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

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

Patch cords (patch cords) takencall electrical or fiber optic cables that allow you to connect or connect electrical devices. The most common data products received in the design and creation of local area networks. To connect switches, connect workstations to network equipment, the patch cord 5e made by industrial or handicraft is often used here. Fiber patch cords are also in use.

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

To connect the disparate network components,need to use special cables. So, to connect a PC to a DSL router or switch, you will need to prepare a network patch cord. What it is? This is a segment of shielded or unshielded UTP cable from 1.5 m in length, on both sides of which RJ-45 connectors are fixed with a crimping tool.

patch cord what is it
Such cables can be used to connectvirtually 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 that work through a coaxial cable. By now, they have almost disappeared.

TIA-568A and TIA-568B standards

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

  • Orange;
  • white and orange;
  • green;
  • white-green;
  • blue;
  • white and blue;
  • brown;
  • white and brown.
    patch cord 5e

В стандарте TIA-568A порядок отсчета начинается с white-green and green wires. In the TIA-568B variant, orange wires first go. Other differences in the sequence of the veins can be seen in the picture. Some network engineers when connecting connectors arbitrarily change the order of the conductors. This is not recommended. It is better to follow one of the standard schemes, so as not to get confused in the future.

What can connect patch cable?

Cable crimped on both sides is indispensable forsystem 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 panels to a PC or laptop;
  • computer to DSL modem;
  • switch to a router or another switch;
  • computer to the hub;
  • DSL modem to a routing device or switch;
  • Wireless switch access point with or without PoE technology.
    patch cord utp what is it

If you use lc lc patch cord, then they usuallyThe switching and routing devices are interconnected. This type of cables 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 cableshave certain differences. So, they can be categorized as 5, 5e or 6. The figure explains which materials are used for this cable, which type of RJ-45 connectors uses a specific UTP patch cord. What does this mean in practice? Different UTP cables support different data rates. Some of them are capable of providing greater signal transmission distance.

cross patch cord what is it
CAT 6 cable has extra protectionprevents collisions in the network due to electrical interference and other factors. It is certified for use on Gigabit Ethernet networks. The main reason why the wire of the 6th category was not widely spread is the high price. And most of the network problems can be solved with the help of a CAT 5 or CAT 5e cable.

Gigabit Ethernet support, UTP cable quality issue

There is a common misconception.buyers, which is that they must have a CAT 6 cable in order to receive a Gigabit signal in their network. This statement is true only if cheap wires of dubious origin are purchased. A good quality cable category 5e, manufactured to the proper standards, will have a gigabit signal. Its only disadvantage is that it has not been developed or certified for this. Therefore, the manufacturer does not guarantee that the cable category 5 will support Gigabit Ethernet.

patch cord 5e what is it
In general, one of the main elements of anymodern computer network is patch cord. What does this mean in practice? The fact that the stable operation of the entire network will largely depend on the quality of this product. For example, a weak protection against electrical noise can lead to a large number of errors and reduce the speed of data transmission. This can not be allowed. You need to carefully monitor the quality of UTP cables that are used in the local network.

Principal differences patch cords 5 and 6 categories

UTP 5th cables are commonly used in bulk.categories. They are cheap, simple and reliable. If these products are made with high quality, they will even hold a gigabit signal without any problems. But sometimes you can meet and patch cord 6 categories (about 3-5% of cases). What are the main differences of patch cord 5e? What is this magical wire used everywhere?

lc lc patch cord
This product is a conventional twisted cable segment.pair ”, each end has an RJ-45 connector. With it, the wire is inserted into the appropriate connector of the switch or computer network card. Data is transmitted in the frequency range up to 100 MHz. Such patch cords are recommended for use in structured cabling systems (SCS). So scientifically called local computer networks. Twisted pair of categories 5 and 5e does not have a layer of additional protection, therefore it can be used only in closed premises.

Какие секреты еще таит обычный патч-корд?What are the characteristics that make the product such a universal tool for building computer networks? The outer insulation layer protects single-wire copper strands twisted in pairs and having a diameter of 0.52 mm. Each conductor is covered with solid polyethylene. It protects the conductors from various interference and the ingress of water, oxidation. The UTP cable is highly flexible, which allows you to use the most unexpected routes for laying the network.

What is different cross-patch cord

Crossover network cables areA special type of mounting cords, which are used for the device SKS. Their feature is the cross-connection diagram of the connection of individual cores at the end directly with the connector. So, if on the one hand the TIA-568A model is used, on the other hand, the TIA-568B scheme is used.

patch cord what is it
Why do I need to use 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 was no need to use cross-connect options for connecting individual PCs without switching equipment. Modern network cards have learned to independently determine which conductors are used to transmit signals, and how they are received. Therefore, the tasks that this network equipment must solve will be equally well performed with any type of cable.