Wired and Wireless Physical Media Technologies: Comparative Analysis of Throughput, Reliability, Energy Efficiency, and Deployment Constraints

Abstract

Physical media technologies play a crucial role in modern communication networks, enabling rapid data transmission among interconnected devices and systems. Given how cloud computing, IoT, smart cities, industrial automation, and real-time apps are exploding in popularity, there's a huge need now for top-notch communication infrastructure. As a result, picking the right medium for your needs is super important if you want efficient, dependable, and affordable network ops. In this paper, we dig into a thorough comparison of wired and wireless techs used today in networking. We look at big wired players like Ethernet and Fiber Optic, plus the newest wireline transceivers. At the same time, we also check out the latest in wireless tech - think Wi-Fi 6/7 and Private 5G. We focus on essentials like throughput, latency, and reliability, along with energy efficiency, scalability, costs, and security. constituting essential parameters for infrastructure evaluation when picking what fits your specific needs. Our paper also looks at the pros and cons of each tech in various networking situations and apps. We cover current issues too, like signal interference, bandwidth limits, high infra costs, and energy use. Plus, we review recent research to point out what areas need more study. Lastly, we discuss exciting new trends, such as combining optical and wireless tech, using AI to optimize networks, and going green. The findings will help researchers, network designers, and decision-makers pick the right communication tech for today’s complex networking setups.