Cables & Ethernet Standards through the years Flashcards
UTP unshielded twisted pair cable
are created when pairs of wires are twisted around each other to protect and cancel out interference from each other and outside sources. widely used as analog phone cables and in copper Ethernet cables. UTP cables come in six different standard types as defined by TIA/EIA 568. You can identify the type of cable you have by looking at the writing on the cable itself.
supports up to 10 Mbps (Megabits per second) for up to 100 meters and is commonly used for phone lines today.
Cat3
supports 16 Mbps for up to 100 meters and is not commonly used today.
Cat4
is used in Ethernet LANs containing two twisted pairs allowing for up to 100 Mbps up to 100 meters between the device and the switch, hub, or router.
Cat5
doubles the number of twisted pairs to four for up to 1 Gbps (Gigabits per second) over up to 100 meters.
Cat5e
used in Ethernet LANs and data centers. is made up of four tightly woven twisted pairs (more twists per linear foot) and supports 1 Gbps for up to 100 meters or 10 Gbps for up to 55 meters.
Cat6
supporting the same standards and lengths (with the ability to run 10 Gbps over 100 meters maximum), but using a higher quality cable that is more resistant to interference. This is most commonly used in wired networks today.
Cat6a
A connector that supports two pairs of wires (four total); typically used in telephones.
Rj11
connects to UTP cables
This is an end connector typically used with Ethernet cables and supports four pairs (eight wires).
RJ45
connects to UTP cable
are analog cables made of copper but specifically engineered with a metal shield intended to block signal interference
Coaxial cable
The protection on the cable allows them to be laid next to metal gutters or other objects without receiving interference. Today, the cables are mostly used by cable TV companies to connect their customers to the company’s facilities.
Coaxial cable
use glass or plastic threads within cables to transfer the data using light (lasers or LEDs) as opposed to traditional metal cables using electricity. are useful for high bandwidth needs, meaning they can carry more data at one time.
Fiber cables, or fiber-optic cables
cable transfer data digitally instead of needing to convert data between binary and analog and back using metal cables. Since computer data output is digital, this transfers data in the computer’s natural way. cable allow virtually no interference to corrupt the data and are more reliable.
Fiber cables, or fiber-optic cable
are made up of one single glass or plastic fiber. The benefit of a single fiber cable is the ability to carry higher bandwidth for 50 times the distance of a multimode cable. This requires higher cost electronics to create the light and thus is typically used for longer distances (hundreds or thousands of kilometers) and higher bandwidth applications.
single-mode cables
are wider in diameter due to light modes being sent across the cable. fibers are highly effective over medium distances (500 meters or less at higher speeds) and are generally used within a LAN. They are also less expensive than single-mode fiber due to the potential for use with LEDs and other lower-cost options for creating the light.
multimode cables
This was the most commonly used connector with multimode fiber until the mid-2000s. It was used on campuses, corporate networks, and for military purposes. Today, LC connectors are usually used instead, as they are denser and more convenient at almost the same cost.
ST: straight tip connector
