What is ethernet

When you push the cable into the Ethernet cable, it should click into place. Sometimes, the port will have an LED light in it so the Ethernet jack will light up when successfully connected.

Ethernet cables can vary in length. Sizes usually start at around 0. It is also possible to cut the cables to your preferred length. They come in a variety of different colours too. There is no difference between the colours of the cables. Many computer network administrators will colour coordinate their cables so they can easily manage and maintain their networks. Typically, Ethernet cables are used to provide an internet connection, connect devices to a local network.

They plug into Ethernet ports on a variety of devices. The most common use for an Ethernet cable is connecting a WiFi router or modem to the internet entry port or telephone line. It can also be used to hardwire devices like TVs, computers and other devices that require the internet or a network to work. There are several different structures when it comes to ethernet cables.

The most common structure is Twisted Pair cable. Two wires inside the cable are twisted together. Twisted Pairs is the industry standard cable. They have the best results in terms of maximum length and speed drops. They are only beaten in performance by fibre-optic cabling. One of the reasons for their quality is that the two cables carry data in both directions, which balances the electrical fields.

This reduces electrical noise within the wire. These additional signals often interfere with the data being carried through the wires.

Electrical noise can come from inside the cable, or from outside sources. Ultimately, the more electrical noise, the lower the quality of the signal.

While unshielded cables are much cheaper, the signal quality decreases through electrical noise. Shielded cables come with braided or foil shielding, which is usually made of copper or another conductive polymer. Shielding reduces electrical noise and improves connection quality.

Straight-through cables, often known as patch cables, are used to connect different types of devices. For example, a computer to a router. Crossover cables are used to connect two devices of the same kind, for example, connecting two computers. Solid cables are generally used for business networks and offer a slightly better service than stranded.

They consist of a single run of wire. They cheaper to produce, and so are often much more affordable than their stranded counterparts. Stranded cables contain a few smaller wires which work together. Most patch cables are stranded cables. Stranded cables are more robust in terms of breakage.

They are better suited for home use. Ethernet cables come in different variations, known as Categories or Cat. Each category refers to a different set of standards. As the standards change over time, new categories are created.

Currently, the lowest recommended standard available is Cat5. Anything under that is now obsolete. If you've ever passed through a tunnel while listening to your car radio or picked up on your neighbor's signal with your stereo, you know that radio waves are prone to interference. And so is your Wi-Fi. With wired Ethernet, interference isn't an issue. And because everything from your neighbor's Wi-Fi signals to your microwave and your Bluetooth headset can cause Wi-Fi interference, that's a potentially huge benefit.

Without interference, your Internet is less likely to experience slowdowns, disconnections, or intermittent connection—big deals when you're transferring massive, data-hungry media files to a client or competing in a Call of Duty tournament. Similarly, your own walls won't cause penetration issues for Ethernet, and because each device is hardwired, you don't have to split your bandwidth between your laptop and PS4.

Though you might be dealing with wires, you've still got the flexibility to transfer data up to meters—that's feet from your modem or router—with Ethernet cables.

Since most routers already feature Ethernet ports, it doesn't take much to make the switch at home, or even to hard-wire your game console or desktop gaming rig while your phone and tablet connect to your Wi-Fi signal. For the more business-oriented, the control and security offered by Ethernet is hard to beat.

With a physical connection, you maintain control of who's connected to your local network at any given time. This not only frees up data for your users, it helps prevent unwanted not to mention dangerous and costly security breaches. With Wi-Fi extending beyond the walls of your office, your business's WLAN network is naturally more accessible to potential threats. Wi-Fi has a reputation for easy accessibility, and it's well-earned. When you use WLAN, you basically just need an affordable modem-router combo, and you and your devices are ready to roll.

The bigger and more complex your wired LAN, on the other hand, the higher your costs. Ethernet may be either a wired or wireless network. In a wired network, various types of cables are used. Here are some widely used Ethernet cables:. We supply Media Converters to military, government, and commercial end users world-wide. Click RFQ to know the fiber media converter price from our product range. Fast Ethernet : As the term suggests, this is quite a high-speed internet, and can transmit or receive data at about Mbps.

This type of network is usually supported by a twisted pair or CAT5 cable. Gigabit Ethernet : This type of network transfers data at an even higher speed of about Mbps or 1Gbps. Gigabit speed is an upgrade from Fast Ethernet which is slowly being phased out. In this type of network, all the four pairs in the twisted pair cable contribute to the data transfer speed.

This network type finds a large application in video calling systems which use CAT5e or other advanced cables.