What does UTP, STP cabling mean?
Twisted pair cables. UTP is for Unshielded, twisted pair, while STP is for SHIELDED, twisted pair. UTP is what’s typically installed by phone companies (though this is often not of high enough quality for high- speed network use) and is what 10BaseT Ethernet runs over. UTP is graded according to its data carrying ability (e.g., Level 3, Level 4, Level 5). 10BaseT Ethernet requires at least Level 3 cable. Many sites now install only Level-5 UTP, even though level 4 is more than sufficient for 10BaseT, because of the greater likelihood that emerging high-speed standards will require cable with better bandwidth capabilities. STP is typically used for applications that have devices that can create noise (such as AC drives) attaching the shield at one switch grounds the noise.
