Cables + Connectors in Networking Flashcards
Which cables are made of copper?
CAT and Twisted Pair.
Copper is the core conductor in both Cat cables and twisted pair cables.
Fiber cables use a glass filament core for transmission.
Which connectors go with ethernet cables?
RJ 45 connectors
Straight tip (ST) connectors are used with fiber optic cables. RJ-45 connectors can handle four twisted pairs and are used for ethernet cables. RJ-11 connectors can only house two twisted pairs and are used for traditional telephone lines, while the RG-6 connector is used with coaxial cables.
What connectors are used with fiber cables?
ST connectors
Straight tip (ST) connectors are used with fiber optic cables. RJ-45 connectors can handle four twisted pairs and are used for ethernet cables. RJ-11 connectors can only house two twisted pairs and are used for traditional telephone lines, while the RG-6 connector is used with coaxial cables.
Peggy is creating a custom-length ethernet cable for her home network. The wiring pattern she is using is green/white, green, orange/white, blue, blue/white, orange, brown/white, and brown. Which standard is she using?
T568A standard
Both T568A and T568B have the same color pattern, but the position of the green and orange pairs are swapped. T568A places the green pair before the orange pair.
plenum
non-stick substance that can be used to shield any type of network cabling. It is often used in places where a cable may be exposed to extreme heat.
Gavin is installing network wiring in the ceiling of an office building. Which type of cable covering should he use to reduce the possibility of heat damage to the network cables?
plenum
Plenum is a non-stick substance that can be used to shield any type of network cabling. It is often used in places where a cable may be exposed to extreme heat.
Sebastian has a Thunderbolt cable terminating in a USB-C connector. Which Thunderbolt standard can this cable run on?
Thunderbolt 3 and 4.
Thunderbolt cables have four standards with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 terminating in a USB-C connector rather than the previously used Mini DisplayPort connector.
You have been tasked with connecting an older monitor to a computer using a VGA cable. What type of signal does the VGA cable transmit?
only analog.
A VGA cable is a legacy cable that transmits only an analog signal. VGA cables are often used with older display technologies and may require the use of an adapter when attached to newer computers.
What are the 3 types of network cables?
- coaxial
- twisted pair
- fiber
copper cables
most common medium used in both coaxial and twisted-pair cables.
Categories are used to describe performance ratings of twisted-pair cables. Commonly referred to as Cat cables, Category 1 through 8 exist, but for the purposes of the CompTIA A+ exam, we are only concerned with the most common ratings, Category 5 through 6a, and their corresponding transmission speeds and distance limitations.
All Cat cables 2 through 8 are composed of four pairs of twisted-pairs totaling eight individual cables in one cable sheath.
Cat 5—Category 5 cables have a transmission rate of up to 100 Mbps over a max distance of 100 meters.
Cat 5e—Category 5e cables have a transmission rate of up to 1 Gbps over a max distance of 100 meters due to the separation of the four sets of twisted pairs from one another and an increased number of twists in the cable pairs. This results in less interference.
Cat 6—Category 6 cables have a transmission rate of up to 10 Gbps over a max distance of 55 meters.
Cat 6a—Category 6a cables have a transmission rate of up to 10 Gbps but have an increased distance capability of up to 100 meters.
coaxial cable
single copper-cored cable contained in an inner insulation layer. This inner layer is further contained in a wire mesh conductor. The entire cable is then further protected in an outer insulation layer.
Coaxial cables are not as commonly used in modern networks, but some usage may still be seen with cable and satellite devices. Coaxial cables are specified by the Radio Guide (RG) system.
For the purpose of the test, you need to be familiar with RG-6, which is made of a solid copper core used with satellite/cable modems, and RG-59, which is made of a solid copper core and used for cable television.
twisted copper pair
twisted pair cable made of copper. The cable consists of pairs of individual wires twisted into pairs that are then twisted together. The cable is contained within an insulated jacket.
Ethernet cables are twisted pairs.
There are two types of twisted copper pairs: shielded twisted pair (STP) and unshielded twisted pair (UTP).
An unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is made of two to four pairs of twisted wires. The pairs of wires in UTP cables are twisted in direct contact with one another. Each wire in twisted pairs is contained within an insulating layer, preventing copper from directly touching copper.
A shielded twisted pair (STP) is made of two to four pairs of twisted wires. Each pair is contained in a layer of braided foil sheathing before being twisted with the other pairs in the cable. This reduces electrical interference. STP is used in Cat 7 and Cat 8 cables.
direct burial
practice of burying cables underground.
Direct burial cables should be STP cables with an extra waterproof sheathing.
It is recommended that direct burial be between six and eight inches underground in a protective PVC pipe and placed away from any other lines that contain electrical current.
plenum
a Teflon-type covering used to cover all types of network cables.
Plenum is used in cables that may be exposed to extreme heat or have the possibility of releasing gasses into a ventilation system, such as in ceilings.
fiber optic cables
a type of cable that refers to the small strings of flexible glass that are used for optical data transmission. Referred to as fiber optic cables, a fiber is surrounded by a rubberized coating and provides transmission speeds from 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps over a max distance of several miles. Fiber is immune to both electrical interference and wiretapping.
There are two basic types of fiber: single-mode and multimode. Single-mode fiber carries only one light path, typically sourced by a laser. Multimode carries multiple light paths and is sourced by an LED. Single-mode has a much longer transmission distance than multimode.
