CHAPTER LIST

OVERVIEW

Communication systems (voice, local area networks [LANs], or data systems) are a vital part of every business. In fact, most businesses rely on their communication systems to stay competitive, to streamline business operations, to improve communications, and to offer new services to their customers.

Communications systems cover a wide range of voice, information processing, and signaling systems used to connect users together or to share information. Every desk typically includes a phone and a data terminal. The two most popular types of communication systems that the average worker uses on a daily basis are the phone system and the LAN. The phone system enables users to make and receive phone calls. The LAN is a network that enables personal computers (PCs) to send and receive data files and e-mail messages. Today, most companies have connected their LAN to the Internet. This enables each network user to browse the Internet and send/receive data files and e-mail messages to anyone connected to the Internet.

The one characteristic that most communication systems share is the need for communications cables to distribute signals to system users or devices. All communication systems will typically use some form of communications cable to send these system signals to system users or...