NETWORK CABLE TYPES AND
SPECIFICATIONS
NETWORK CABLES
•To connect two or more
computers or networking
devices in a network,
network cables are used
THREE MAIN TYPES OF CABLE
•Coaxial cable;
•Twisted-pair cable; and
•Fiber-optical cable
COAXIAL CABLE
COAXIAL CABLE
COAXIAL CABLE PARTS
Sheath
• outer layer
• Protects the
cable from
physical
damage
Braided shield
Insulation
• protects
signals from
external
interference
and noise
• built from the
same metal
that is used to
build the core
•protects the core
•keeps the core
separate from the
braided shield
•Since both the core
and the braided shield
use the same metal,
without this layer, they
will touch each other
and create a shortcircuit in the wire
Conductor
• carries
electromagnetic
signals
COAXIAL CABLE TYPES
(BASED ON CONDUCTOR)
Singlecore Coaxial
Cable
Multicore Coaxial
cable
• uses a single
central metal
(usually copper)
conductor
• uses multiple
thin strands of
metal wires
FACTS ABOUT COAXIAL CABLE
• Coaxial cables were not primarily developed for the computer
network but it’s for general purpose.
• They were in use even before computer networks came into
existence.
• Because of its low cost and long durability, coaxial cables were used
in computer networking for nearly two decades (the 80s and 90s).
• Coaxial cables are no longer used to build any type of computer
network.
SPECIFICATIONS OF COAXIAL CABLE
SPECIFICATIONS OF COAXIAL CABLE
• Coaxial cable uses RG rating to measure the materials
used in shielding and conducting cores.
• RG stands for the Radio Guide. Coaxial cable mainly uses
radio frequencies in transmission.
• Impedance is the resistance that controls the signals. It is
expressed in the ohms.
• AWG stands for American Wire Gauge. It is used to
measure the size of the core. The larger the AWG size,
the smaller the diameter of the core wire.
TWISTED PAIR
TWISTED-PAIR CABLE
•This cable is also known as Ethernet cable.
Almost all modern LAN computer networks use this
cable.
TWISTED-PAIR CABLE
• This cable consists of color-coded pairs of insulated copper wires.
• Every two wires are twisted around each other to form pair.
• Usually, there are four pairs.
• Each pair has one solid color and one stripped color wire.
• Solid colors are blue, brown, green, and orange. In stripped color, the
solid color is mixed with the white color.
TWO TYPES OF TWISTED-PAIR CABLE
(Based on how pairs are stripped in the
plastic sheath)
UTP (Unshielded
twisted-pair)
cable
STP (Shielded
twisted-pair) cable
all pairs are
wrapped in a single
plastic sheath.
each pair is wrapped
with an additional metal
shield, then all pairs are
wrapped in a single
outer plastic sheath.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
OF UTP CABLE AND STP CABLE
• Both STP and UTP can transmit data at 10Mbps, 100Mbps, 1Gbps, and
10Gbps.
• Since the STP cable contains more materials, it is more expensive than
the UTP cable.
• Both cables use the same RJ-45 (registered jack) modular connectors.
• Both cables can accommodate a maximum of 1024 nodes in each
segment.
• The STP provides more noise and EMI resistance than the UTP cable.
• The maximum segment length for both cables is 100 meters or 328 feet.
CATEGORIES OF TWISTED-PAIR CABLE
• The TIA/EIA specifies standards for the twisted-pair cable. The
first standards were released in 1991, known as TIA/EIA 568.
• Since then, these standards have been continually revised to
cover the latest technologies and developments of the
transmission media.
• The TIA/EIA 568 divides the twisted-pair cable into several
categories. The following table lists the most common and popular
categories of twisted-pair cable.
CATEGORIES OF TWISTED-PAIR CABLE
Category/
name of the
cable
Maximum
supported
speed
Bandwidth/
support
signals rate
Cat 1
1Mbps
1MHz
Not used
for data
Cat 2
4 Mbps
10MHz
Token Ring
Ethernet
standard
Description
This cable contains only two pairs (4
wires). This cable was used in the
telephone network for voice
transmission.
This cable and all further cables have
a minimum of 8 wires (4 pairs). This
cable was used in the token-ring
network.
CATEGORIES OF TWISTED-PAIR CABLE
Category/
name of the
cable
Maximum
supported
speed
Bandwidth/
support
signals rate
Ethernet
standard
Description
Cat 3
10Mbps 16MHz
10BASE-T This is the first Ethernet cable that
Ethernet was used in LAN networks.
Cat 4
20Mbps 20MHz
Token
Ring
This cable was used in advanced
Token-ring networks.
CATEGORIES OF TWISTED-PAIR CABLE
Category/
name of the
cable
Maximum
supported
speed
Bandwidth/
support
signals rate
Ethernet
standard
Description
Cat 5
100Mbps 100MHz
100BASE-T
Ethernet
This cable was used in advanced (fast) LAN
networks.
Cat 5e
1000Mbp 100MHz
s
1000BASET Ethernet
This cable/category is the minimum
requirement for all modern LAN networks.
CATEGORIES OF TWISTED-PAIR CABLE
Category/
name of the
cable
Maximum
supported
speed
Bandwidth/
support
signals rate
Cat 6
10Gbps
250MHz
10GBASE-T This cable uses a plastic core to prevent
Ethernet
cross-talk between twisted-pair. It also uses
a fire-resistant plastic sheath.
Cat 6a
10Gbps
500MHz
10GBASE-T This cable reduces attenuation and crossEthernet
talk. This cable also potentially removes the
length limit. This is the recommended cable
for all modern Ethernet LAN networks.
Ethernet
standard
Description
CATEGORIES OF TWISTED-PAIR CABLE
Category/
name of the
cable
Cat 7
Maximum
supported
speed
Bandwidth/
support
signals rate
10Gbps
600MHz
Ethernet
standard
Description
Not drafted This cable sets a base for further
yet
development. This cable uses multiple
twisted-pair and shields each pair by its
plastic sheath.
•Cat 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are outdated and not used in any modern LAN
network.
•Cat 7 is still a new technology and not commonly used.
•Cat 5e, 6, 6a are the commonly used twisted-pair cables.
EXISTING CABLE TECHNOLOGIES
EXPLAINED FURTHER
CAT5E VS. CAT6 VS. CAT6E VS. CAT6A VS.
CAT7 FOR STRUCTURED CABLING
For your understanding..
Ethernet cable Speed?
• 10 Mbps = 1.2 MB / s i.e. 1 hour to download a DVD (4.5 GB)
• 100 Mbps = 12 MB/s i.e. 1 hour to download 10 DVDs (assuming 4.5 GB average)
• 1.0 Gbps = 125 MB/s i.e. 1 hour to download 100 DVDs (assuming 4.5 GB average)
• 10 Gbps = 1.25 Gbps i.e. 1 hour to download 1000 DVDs (assuming 4.5 GB average)
CATEGORY 5E
• Very similar to CAT5 in appearance. For one thing, CAT5e uses
four pairs of copper line rather than the two that CAT5 relies on.
• CAT5 cables contain four pairs of copper wire; however, Fast
Ethernet communications only use two of the four pairs. The other
two go unutilized. Hence, it can be said that the Cat5 was not
meeting its full capabilities.
• Additionally , the wire pairs are twisted more firmly and are
sheathed in heavy-duty shielding to eliminate crosstalk.
CATEGORY 5E
• Crosstalk cuts down on the speed at which a cable can transmit information.
Thanks to its internal upgrades, CAT5e is capable of accomplishing 1000BASE-T
speeds. In other words, it can deal with up to 1 Gbps of throughput at a distance of
up to 100 meters. As of today, it can the most frequent type of wiring seen in
modern homes and offices for Ethernet purposes.
• The e in Cat5e stands for enhanced.
• Also, it is backward-compatible with ordinary Cat5. Both Cat5 and Cat5e
are can be run 100 meters or 328 feet without requiring the use of a switch,
which would extend the run of the cable.
CATEGORY 6
•
•
•
•
•
four twisted pairs of copper wire as well
works faster than the Cat5 or Cat5e and can support higher frequencies
The Cat6 provides speeds up to 10 Gbps and can support frequencies up to 250 MHz.
better cable insulation, CAT6 reduces potential crosstalk specially than CAT5e
Additionally, Cat6 is also backward-compatible, which means that it can be effectively be
used with Cat5 and Cat5e.
• When used for Gigabit Ethernet and below, the maximum allowable cable length is 100
yards.
• it is not as widely used or adapted as Cat5.
• Cat6 is more expensive than Cat5, and that majority of the people either do not use nor
require a 10 Gigabit Ethernet
CATEGORY 6E OR ENHANCED
CATEGORY 6
• These are an enhancement on the
standard CAT6 cables, as they perform much better
when installed in an atmosphere with high noise or RF
interference. While better than CAT6, they are not just
like the CAT6a or CAT6 Augmented standard cables.
•
CATEGORY 6A
• If you're wiring up your home or office for Ethernet, for the long haul,
CAT6a is the perfect choice in phrases of future-proofing. When it comes
to A/V protocols, CAT6a is supposed to replace HIGH-DEFINITION
MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE in the approaching years. Typically the main
difference between CAT6a and CAT6 is that CAT6a can operate at a
frequency of upwards to 750 MHz. In addition, CAT6a is even less
susceptible to disturbance and crosstalk. The increased specification
and shielding allows CAT6a to provide more regularly reliable speeds in
difficult environments. Thanks to its performance and balance, CAT6a is
the preferred cable for 10GBASE-T Ethernet.
CATEGORY 7
• The particular set of Ethernet options won't stop at CAT6a. There's also a version called
CAT7 that's even more capable than each of the TP cable variants in the above list.
• CAT7, also known as Class F cable, supports transmission frequencies of up to 600 MHz.
It supports 10GBASE-T Ethernet over the full 100 meters, and it features improved
crosstalk noise reduction. While CAT6e is the current standard when it comes to
10GBASE-T, it will inevitably get replaced with CAT7. Nobody knows what the future
holds for Ethernet cables or what is going to come next in conditions of format or
performance. No matter what happens, expect faster and faster cables with each
transferring year as the technology and protocols that support Ethernet continue to
improve. Lastly, one thing to always keep in mind is that any custom cable can be built to
address the application on any project.
FIBER OPTIC CABLE
FIBER OPTIC CABLE
•Fiber optic uses light to send
data. It reflects light from one
endpoint to another. The core
is made from thin strands of
glass or plastic that can carry
data over a long distance.
PARTS OF FIBER OPTIC CABLE
PARTS OF FIBER OPTIC CABLE
• This cable consists of a core, cladding, buffer, and jacket. The core is made from thin
strands of glass or plastic that can carry data over a long distance. The core is wrapped in
the cladding; the cladding is wrapped in the buffer, and the buffer is wrapped in the jacket.
• Core carries the data signals in the form of light.
• Cladding reflects light back to the core.
• Buffer protects the light from leaking.
• The jacket protects the cable from physical damage.
• Fiber optic cable is completely immune to EMI and RFI. This cable can transmit data over a
long distance at the highest speed. It can transmit data up to 40 kilometers at the speed of
100Gbps.
FIBER VS COPPER CABLE
• The primary difference between copper cables and fiber optic cables is
bandwidth. It is the elemental technologies that cause the gap in the
bandwidth between fiber and copper. Ethernet cables use copper wires that
are significantly greater in diameter, have greater attenuation, and are subject
to both outside and internal interference.
• The differences in bandwidth is because a copper cable uses electrons (an
electrical signal) for data transmission while a fiber optic cable uses photons
(light). Light pulses are faster than electrical pulses, so in return, fiber can
transmit more bits of data per second and offer higher bandwidth over
copper.
TWO TYPES OF FIBER OPTIC CABLE
(Based On How Many Beams Of Light
Are Transmitted At A Given Time)
Single Mode
Fiber
carries only a single beam of
light. This is more reliable and
supports much higher
bandwidth and longer distances
than the MMF cable. This cable
uses a laser as the light source
and transmits 1300 or 1550
nano-meter wavelengths of
light.
Multi-mode Fiber
carries multiple beams of light.
Because of multiple beams, this
cable carries much more data
than the SMF cable. This cable is
used for shorter distances. This
cable uses an LED as the light
source and transmits 850 or
1300 nano-meter wavelengths
of light.
ETHERNET LANS STANDARDS