We will begin with a theoretical analysis of data transmission, only to discover
that Mother (Parent?) Nature puts some limits on what can be sent over a
channel. Then we will cover three kinds of transmission media: guided (copper
wire and fiber optics), wireless (terrestrial radio), and satellite. Each of these
technologies has different properties that affect the design and performance of the
networks that use them. This material will provide background information on the
key transmission technologies used in modern networks