5. Network Cables
a. Cabling categories describe the kind of cable and the througput capacity.
b. A round cable containing some number of pairs of twisted wires; it may have an
outer foil shield or not. (Four pairs are common in LAN installations, terminated
with an RJ-45 connector.)
c. A round cable containing a single conductor surrounded by an insulator and a
second shield-conductor. Typically terminated by a BNC (Ethernet) or screw
(CATV) connector.
d. A round cable containing a number of individual optic fibers, each of which
consists of a hollow glass tube surrounded by reflective cladding.
e. Twisted pair is cheapest and slowest (up to 100Mb/sec, currently) Fiber is most
expensive and fastest. Coaxial cable is in the middle; more expensive than TP but
easier to handle than coax.
