Most of us have seen what network cables are because almost all of us are now familiar with computers. But did you know that there are different network cables for different uses? A network cable is a medium through which information flows from one network to another network so this means we are using different types of network cables because we are passing different kinds of information from one network device to another network device. This is why we are now utilizing different types of cable although in most cases we only need to utilize one type for our networking. The type of cable we use can be dependent on the network’s protocol, size and topology. Here are some specifications for you to understand the different types of cables and how they are used to different aspects of the network.

1. Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) are available in two types and these are the shielded and the unshielded. The unshielded twisted pair is more popular than the twisted pair because it is commonly used for school networks. Its quality may vary from telephone-grade cable to extremely high-speed cable. UTP network cable contains four pairs of wires inside the jacket of plastic coating and each pair is twisted with various numbers of twists per inch so that it could not be affected by electrical interference from any electrical device. Its reliability depends on the kind of twisting it has so the tighter the twisting, the more support for the transmission rate to take place.

2. The Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) cable. The STP network cable is cheaper than the UTP cable but it can be susceptible to radio and electrical frequency interference. This is why they should not be installed near any electrical appliance, lights, or anything that runs on electricity. However, they can be reliable in extending the maximum distance of the cables when needed.

3. Coaxial cable. This is one type of network cable that has a single copper conductor in its centre. A plastic coating provides insulation between the middle conductor and a braided metal shield while the metal shield helps block outside interference coming from any electrical signal. They are resistant to signal interference and can support longer cable lengths between network devices.

4. Fibre Optic Cable. These are forms of network cables consist not of metal in the centre but centre glass core that is surrounded by many layers of protective materials. It can transmit light and not electrical signal which makes it unique because light signal can travel faster thus eliminating the problem of electrical interference. They are very convenient to use and can be installed on places where high voltage wire or electrical wire are located and there will be no problem. This is now becoming the standard use in connecting networks because it has the ability to transmit signals over longer and wider distances than the twisted pair and coaxial network cable.

There are now two types of fibre optic cables commonly used and these are the single mode and the multimode fibre optics. Multimode cables have larger diameters while the single mode cables can cover more distances and more expensive than the multimode type. However, both can provide high bandwidth at high speeds.

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