A guide to Structured cabling and standards
It keeps you connected. Most of the technology you use is supported by structured cabling: Wi-Fi, VoIP, DAS, security cameras, audio visual systems, IoT sensors, voice and data cabling, and the list keeps growing. It follows standards which ensures that these technologies operate as designed when connected.
The best category of ethernet cable depends on your internet needs. Category 5 cables are the most basic ethernet cable. However, they are still robust enough for most standard browsing. However, if you are regularly streaming or gaming, a more powerful Cat6 or Cat7 cable will be preferable for you.
The maximum length of a Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable is about 295 ft. (90 m), plus up to 16 ft. (5 m) of patch cable on either end, for a total of 328 feet or 100 meters. Beyond this, the signal begins to degrade, reducing the speed and reliability of the connection.
Yes but your connection will run at the lowest common denominator – for example, if the 1st part of the cable run which is Cat5e and the rest is made up of Cat6, then the whole cable run will behave as if its Cat5e.
Go to Network and Sharing Centre. Click the Change adapter settings link from the left pane. Double-click on your Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter to open its properties. Check the connection speed of your network adapter in the Speed field.
T568A and T568B use different colour assignments for pin locations on eight pin modular connectors. T568A follows an older phone standard, while T568B is based on a commercial standard. Neither scheme is technically superior as both ends of the cable are wired the same.
The difference in T568B and T568A wiring schemes is important to understand when terminating RJ45 connectors for Ethernet cables. These two schemes are the most common standards for wiring eight-position modular plugs and jacks. They use the same type of plug, but the order of the colour-coded wire pairs is different. The green and orange pairs (2 and 3) are swapped in the T568B scheme compared to the T568A scheme.
See Diagram below:
Straight-through cable is a type of CAT5 which the RJ-45 connectors at each end have the same pin out. (colour code use on both ends are the same). Straight-Through cable is also referred to as a “patch cable.” Straight-through cable is used to connect computers and other end user devices to networking devices such as hubs & switches.
A Crossover cable is a type of CAT where one end is T568A configuration and the other as T568B configuration. Pin 1 is crossed with Pin 3 and Pin 2 is crossed with Pin 6.
Crossover cable is used to connect two computers together without using a switch or hub in between.
LSF (Low Smoke and Fume) cables are made from a modified version of PVC and can emit large amounts of black smoke and hydrogen chloride gas when burned. This black smoke can obscure exit routes during a fire, and hydrogen chloride gas can be harmful to both people and equipment. On the other hand, LSOH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) cables, when exposed to fire, emit no more than 0.5% hydrogen chloride and burn cleanly compared to LSF cables.
LSOH stands for Low Smoke Zero Halogen, while LSZH stands for Low Smoke Zero Halogen as well. They are essentially the same and the terms are used interchangeably. Both types of cables are designed to produce minimal smoke and toxic fumes when exposed to fire.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is a type of plastic used in many cables. LSF cables, which are a modified version of PVC, can produce large amounts of black smoke and hydrogen chloride when burned. LSOH cables, on the other hand, emit no more than 0.5% hydrogen chloride when exposed to fire and burn more cleanly than PVC-based cables.
