Everything about Unshielded Twisted-Pair (UTP) cables

Unshielded Twisted Pair or UTP cable is a cable with two conductors that are split together to improve their electromagnetic compatibility. The cable is widely used in local area networks for standard and Gigabit Ethernet networks. Aside from all types of data, the cable is also used for audio, video, and voice purposes.

STP or UTP: Shielded vs. Unshielded

Aside from UTP cables, another popular variation of twisted pairs is STP. The difference is that the latter has shielding that protects from electromagnetic interference. UTP cables are cheaper as compared to STP cables and are suitable for most home networks.

Types of Unshielded Twisted Pair Cables

By Category Type:

• Cat5 is an older version of an unshielded twisted pair cable with a speed of 100 Mbps and a bandwidth of 100 MHz. This cable does not support Gigabit Ethernet and is no longer produced on the mass scale though still widely used.
• Cat5e is an enhancement of Cat5 cable with the support of Gigabit Ethernet.
• Cat6 is the most popular Ethernet twisted pair cable with a bandwidth of 250 MHz and a transmission of 1 Gbps over 100 meters. The cable is for Gigabit Ethernet and 10-Gigabit Ethernet. The cable is also used for HD video.
• Cat6A is a superior version of the twisted pair cable with higher speed and bandwidth. The cable is used for 10-Gigabit Ethernet predominantly, thanks to its speed of 10G/s that carries on for 100 meters. Manufacturers also sell a Cat 7 UTP cable. However, there are no international standards for Cat 7, so the cables that are available in the market are usually some version of Cat6/ Cat 6a.
• Cat 8 is the cable that supports 25Gbps and 40Gbps computer networks. There is no point in using such a cable in-home network because of speed. The cable is widely used in contemporary data centers.

By Construction:

• UTP is the basic standard variety of an unshielded twisted pair cable.
• F/UTP is a cable with unshielded twisted pairs covered by the overall foil shield.
• S/UTP is a cable with unshielded twisted pairs covered with an overall braid shield.
• SF/UTP is a cable with unshielded twisted pairs covered with an overall braid shield and an overall oil shield.

Are UTP Cable and Ethernet Cables The Same?

UTP cables are often referred to as Ethernet cables because they are used for Ethernet. Therefore, referring to UTP cables as Ethernet cables is standard and accurate, even though it is not an official name for the cable. However, be aware that the term “ethernet cable” does not mean just UTP cable, as “ethernet cable” is a general term. Other ethernet cables are fiber optic cables and coaxial cables. Therefore, it is best to clarify what type of cable you mean when saying “ethernet cable.”

Where To Buy?

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