Mbps to 100Mbps (megabits per second), which is 80 times faster than twisted-pair cables. Other important characteristics of coaxial cable that dictate its performance are impedance and attenuation. A coaxial cable with a 50-ohm impedance is used for digital transmission. The power loss of signal over the distance is referred to as attenuation. It is also called packet data loss, which increases as the transmission distance increase. Signal strength decreases for coaxial cable as the length of cable increases.
