UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair)/Fiber Optic Cables

Question 1

CAT3

Answer 1

Supports up to 10 Mbps (Megabits per second) for up to 100 meters and is commonly used for phone lines today.

Question 2

CAT4

Answer 2

Supports 16 Mbps (Megabits per second) for up to 100 meters and is not commonly used today.

Question 3

CAT5

Answer 3

Used in Ethernet LANs containing two twisted pairs allowing for up to 100 Mbps (Megabits per second) up to 100 meters between the device and the switch, hub, or router. This has been practically replaced by the CAT5e specification.

Question 4

CAT5e

Answer 4

CAT5e is an improvement of the CAT5 standard, doubling the number of twisted pairs used in CAT5 cables to four for up to 1 Gbps (Gigabits per second) over up to 100 meters.

Question 5

CAT6

Answer 5

Used in Ethernet LANs and data centers. Cat6 is made up of four tightly woven twisted pairs (more twists per linear foot) and supports 1 Gbps (Gigabits per second) for up to 100 meters or 10 Gbps for up to 55 meters.

Question 6

CAT6a

Answer 6

CAT6a is an improvement of the CAT6 standard, supporting the same standards and lengths (with the ability to run 10 Gbps (Gigabits per second) over 100 meters maximum), but using a higher quality cable that is more resistant to interference. This is the most commonly used in wired networks today.

Question 7

RJ11

Answer 7

Connector that supports two pairs of wires (four total); typically used in telephones.

Question 8

RJ45

Answer 8

End connector typically used with Ethernet cables and supports four pairs (eight wires).

Question 9

Single-Mode Fiber Optic Cables

Answer 9

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 multi-mode 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.

Question 10

Multi-Mode Fiber Optic Cables

Answer 10

Wider in diameter than single-mode due to light modes being sent across the cable. Multi-mode 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.

Question 11

UTP Cables

Answer 11

Created when pairs of wires are twisted around each other to protect and cancel out interference from each other and outside sources. The tighter the pairs, the less interference from other twisted pairs and cables.

UTP cables are 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.

Question 12

Fiber Optic Cables

Answer 12

Uses glass or plastic threads within cables to transfer the data using light (lasers or LEDs) as opposed to traditional metal cables using electricity.

Fiber cables are useful for high bandwidth needs, meaning they can carry more data at one time. Additionally, they 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. Fiber cables allow virtually no interference to corrupt the data and are more reliable.

Fiber cables are lighter and thinner to install but are much more expensive.