What are the different types of cable for LANs?
A. There are three common types of UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cable that are used in LANs: Category 3 UTP , also known as phone cable or Cat3. Cat3 cable is only designed for Ethernet speeds up to 10Mbps. Category 3 cable can be successfully run for a distance up to 100 meters (328 feet) Category 5 UTP, also known as Cat5 is the most common Ethernet cable used today in modern networks. Cat5 cable looks similar to Cat3 but its electrical properties are different. Cat5 can support speeds from 10Mbps up to 1000 Mbps. Standard Cat5 cable is not recommended for 1000BaseT distances over 25 feet. Category 5E UTP, the latest cable standard is known as Cat5e (Enhanced). Cat5e is an upgraded version of Cat5 cable. Cat5e provides fast network transmission speed from 10Mbps up to 1000 Mbps. If you are building your home network for the first time and Cat 5e is available in your area, you may want to install CAT5e on your network to insure the best possible transmission speed of your home or off
