What Kind of Copper Cabling Is There and What’s Best for Me?

What kind of copper cabling is there and what’s best for me?

• Category 5 (Cat5) Cable: Provides a bandwidth of 100 Mbps and was a standard for Ethernet and telephone networks, however this is slowly becoming redundant.
• Category 6 (Cat6) and 6A (Cat6A) Cables: Designed for higher performance, with Cat6 supporting data transmission rates up to 10 Gbps over shorter distances, and Cat6A offering better performance over longer distances.

• Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP): The most common choice in LAN environments, UTP cables are cheaper and easier to install due to their flexibility. However, they are more susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can be a concern in environments with heavy electrical equipment. This can be avoided as much as possible by separating data cables from power cables.

• Shielded/Foil Twisted Pair (STP/FTP): STP cables include a shielding layer that provides additional protection against EMI. This makes them suitable for industrial environments or areas with high EMI. However, STP cables are more expensive, less flexible and larger in size, which could equate to more expensive containment for the cables.