What kind of cable for the Internet is better to lay in an apartment?

When conducting local communication lines use Ethernet cable, which comes in several varieties (coaxial, fiber optic, twisted pair). The differences in cable diameter, composition and type of conductors, speed and quality of information transfer; products are produced solid and twisted, standard or shielded.

Which cable for the Internet is better to lay in the apartment?

Types of cables for the Internet

A list of the main types of network cables includes:

  • coaxial;
  • fiber optic;
  • twisted pair.

The design of coaxial cable includes a conductor with a dense insulating coating, a braid of copper or aluminum, and an outer insulating layer. In addition to connection to the network, Internet products are used to transfer signals from antennas and television satellites to build high-speed digital networks (cable TV).

Configuration of wire connectors differs:

  • BNC connector is attached to the ends of the cable, provides connection to the T-connector and barrel connector.
  • The BNC Barrel Connector is designed to connect damaged components or to extend the wire to extend the range of the network, to connect additional electrical equipment.
  • The BNC T-connector is a tee used to connect computer equipment to the main network line. The wire has 3 connectors (1 is for output to a centralized network, 2 connectors are needed to interconnect a local system).
  • The BNC terminator is designed to act as a grounding plug to prevent the signal from propagating outside the local line. The connector is mandatory for the stable operation of network connections that occupy a large area.

Twisted pair network cable is used to create local lines. Products include pairs of twisted copper conductors with an insulating layer. A standard wire consists of 4 (8 conductors) or of 2 pairs (4 wires). The maximum permissible distance between devices connected by cable is 100 m. The wire is available as standard or with protection. To work with the cable uses a connector type 8P8C.

Which cable for the Internet is better to lay in the apartment?

Before you choose a twisted pair cable for the Internet, you need to determine the subspecies by the characteristics of the outer layer (thickness, presence of reinforcement, composition). UTP wire with a plastic outer layer is not protected, is available without grounding. F/UTP, STP, S/FTP products are made with shielding.

Twisted pair cable marking reflects categories by insulating layer color:

  • gray (used in the interior of buildings);
  • black (used to indicate products with a coating for protection against atmospheric precipitation and electromagnetic radiation, applied to outdoor structures);
  • orange shade used to indicate non-combustible polymer compounds.

Fiber optic cable is an advanced wire for the construction of network lines. The product consists of plastic fiberglass fibers with plastic protection. Cable products are characterized by high speed of information transfer, resistant to interference on the line. The wire can connect systems over long distances. Products are subdivided into single-mode and multi-mode.

Which cable for the Internet is better to lay in the apartment?

Different types of connectors (FJ, ST, MU, SC) are used in fiber optic cables. Wires are budget, look aesthetically pleasing, but require the purchase of additional equipment and are difficult to install. The products are used to form large-scale network systems, to create high-speed Internet access.

Copper conductors in Ethernet cables are available:

  • solid;
  • stranded.

Solid conductors are strong, reliable and durable, but less plastic. The products are designed for fixed installations indoors or for short laying lengths on external constructions.

Twisted products consist of thin copper wires twisted together. Cables are strong, malleable, designed for placement in work spaces, in places with the need to move objects.

What Cores are Available

In network wires, several variants of cores are used:

  • copper;
  • copper-plated.

Copper-plated

Copper-plated elements are characterized by a small speed of information. The central part is made of composite raw materials, the outer layer consists of copper alloys. The electrical energy loss of the wire is small, because the current passes through the outer layer.

Which cable for the Internet is better to lay in the apartment?

Several types of copper-plated mains products are produced, differing in the materials of the central part of the core:

  • CCS;
  • CCA.

The name CCA stands for products made of aluminum with an outer layer of copper alloys. Products are malleable, of high quality and easy to install.

CCS is a wire made of steel with copper coating. The cable is strong, less flexible than its aluminum counterparts, not recommended for long networks, because when twisted, the products form breaks. Products do not withstand the crimping process.

Number of wires

Twisted pair cable can be manufactured with 4 and 8 cores. For transmission at the standard speed of up to 100 Mbit / s can be used 4 wires, but to get more than 100 megabits / s - 1 Gbit / s, you will need all 8 strands of cable.

Therefore, it is necessary to find out in advance what the speed of the Internet in the apartment to choose the correct number of cores of twisted pair cable.

Which cable for the Internet is better to lay in the apartment?

The products are also available:

  • single-core;
  • multi-core.

Cables with 1 copper core are used for lines in wall panels, for connection to sockets. Do not allow single-wire products to come in contact with network equipment. On long lines, the cores can be deformed, destroyed.

Multicore cables consist of several wires. The species is not intended for cutting into the socket panels. Products are malleable, recommended for performing complex wiring with twists, laying in corners and aisles. Products are suitable for units that integrate devices.

Which cable for the Internet is better to lay in the apartment?

Copper or partially copper-plated cable

When selecting a wire, the length of the network, the number of objects to be connected is taken into account. For small distances, the difference in the products of copper or copper-plated is insignificant. When conducting networks of more than 50 meters in copper-plated wires, there are failures in the transmission of the signal. The conductivity of aluminum alloy and steel is lower than copper.

Products of copper alloys are designed to build large-scale local systems with a distance between objects up to 10-20 meters. Products do not interfere with signal transfer. To connect the computer with tees, sockets, switching equipment is enough cores with a combined composition (copper-coated).

The video below clearly shows the differences between the copper FTP cores of twisted cable and copper-coated aluminum UTP.

Cable categories

In markings cable for the Internet is divided into categories with the numbering 5-7, reflecting the characteristics of the method of manufacture (pitch twist, type of separation material, core diameter).

CAT5 contains 4 pairs; transmission characteristics when two pairs are activated reach 100 Mbit/sec; conduction band reaches 100 MHz. Products of the fifth category are designed to connect computer lines.

CAT5e - combines 4 pairs. Connection of 2 pairs allows to reach 100 Mbit/s; when 4 pairs are used the speed increases up to 1000 Mbit/s. The technical parameters of the product exceed those of CAT5 cable. It is possible to lay networks for data transmission over long distances.

Which cable for the Internet is better to lay in the apartment?

CAT6 wires contain 4 pairs of wires with a data transfer rate of 10 Gbps over an area limited to 50 m. The bandwidth is 250 MHz. The product types are optimal for conducting complex computer network connections.

The CAT6a cable category contains 4 pairs. Network speeds are 10 Gbps, line lengths are 100 m, and the bandwidth is 500 MHz. Advanced products are provided with a common shield or protection for each twisted pair. Products are durable and designed for network connections in residential and public buildings.

CAT7 category products have 4 pairs of wires. The connection is high-speed, with high-speed broadband Internet (10 Gbit/s); the bandwidth is 700 MHz. Category 7 cable is equipped with an external shield and additional protective elements.

Shielding

Shielding of cables reduces noise on the line. Unshielded cable is sufficient for making network connections from the wall panel to the computer equipment; shielded cable is necessary when pulling lines in walls, on the outer surfaces of structures, in areas with a high intensity of interference and electromagnetic radiation.

Network products with shielding are represented by brands:

  • FTP - denotes products with a foil single shield;
  • F2TP - cable products are shielded with 2 layers of foil;
  • S/FTP - each core of the product is shielded with foil, copper alloy mesh is used for the outer layer;
  • STP - cores have foil protection, external shielding of wire structure is provided;
  • U/STP - core protection with foil, no external insulation is provided;
  • SF/UTP - products with double outer shielding, braiding of copper and foil sheets, twisted pair by the characteristics of the most durable and protected from the effects of precipitation.

For residential premises cable products with F2TP or FTP shielding are recommended. To buy for networks in public premises it is recommended to buy products with the markings SF/UTP, S/FTP.

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