Set 4 — Network Cabling and Connectors (Copper, Fiber, Coax)

Cat5

100 Mbps, up to 100m (legacy)

Cat5e

1 Gbps, up to 100m

Cat6

1 Gbps at 100m, or 10 Gbps at shorter ~55m

Cat6a

10 Gbps, up to 100m

UTP

Unshielded Twisted Pair - standard, cheaper, more EMI-prone

STP

Shielded Twisted Pair - extra shielding, better EMI resistance

T568A vs T568B

Two wiring standards for terminating RJ45 - B is the common US default

RJ45

8-pin connector used for Ethernet

RJ11

4/6-pin connector used for telephone lines

Straight-through cable

Connects different device types (PC to switch) - most common

Crossover cable

Connects same device types directly (PC to PC) - mostly obsolete now

Single-mode fiber

Long distance, uses laser light, more expensive, thinner core

Multi-mode fiber

Shorter distance, uses LED light, cheaper, thicker core

ST connector

Older round "twist-and-lock" fiber connector

SC connector

Square "push-click" fiber connector

LC connector

Small square "push-click" fiber connector, common today

APC vs UPC fiber polish

APC = angled polish (less back-reflection), UPC = flat/straight polish

RG-6

Modern coax cable - used for cable/satellite TV and cable internet

RG-59

Older/thinner coax cable - lower bandwidth, mostly legacy

BNC connector

Twist-lock coax connector (older networking/video)

F-connector

Screw-on coax connector (modern cable TV/internet)

Plenum cable

Fire-rated jacket, safe for use in air ducts/ceilings

PVC cable

Standard (non fire-rated) cable jacket, not for plenum spaces