Is patch cable/cord is like straight cable or something else?
“Usually” a patch cord is what is considered a straight-through cable. A standard network (RJ-45) cord has 8 conductors, or wires, inside of it. They are numbered 1 through 8 starting from the left with the top of the connector held up towards you. A straight-through cable means that the conductors match on each side. i.e., pin 1 on one end goes to pin 1 on the other end… same for pins 2-8. The other common variation is what is known as a cross over cable. This is where the first and third pairs are inverted… This type of cable is used when you want to hook certain devices together (such as two computers) without connecting them two a switch. In most cases if you’re just hooking your home computer into a router or cable/DSL modem the straight-through patch cord is what you want.
