What does a LAN cable look like?
A LAN is an acronym for Local Area Network. It can be used to connect computers together on the same network. The cables are usually connected with RJ-45 connectors and come in lengths of up to 100 meters long. You can find them at most electronics stores or online retailers such as Amazon.
LAN cables look similar to phone cables. The connector is slightly bigger than a phone cable’s connector. At the end of each cable is a small modular plug, often a Registered Jack 45 (RJ45) connector. They have a small lever on the top which helps secure and unclips the Ethernet cable.
What is the Structure of LAN Cable?
There are several different structures when it comes to ethernet cables. The most common structure is the 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.
Electrical noise is any electrical currents or radio frequencies that aren’t related to the carried data. 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.
Twisted pairs can be unshielded or shielded.
Unshielded don’t have foil or braided shielding around the cable. 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.
What Do Ethernet Cables Look Like?
Ethernet cables look similar to phone cables. Ethernet cables have double the amount of wires to a phone cable (8 vs 4). The connector is slightly bigger than a phone cable’s connector.
At the end of each cable is a small modular plug, often a Registered Jack 45 (RJ45) connector. They have a small lever on the top which helps secure and unclips the Ethernet cable. 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 0.3 metres and can go up to 30 metres and beyond. 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. Sometimes, internet service providers will provide different coloured leads so that it’s easy to refer to the leads by colour.
Limitations of using LAN cable?
LAN is the most important part of computer networking. LAN acts as a bridge between the Computer and WAN (Wide Area Network).
There are some limitations associated with using LAN cable.
- They don’t work well over long distances, because they use electrical signals to transmit data instead of radio frequencies like phone cables do. The distance can be increased by using repeaters or switches.
- LAN cables don’t work well in outdoor conditions because they are susceptible to electrical noise, which comes from outside sources such as lightning and power lines. It is better to use Coaxial cable for outdoor applications instead of LAN cabling.
How to choose a LAN cable?
LAN helps in transmitting data between two or more computers at very fast speed. It is most commonly used for transferring files, sharing information with other users and also to play games with each other locally.
Today’s world technology has changed the way we think about LAN cables. This is why it becomes necessary that you buy quality high performance cables.
LAN cables are of different types like UTP or Unshielded Twisted Pair, STP or Shielded Twisted Pair and EUTP which is Enhanced unshielded twisted pair. If you buy quality LAN cabling products for your network then it will help in increasing the performance level by decreasing errors to a greater extent. It also helps you in saving your money in the long run by protecting against network problems.
LAN cables are available for almost all applications at reasonable prices, you can buy it from any well known electronic stores or even online shopping markets like Amazon India. You will get a wide range of products to choose from with many different features depending on your requirement level. So go ahead and check the best options available in front of you.
Conclusion:
LAN cables look similar to phone cables and have a modular plug at the end with an LED light in it. They come in many different colours and sizes, they can be cut to any length you want and range from 0.30m up 30 metres or more depending on your preference. However, LAN is the most important part of computer networking that helps in transferring files, sharing information with other users and also to play games locally. LAN cables are very important in today’s world technology because they help increase the performance level by decreasing errors which saves you money over time.
