Network Cables Are Divided into Two General Categories: Copper Cables and Optical Fiber Cables. 

Each category has different types of cables and is used for other applications.

This article will briefly teach about these cables and their use in computer networks.

History of network cable

The use of network cables to transfer data and information in computer networks, due to the need to share data with high speed and accuracy, received serious attention in the early 1960s. Initially, telephone cables were used to transmit computer data, which were limited and only allowed for low-speed data transmission.

In the 1970s, with the development of local computer networks (LAN), new cables, such as coaxial and higher-quality telephone cables, were invented and used for data transmission. In the 1980s, with Ethernet standards, Twisted Pair cables emerged for high-speed data transmission.

In the early 1990s, with the advancement of computer network technology and the need for faster data transmission, Cat 5 network cables were introduced with the ability to transmit data at a speed of 100 Mbps. Since then, network cable technology has continuously improved, and lines with higher rates and quality have been introduced.

Today, network cables with high speeds and quality are used in various networks, including office networks, networks located in data centers, industrial networks, and Internet of Things networks.

What is a network cable?

Network cable or computer network cable is a type of cable that is used to transfer data and information in computer networks and the Internet. These cables are divided into two general categories “copper cables” and “optical fiber cables.”

Copper cables consist of several copper wires to send and receive information. This cable type transmits data digitally on different wires using electrical signals. Most copper network cables are Ethernet cables that transfer data at high speed (up to 10 Gbps) and short distances (up to 100 meters).

Fiber optic cables contain one or more optical fibers that transmit information through optical carriers. This cable type is used for long-distance and high-speed data transmission (up to 100 Gbps) and is an efficient solution for long-distance and high-speed communication. Copper network cables and optical fibers have different features and capabilities depending on the network’s needs and user environment.

Types of network cables and their use

Network cables are divided into two groups, copper and fiber optic, each with its advantages.

Copper network cable

Copper network cable is a type of cable that is used to transfer data and information in computer networks and the Internet. This type of cable consists of several pairs of copper wires. Using electrical signals, information in the form of zeros and ones is sent on different wires by these cables and received at the source by network cards. Today, copper network cables are available and used in the following groups in the market.

• Cat 5e high-speed network Ethernet cable

• Cat 6 high-speed network Ethernet cable

• Cat 6a high-speed network Ethernet cable

• Cat 7 high-speed network Ethernet cable

• Cat 8 high-speed network Ethernet cable

Each of these types of network cables has different features and capabilities that are used depending on the needs of the network and the user environment. For example, Cat 5e and Cat 6 lines are suitable for home and office networks, while Cat 6a and Cat 7 cables are used for more extensive, higher-speed networks like those in data centers. Also, fiber optic cables are used for long-distance and high-speed communication.

Fiber optic network cable

network fiber optic or fiber optic cable is also used like copper cable to transmit information in computer networks and the Internet. This cable comprises one or more optical fibers that transmit information using light. Fiber optic cable has a much higher data transmission speed than copper cables and is suitable for data transmission over long distances (up to 100 km).

In addition, fiber optic cable has a low error rate and a longer useful life than copper cables. Also, fiber optic cable is resistant to noise and electromagnetic interference and can increase the security of communication channels. Today, there are different types of fiber optic cables, which are divided into two groups, single-mode, and multi-mode, depending on the kind of structure and usage in the network.

Twisted Pair cable

A twisted pair cable is a copper network cable in which two or more copper wires are twisted together. Depending on the number of copper wire pairs, twisted pair cables are divided into two categories: UTP, named Unshielded Twisted Pair, and STP, named Shielded Twisted Pair. In UTP cable, twisted copper wire pairs are used without a protective covering, while in STP cable, copper wire pairs are used with a protective cover called “foil.”

Twisted pair cable is suitable for high-speed (up to 10 Gbps) and short-distance (up to 100 meters) network communications. This cable connects various network devices such as computers, routers, switches, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Also, this cable is used to connect conference rooms and offices.

UTP twisted pair cable has different types, such as Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, and Cat7, and depending on their kind, they have additional capabilities and features. UTP twisted pair cable has become one of the most popular network cables due to its low cost and good performance.

Types of twisted pair cables

As we mentioned, twisted pair cables are divided into two categories: UTP, named Unshielded Twisted Pair, and STP, named Shielded Twisted Pair.

Unshielded twisted pair cable or UTP

This cable model has two or more pairs of copper wires twisted together without a protective cover. This cable is vulnerable to magnetic waves because it does not have a protective coating and should not be used near electric fields or power lines. Typically, network experts use the above cable in building environments and try to install these cables away from magnetic waves.

UTP cables are divided into different groups, such as Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, and Cat7 cables, depending on the type of structure and network usage. Each type of these cables has different capabilities and features. UTP cable has become one of the most popular types of copper network cable due to its low cost and good performance. These cables are divided into the following groups.

•  Cat5: This type of cable transfers data at a speed of up to 100 Mbps and a short distance of up to 100 meters.
•  Cat5e: This type of cable is suitable for transferring data at a speed of up to 1 Gbit/s and a short distance of up to 100 meters.
•  Cat6: This type of cable transfers data at a speed of up to 10 Gbps and a short distance of up to 55 meters.
•  Cat6a: This type of cable is suitable for transferring data at a speed of up to 10 Gbps and a distance of up to 100 meters.

Shielded twisted pair cable or STP

STP-shielded twisted pair cable is another network cable in which two or more copper wire pairs are twisted together, and a foil shield protects each copper wire pair. Has been. Also, in some models, protection protects the entire cable. This protective coating helps the cable to be safe from electromagnetic noise and electrical interference in the environment. STP cable is suitable for implementing high-speed communication channels (up to 10 Gbps) and at longer distances than UTP cables (up to 100 meters). Due to the protective coating, STP cable is suitable for environments with high noise and the possibility of high electromagnetic interference, such as industrial networks and data centers.

Today, there are different types of STP cables, which are classified according to the kind of structure and type of use. FTP named Foiled Twisted Pair and SFTP named Shielded and Foiled Twisted Pair are prominent groups in this field. In FTP cable, each pair of copper wires is shielded with a foil shield, while in SFTP cable, each pair of copper wires is covered with a foil shield, and the entire cable is also covered with protection.

In general, STP cable is considered one of the most popular cables in the market due to its protective coating and higher performance against electromagnetic noise and electrical interference.

Cat1 UTP network cable

Cat1 UTP network cable is one of the first and oldest network cable types used in old networks. This cable has a pair of twisted copper wires without a protective cover. This cable was used to transmit voice data and phone calls and could only share information at a low speed (up to 1 Mbps).

Today, Cat1 UTP cable is not used and has been replaced by newer types of UTP cable, such as Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat7, which can communicate at a higher speed and transfer data better. Therefore, using Cat1 UTP cable for information and Internet networks is obsolete and not recommended.

Cat2 UTP network cable

Cat2 UTP network cable is another old network cable used for network communication. This cable has two copper wires twisted together without a protective cover. Like the Cat1 cable, this cable is only suitable for transmitting voice data and phone calls and can communicate at a speed of less than four megabits per second. Today, Cat2 UTP cable is obsolete and replaced by newer types of UTP cable that can communicate at a higher speed and with better data quality.

Cat3 UTP network cable

Cat3 UTP network cable is an old cable still used in some special projects. This cable has four copper wires twisted together without a protective cover. This cable can communicate up to 10 Mbps up to a maximum distance of 100 meters. Cat3 UTP cable is suitable for voice data transfer, phone calls, and low-speed internet connection. But due to its age and inability to upgrade to higher speeds, it is mainly used in home networks and non-professional applications today.

Cat4 UTP network cable

Cat4 UTP network cable, like its predecessors, has four pairs of twisted copper wires and no protective cover. This cable can communicate up to 16 Mbps and up to 100 meters. Cat4 UTP cable is suitable for medium-speed voice data transmission, telephone calls, internet connection, and local area networks (LAN).

Cat5 UTP network cable

Cat5 UTP network cable is one of the most widely used network cables for communication. This cable has four pairs of copper wires twisted together and covered with a protective cover. This cable can communicate with a speed of 100 Mbps and a maximum distance of 100 meters. Cat5 UTP cable is suitable for high-speed audio, video, Internet connection, and local area networks. Also, this cable can be upgraded to higher speeds. There are newer types of UTP cables, such as Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat7, which can communicate at higher rates and transfer data with better quality. However, the Cat5 UTP cable is still one of the most widely used network cables in many application networks.

Cat5e UTP network cable

Cat5e UTP network cable is the bigger brother of cat5 cable and one of the leading choices of companies. This cable can communicate at a speed of 1 Gbit/s and a distance of up to 100 meters. Cat5e UTP cable is suitable for high-speed audio, video, Internet connection, and LAN data transmission. Compared to the Cat5 UTP cable, the Cat5e UTP cable has improved performance and useful life. This cable has reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio interference (RFI) by using better coating and improved internal wiring design. For this reason, Cat5e UTP cable is more suitable for networks that require high performance and reliable data transmission.

Cat6 UTP network cable

Compared to the examples described, the Cat6 UTP network cable is a new generation of network cables used by large companies. This cable is four pairs of twisted copper wires without a protective cover. This cable can communicate at 10 Gbit/s and up to 55 meters.

Cat6 UTP cable is a good option for high-speed audio, video, Internet connection, and local area network transmission. Also, this cable has reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) with better coverage and improvement in the design of internal wires, resulting in improved performance and quality of communication. This cable performs better in data transmission by having more bandwidth and reducing interferences. For this reason, Cat6 UTP cable is more suitable for networks that require high performance and quality data transmission.

 Cat6a UTP network cable

Cat6a UTP network cable is the next generation of network cables, which can communicate at 10 Gbps and up to 100 meters. Compared to the Cat6 UTP cable, the Cat6a UTP cable performs better in data transmission with more bandwidth, less interference, and the ability to communicate over longer distances. For this reason, Cat6a UTP cable is suitable for large enterprise networks that require transferring large amounts of data.

Cat7 UTP network cable

Cat7 UTP network cable is an advanced version of cat7 cables, which has a higher price than the introduced examples. This cable can communicate with a speed of up to 10 Gbps and a distance of up to 100 meters. Compared to Cat5, Cat6, and Cat6a UTP cables, the Cat7 UTP cable has the highest bandwidth, lowest interference rate, and can communicate over long distances. For this reason, the Cat7 UTP cable is suitable for networks that require high performance. Of course, note that this cable’s price is higher than similar models.

Cat8 network cable

Cat8 network cable is the latest type of network cable that can communicate at a speed of 40 Gbps up to a distance of 30 meters. Of course, this cable is mainly used in data centers, and few companies are willing to spend several times the price of the described cables to buy this cable because the bandwidth that cat8 cables provide is beyond the needs of regular businesses and. For this reason, this cable, along with cat 8.1 and cat 8.2, are designed for data centers.

Single-pair Ethernet cable

A single Pair Ethernet cable is a network cable that transfers data and information in industrial networks and the Internet of Things (IoT). In this type of cable, only one pair of wires is used for data transmission, reducing the cable’s cost and weight. Single-pair Ethernet cable transfers data at high speed (up to 1 Gbit/s) and short distances (up to 40 meters). Also, this type of cable is suitable for applications that require connection to small and light devices, such as IoT devices.

As an independent Swiss company, R&M has a vital and vital role in producing network cables in terms of quality and precision, efficiency and reliability, innovation, and sustainability. As the official representative of R&M, Lavan Communication Company will provide all types of cables to our dear customers.