Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 69 Chapter 2 Network Media—Copper-Core Cable Maximum segment length: 100 meters Minimum segment length: 0.6 meters Minimum cable length: 0.6 meters Maximum cable length: 100 meters 100-Meter Rule Figure 2-23 The 10BaseT network follows the 100-meter rule. This means that any cable used in a 10BaseT network should not exceed 100 meters in length. (workstation icons) RedlineVector/Shutterstock.com (hub icons) Vadim Ermak/Shutterstock.com Goodheart-Willcox Publisher 10BaseT Th e 10BaseT classifi cation specifi es the use of the diff erent categories of UTP cable. It is most often arranged in a star topology and follows the 100-meter rule, as seen in Figure 2-23. Th is rule specifi es that any cable on the network should not exceed 100 meters. Th e 100-meter length ensures that the signal strength will be suffi cient when reaching the fi nal destination. At about 100 meters, signal attenuation begins. A repeater, however, may be used to extend the distance to an additional 100 meters. Most hubs encountered are active hubs, which means they also act as repeaters by regenerating electrical signals. A 10BaseT network can have two types of hub confi gurations: daisy chain and cascade. Study the hub confi gurations in Figure 2-24. Note that in the daisy-chain confi guration, Figure 2-24A, an electronic signal from Computer 1 must pass through four hubs before it reaches its destination, Computer 8. In the cascade confi gura- tion, Figure 2-24B, an electronic signal from Computer 1 only has to pass through three hubs before it reaches its destination, Computer 8. Th is is a signifi cant detail. Although both confi gurations have a similar number of hubs, an electronic signal does not have to pass through as many hubs in a cascade confi guration as it does in a daisy-chain confi guration. If another hub were added to the daisy-chain confi guration, an electronic signal from Computer 1 would have to travel through fi ve hubs before it reached a desti- nation computer on the fi fth hub, thus increasing the latency of the electronic sig- nal. However, if another hub were added to the cascade confi guration, an electronic signal from Computer 1 would still only have to travel through three hubs before it reached a destination computer on the fi fth hub. Adding another hub to the confi g- uration would not increase the amount of hubs through which a signal has to travel. As a general rule, no more than four hubs should be linked in a daisy-chain con- fi guration. However, more than four hubs are allowed as long as an electronic signal does not need to travel through more than four hubs to arrive at its destination. If the signal passes through more than four hubs, the latency of the signal becomes excessive and causes the electronic signal to exceed its TTL setting. Th e electronic signal is then destroyed.