Patch cord - what is it? What are the patch cords?

Patch cords (patch cords) are usually called electrical or fiber optic cables that allow you to connect or connect electrical devices. The greatest distribution of these products was in the field of design and creation of local area networks. To connect switches, connect workstations to network equipment, patch cord 5e, manufactured by industrial or artisanal methods, is often used here. In the process also fiber optic patch cords.

Patch cord - what is it? How does it work?

To connect disparate network components, you need to use special cables. For example, to connect a PC to a DSL router or switch, you will need to prepare a network patch cord. What it is? This is the segment of a shielded or unshielded UTP cable with a length of 1.5 m, on both sides of which the RJ-45 connectors are fastened with a crimping tool. These cables can be used to connect almost any component of the network environment. Exceptions are devices that support only fiber-optic interfaces. In some local networks, there are still switches for devices working through a coaxial cable. By now they have almost disappeared.

Standards TIA-568A and TIA-568B

There are standards for connecting such cables to other devices: TIA-568A and TIA-568B. How is patch cord 5e used to connect network devices? Standards define the order of the individual veins by the colors inside the connector. The fact is that inside the standard UTP cable under the insulating layer there are twisted wires of conductors. Here on them and the signal is transmitted. The insulation layer covering such a conductor can have one of eight standard colors:

• Orange;
• White-orange;
• green;
• White-green;
• blue;
• White-blue;
• brown;
• White-brown.

In the TIA-568A standard, the order of reference starts with white-green and green wires. In the TIA-568B version, orange wires first go. Other differences in the order of the veins can be seen in the picture. Some network engineers arbitrarily change the order of the cores when connecting the connectors. Doing this is not recommended. It is better to follow one of the standard schemes, so as not to get confused later.

What can I connect with a patch cable?

Compressed on both sides of the cable is indispensable for the system administrator. There are many devices that can be connected to the network using a patch cord. What are these devices? Their list is quite wide. Here are just the most popular options:

• Line patch panel to a PC or laptop;
• Computer to DSL modem;
• Switch to the router or other switch;
• Computer to the hub;
• A DSL modem to a routing device or switch;
• A wireless access point to the switch with or without PoE technology.

If lc lc patch cord is used, they are usually connected to switching and routing devices. This type of cable is also used to connect switches and other network equipment to patch panels.

What are the modifications of patch cords

Despite the simplicity of the device, patch cables have certain differences. So, they can belong to the category 5, 5e or 6. The figure explains what materials are used for this cable, what type of RJ-45 connectors use a particular UTP patch cord. What does this mean in practice? Different UTP cables support different data rates. Some of them are capable of providing a greater range of signal transmission. Cable CAT 6 has additional protection, prevents the occurrence of collisions in the network due to electrical interference and other factors. It is certified for use in Gigabit Ethernet networks. The main reason why the wire of the 6th category has not received widespread distribution is the high price. And most of the network tasks can be solved with a CAT 5 or CAT 5e cable.

Support for Gigabit Ethernet, the issue of quality of UTP cables

There is a common misconception among customers that they must have a CAT 6 cable to get the Gigabit signal in their network. This statement is valid only in the event that cheap wires of dubious origin are purchased. A good quality 5e cable manufactured to the proper standards will have a gigabit signal. Its only drawback is that it was not developed or certified for this. Therefore, the manufacturer does not guarantee that the category 5 cable will support Gigabit Ethernet. In general, one of the main elements of any modern computer network is the patch cord. What does this mean in practice? The fact that the quality of this product will largely depend on the stable operation of the entire network. For example, a weak protection against electrical noise can lead to a large number of errors and a decrease in the data transfer rate. You can not allow this. It is necessary to closely monitor the quality of UTP cables that are used in the local network.

Principal differences of patch cords 5 and 6 categories

Massively used mainly cables UTP 5-th category. They are cheap, simple and reliable. If these products are made qualitatively, they even without problems will keep a gigabit signal. But sometimes you can find a patch cord of the 6th category (about 3-5% of cases). What are the main differences between the patch cord 5e? What is this magic wire used all over the place? This product is an ordinary twisted pair cable segment, each end of which has a RJ-45 connector. With it, the wire is inserted into the corresponding connector on the switch or network card of the computer. Data is transmitted in the frequency range up to 100 MHz. Such patch cords are recommended for use in structured cabling systems (SCS). So in a scientific way are called local computer networks. A twisted pair of categories 5 and 5e does not have a layer of additional protection, so it can only be used in closed rooms.

What secrets still holds the usual patch cord? What are these characteristics that make the product such a universal tool for building computer networks? The outer layer of insulation protects single-wire copper wires twisted into pairs and having a diameter of 0.52 mm. Each conductor is covered with solid polyethylene. It protects the veins from various interference and water ingress, oxidation. The UTP cable has high flexibility, which allows using the most unexpected routes for network routing.

What is the difference between a cross patch cord

Network crossover cables are a special type of installation cords that are used for SCS devices. Their feature is the cross-connection scheme of the individual wires at the end directly with the connector. So, if the TIA-568A is used on one side, then the TIA-568B scheme is used on the other. Why use a cross patch cord? What does this give? Previously, such cables were used to connect computers to each other. Today this decision is largely outdated. There is no need to use separate cross-connects to connect individual PCs without switching equipment. Modern network cards have learned to independently determine which veins are used for signal transmission, and for what reception is. Therefore, the tasks that this network equipment must solve will be equally well performed with any type of cable.