Ethernet cables have been part of our lives for years now. Today they have taken space in our homes, offices, studios, and many such places.

They are our medium of connecting with the world. But, we know only a little about them.

Often, these cables come free with the equipment which uses Ethernet connectivity in some or other way. So, we don't have to learn more about them but there are various types of Ethernet cables that are available in the market.

To name a few: crossover cable, cat 5 cable, cat5e cable, Cat 6a cable, Cat 7 cable, and many more.

These network cables are useful to connect various network devices such as Ethernet switches, routers, computers, servers, etc. to the gadgets we use. Any device which has an Ethernet interface can connect to Ethernet cables.

Let's understand the basics of these cables:

The long Ethernet cable for connectivity in offices or homes rely on the twisted wire pair cables; Cat 5, Cat 6, and Cat 7 use this format.

Twisting the cables together enables the current to balance i.e. in one wire the cable is moving in one direction and in another, it is moving in the opposite direction. This makes it easy for the data to travel long distances.

There are four different types of shielding available for Ethernet cables:

U/UTP - Unshielded cable, unshielded twisted pairs

F/UTP - Foil shielded cable, unshielded twisted pairs

U/FTP - Unshielded cable, foil shielded twisted pairs

S/FTP - braided shielded cable, foil shielded twisted pairs

Where: TP = twisted pair, U = unshielded, F = foil shielded, S = braided shielding.

Further, there are differences between the Ethernet cables like cat 5, cat 5e, cat 6, or cat 7 as some of them can be solid or stranded wires which are useful within the cables. When we are installing the long cable, it is important to know the type suitable for your application.

There are two types of cables available. They are:

Stranded Cables: This type of wire is flexible and is very useful for Ethernet cables because they make it easy for the wires to move. They are often useful for general connections to PCs, desks, laptops, etc. as in such areas we expect movements.

Solid Cables: They are durable and useful for permanent installations. These types of cables are useful for installations under floors, walls, or ceilings.

There are various types of cables available for Ethernet and other telecommunications and networking. These network cables are available in different categories. Some of these cables have recognition from TIA (telecommunication industries association).

Cat 1: They are useful for standard telephone wiring or ISDN, etc.

Cat 2: TIA does not recognize this type of cable. They are useful in a 4Mbit/s token ring network.

Cat 3: It is useful for data networks and employee frequency until 16 MHz. It was a go-to 10Mbps Ethernet network but today Cat 5 cable replaced it.

Cat 4: They are useful for a network carrying frequency up to 20MHz. They are often useful for 16Mbps token ring networks.

Cat 5: This type of network cable is useful for 100Base-T and 1000 Base-T networks as it provides performance and allows data transmission at the rate of 100Mbps or more. Cat 5 cables use twisted pairs to prevent internal crosstalk and also crosstalk for external wires.

Cat 5e: This form of cable is recognizable by TIA. It has a slightly higher frequency specification in comparison to Cat-5 cable. Cat 5e cables look similar to Cat 5 but the data transmission rate is higher.

Cat 6: it provides a significant improvement in performance in comparison with cat 5 and cat5e. They have an outer braid shielding and protect the twisted pair of wires inside the Ethernet cable. They help prevent crosstalk and noise interference. They support a speed of 10Gbps but their limit is only till 55 meters.

Cat 6a: The "a" in Cat 6a stands for "Augmented." The revision of this standard happened in 2008 and supports twice the maximum bandwidth. They are capable of maintaining high transmission speed.

Final words:

Ethernet cables have been a part of our evolving lives for ages and they are here to stay. They are one of the most convenient and the fastest ways to access the internet. Having at least the basic knowledge of these cables is necessary as we use them every day in our daily lives.

There are many reasons why companies prefer Ethernet cables. But, above all the most important factor is reliability which they bring along.

Source: https://www.sooperarticles.com/shopping-articles/electronics-articles/types-ethernet-cables-1775098.html

The internet is a wild concept. And it has been around for a while now. But it still regularly amazes me with every new iteration of it. Not only has it constantly given rise to more gadgets and services that use it, but there are also new things that expand the idea of the internet itself.

The way we use the internet changes every day. The way the internet is packaged has also been changing since its inception. It began as something that did not work without cables at all, and has now become available without cables over longer distances. It is available over the air by using a tiny chip in our gadgets, and with gadgets that are interconnected. The joke here is that mesh network is an interconnected network of devices that provides the Interconnected Network service.

All of the ways we get the internet is great, but even in 2020, I have to say, there is nothing quite like a good old Ethernet cable. Not only in terms of plugging into a computer, but you need superior Ethernet cables in your in-wall wiring as well. Let’s walk through a typical coworking space, where you can see the huge amount of internet usage and the nuances of it.

A coworking space caters to start-ups, individual workers, as well as anyone who wants a more flexible infrastructure.

Technology Setup In A Coworking Space:

A coworking space means there are people from various professions using one space. There will always be a shortage of power plugs, Wi-Fi bandwidth, printers, etc. The remedy to this is getting bulk cat6 cable for the wiring of the space as well as to connect to devices. You can use them in a conference room to connect to a smart board, the likes of Google’s Jamboard, Microsoft’s Surface Hub device, etc. These devices mainly come in handy for video conferencing and collaborative work during meetings. Therefore, connecting them to an Ethernet cable would be the best way to use them with a more consistent internet connection.

Additionally, to provide better Wi-Fi services to the members, you can set up a mesh network so that there are less dead zones, limiting the possibility of a dropped signal. Good internet connectivity is an invisible perk that you notice when it is gone at a critical time, and when conducting any kind of business, all times are critical.

Interior Setup:

The interior setup divides the place by conference rooms, phone booths, separate office spaces, communal office spaces, individual desks, relaxing spaces, cafeteria, etc. The separate offices need to have one power strip per person as well as Ethernet cable wiring in case they want to use a wired connection. A similar setup should be available in the phone booths so that if someone wants to take a video call, they have a socket to charge their device.

Networking And Growth Opportunities:

A place like this can organize events that help with networking for the members. They can have workshops regarding various things like storytelling, financial management, etc.; things that come in handy for people across professions. If the place has freelancers, this will definitely help them. Such events also require some special equipment. There should be a dedicated area for such events, and it should have a projector that connects to a permanent computer setup. Here also, due to reliable internet requirements, it should have wired internet.

General/Additional Services:

Coworking spaces can get more businesses if they provide certain services in their package like legal counsel, IT support, content writing, etc. Apart from that, other services can be day care centers for members, professional printers, etc. These services can be additional or included in the package.

Certain electronic items like bulk cat6 cable, power strips, and adapters can also be included in the package per member, or per company that signs up.

As far as the electronics or the food is concerned, you can partner with a local store. An electronics store that sells bulk cat6 cable, power strips, adapters, etc. can be your exclusive cabling partner. In return, they get your loyalty as well as all your customers. Similarly, you can charge rent for a local cafe to work in your space and they can get customers there. The members wouldn’t have to go out for food or beverages and the cafe would have a secondary branch that they can benefit from.

If you are looking to establish a coworking space in your neighbourhood, SF Cable offers all kinds of cable solutions for all electronic needs. Look us up, and we will help you get the right cable for your requirement.

Source: https://www.sfcable.com/blog/ethernet-cable-uses-coworking-space/