Methods of connecting devices

Methods of connecting devices

1. Wired methods

   • USB
     • USB has an excellent data transfer speed.This would let you transfer an HD movie between an external HDD to your computer in seconds.
     • you can connect multiple peripherals to a single USB port. It is technically possible to connect 127 different devices to a single USB port.
     • Pretty much every computer system has a USB port.
     • USB has a relatively short range. The maximum practical length of USB 3.0 is just 3 metres
   • SATA
     • SATA III is an extremely fast connection type, capable of transmitting data at 6Gbps. This is even faster than USB 3.0.
     • All internal storage devices will have a SATA connector. External storage devices are not very likely to have an eSATA port though.
     • A SATA cable has a shorter range than even USB 3.0. eSATA only has a range of 2 metres.
     • Unlike USB, SATA doesn’t supply power to a device so a hard drive connecting using it needs an additional power connector.
   • VGA
     • Older technologies that you still often encounter, particularly in the workplace, will be compatible with it.
     • VGA (and DVI) have locking mechanisms built in to ensure the cable remains securely connected.
     • VGA transmits analogue data This means the signal degrades easily due to things like length & analogue to digital conversion.
     • VGA cannot handle the same quality resolution as the other digital methods. The latest and most modern versions can handle 1080p HD, but certainly not 4K.
     • VGA cannot transfer an audio signal along with the video signal, though neither can DVI. This means you’ll require separate audio cables to connect sound.
   • HDMI
     • HDMI has an extremely high bandwidth of 18Gbps. This allows it to output 4K quality video at 60Hz. This is a very high quality display output.
     • An audio signal can be transmitted along with the video signal using HDMI. So separate audio cables are not required if your display has built in sound.
     • It has no locking mechanism, so cables can fall out of a device accidentally.
   • Etheret
     • It is a very reliable connection method. Unlike WiFi it isn’t a shared medium so bandwidth isn’t split across multiple users and it is also not very susceptible to interference.
     • It has a very good range compared to most other cables. It can transfer data 100 metres. This is especially good due it being able to transfer as much as 1000Mbps.
     • It is extremely common in most types of computers to have an ethernet port.
     • Compared to WiFi it offers limited mobility as you need to have a physical wire running from your computer to the connection point.
     • You rarely find an ethernet port in mobile devices and it is becoming less common in laptops too.
     • It cannot transfer data over very long distances and so is of no use to very large networks.
   • Fiber optic
     • Exceptionally good data transfer speeds is probably it’s biggest benefit. Around 100Gbps is generally what we identify as the max speed of fibre optic cable
     • It also has an excellent range. Transferring data over a distance of 100km is possible with fibre optic cables.
     • It is a very secure connection method as it is not susceptible to interference or generating noise and cannot be tapped to intercept data.
     • It is very expensive. Technically the cable itself on a per distance basis isn’t expensive but the extra equipment required to run the network makes it much more costly.

2. Wireless methods

   • Bluetooth
     • Easy to connect devices with. It is fully automated and once a connection is setup devices will connect when they come in range.
     • Low susceptibility to interference. This is very good at avoiding interference due to its low grade signal and frequency hopping.
     • Low power consumption due to the low power signal it uses.
     • Relatively slow data transfer speed. While faster than infrared, the maximum speed is much slower than WiFi for example, as well as most wired alternatives.
     • Poor security compared to other methods, such as WiFi. This is partly due to its automatic connection which can allow others to transfer data to your device.
   • Infrared
     • Low susceptibility to interference. Infrared connects to devices ‘one-to-one’ and so it’s less likely to be interfered with by another device.
     • It can only transmit data over very short distances. The maximum range is around 5 metres.
     • Infrared also requires line of sight. This can make transmitting data problematic if there are obstacles in the way
     • It’s data transmission speed is very slow. The maximum speed is around 4 Mbps. This is much slower than other wireless technologies.
   • WIFI
     • Fast data transfer speeds. Compared to other wireless technologies, WiFi is very fast. It is theoretically capable of just under 7 Gbps. However WiFi devices are more commonly capable of max speeds of around 2.5 Gbps.
     • Relatively large range. WiFi can transmit data over a range of around 70 metres. This compares very well against other wireless technologies.
     • Low cost installation. The devices are inexpensive and compared to a wired network you don’t need masses of cabling.
     • Complexity in setting up WiFi can be an issue. It requires you to correctly configure a wireless access point which can be difficult for inexperienced IT users.
     • Security can be a big issue, as with most wireless connection methods. If configured correctly WiFi can be more secure than most but if poorly configured, such as not setting a complex WiFi key, then it can be very vulnerable to hackers.
   • Mobile broadand
     • Internet access is available almost everywhere. 4G coverage is very good throughout the UK.
     • It’s an easy to use method of connecting to the internet. It requires no additional setup or configuration in order to access it.
     • Mobile broadband is very expensive compared to other methods of accessing the internet
     • Data transfer speeds are also usually quite a bit slower than other internet connection methods. 4G usually achieves around 12 Mbps, though more is possible in right conditions.