What is the name of the cable that goes from the router to the computer?

Twisted pair is a type of communication cable that consists of one or more pairs of insulated conductors, twisted together (with a small number of turns per unit length), covered with a plastic sheath.

How to set up an Internet connection via cable on Windows 7?

Setting up a network connection for Windows 7

1. Let's go to Start.
2. Then click on Control Panel.
3. Select Network and Sharing Center.
4. Next, in the upper left corner, go to Change adapter settings.
5. We select the connection for the network adapter to which the connection cable for our network is connected.

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But which switches and Ethernet cables should you buy?

This is also a pretty easy question.

For Ethernet switches, you need a quality “Gigabit Ethernet Switch”. We recommend purchasing the 8-port D-Link Gigabit DGS-108, which is perfect for home use.

This switch is very easy to use: when you plug in the Ethernet cable and the connector flashes green, then it works at 1 gigabit speed. If the indicator is orange, the speed is only 10 or 100 Mbit/s. This way you can determine which Ethernet adapter is used in your computer, as we already discussed above.

When it comes to Ethernet cables, you just need to make sure that you are using Cat 6 (Category 6). Ethernet cables usually have a category printed on them, such as:

Please note that there are other types of Ethernet cables such as Cat 5, Cat 5e, Cat 6a, etc. Any cable that says Cat 6 is a great option for our situation (regardless of the letter at the end, if any). You should not buy Cat 5 Ethernet cables because they are designed to operate on networks less than 1 Gbps.

By the way, the connectors on Ethernet cables do not play a special role in the quality and speed of the signal. The four twisted pairs of wires inside the cable are much more important. The higher the category, the faster the cable will transmit data. This is why you should use Cat 6 or higher. Cat 6 is for Gigabit Ethernet!

Also, you don't have to worry about shielding if you buy a ready-made cable. Just make sure it's Cat 6 and you're good to go!

Crosstalk

Both standards use copper wire, most often with 4 twisted pairs (8 wires) per wire, the difference is in the cable gauge, Category 6 uses 23 AWG, and Category 5e uses 24 AWG. American Wire Gauge (AWG) is a US standard for conductor size; the larger the gauge number, the smaller the diameter and thinner the wire. In the past, the 250 MHz performance provided by Category 6 was often achieved by using nylon splines that shielded each of the twisted pairs, reducing crosstalk, which increased speed but made the cable stiff. Currently, cables in this category are more flexible, using different separators.

Category 6 twisted pair cables have more stringent requirements for crosstalk as well as system noise. Not only does it significantly reduce near-end interference (NEXT) during transmission compared to CAT5e, but it also handles return loss (RL) and insertion loss (IL) better. The result is less noise, fewer errors and increased data transfer rates.

Marking

All that remains is to determine the length and get acquainted with the cable markings in practice.

The main indicators are:

• U/UTP – unshielded,
• Cat5e – category 5e for 1 Gbit/s local area,
• PVC – polyvinyl chloride, sheath,
• 4x2x0.48 – four pairs of two wires each with a cable cross-section of 0.48 mm,
• Solid - a rigid type of core core (does not bend much, but has lower losses during signal transmission).

Choose the length based on the tasks for now, and not in reserve. Otherwise, this loop of wire will remain a loop for many years.

What is a twisted pair cable?

Interweaving wires in pairs is an invention that is more than 150 years old. Initially, this method of organizing communication was used for telegraph communication, then for a long time twisted pair became the standard for analog telephony. Twisting has proven to be an effective measure to counteract external electromagnetic interference while protecting against internal interference. Currently, the term “twisted pair” is used primarily in relation to computer networks, having been transformed from two-pair to four-pair.

Each pair is designed to transmit one signal: either transmitted data or received. In this case, through one of the conductors of the pair, the signal is transmitted in antiphase to the other - this allows you to get rid of most electromagnetic interference: the receiver, having received two signals through a pair of wires, subtracts one signal from the other. In this case, the useful signal (since it goes in antiphase) is amplified, and the interference (moving along both wires in the same phase) is eliminated. Each pair of wires is marked with one color, with one of the wires of the pair marked with a solid color, and the second with the same color, but intermittently or with a stripe.

For the same purpose (protection from interference), pairs are twisted - this ensures the same impact of interference on both wires, regardless of the direction to its source.

Network cable for internet

The expansion of the area of ​​application of the global computer system stimulates the creation of the home Internet. Connecting a PC using a specialized company will entail certain financial costs. You can do the necessary installation work yourself, the main thing is to decide which Internet cable to choose.

Main categories, their characteristics

Electric current conductors isolated from each other and enclosed in a shell consist of copper or copper-plated elements. When connecting a home PC, when the distance to the outlet is short, it is enough to use an electrical cord made of composite materials (steel, aluminum). Copper coating guarantees minimal energy losses.

In most cases, preference is given to an aluminum core, which has greater flexibility and elasticity than a steel core. Its use reduces the risk of breakage during installation work. If you have financial resources, it is recommended to use only a copper conductor, which allows you to transmit and receive high-quality signals.

Based on the number of cores, cables are divided into:

1. single-core, consisting of one copper, copper-plated wire;
2. stranded, consisting of several conductors.

Network cables used to connect and transfer information between computers are divided into categories that differ in the diameter of the wire, the insulating material separating it, and the length of one full turn. The most used are categories 5e, 6e (unshielded twisted pair). The differences are in the thickness of the section, an increase in the pitch of twisting of the cores, which affects the transient attenuation of the signal.

Practically, all owners of existing communication channels with the world computer system use unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable of the fifth category. 6e of copper conductors is used when the distance between communication points exceeds 50 meters.

Cable interference protection

When operating computer devices, it is necessary to protect the transmitting and receiving signals of the cord itself. Depending on the application, different countermeasures are used:

• chemical (from moisture, gas, ultraviolet radiation);
• mechanical (external influence factors - impacts, bends, twisting);
• shielding (from internal and external radiation from technical means of information processing).

Power is the root cause of the appearance of electrical signals operating in electrical networks. Shielding helps neutralize and reduce the influence of external electromagnetic fields on the Internet cable.

Protected conductors, enclosed in tight-fitting material, are marked and insulated with foil:

• FTP - isolated. They have a single signal suppressor;
• F2TP – double protection cord with a thin metal sheet;
• S/FTP. The insulated cores are protected, the surface covering is copper weaving;
• STP – individual conductors, the entire cable;
• U/STP. Each individual wire is covered with a thin sheet of metal;
• SF/UTP. There is a double coating of copper braid and metallic paper.

When answering the question of which Internet cable is best, you need to pay attention to the estimated distance from the provider to the PC, the type of wire (shielded, without a protective screen, its resistance indicator). Preference is given to unshielded, the cost of which is less than that protected by a screen or braid. If used correctly, it can last for a long time.

Shielded, placed in a corrugated pipe, is more protected from mechanical damage and is used when installing computer networks.

For home connections, in most cases, a four-pin UTP template is used. It is unshielded and susceptible to all kinds of energy emissions operating in electrical and magnetic networks.

The most secure is FTP, which resists changes in the state of the electromagnetic field of artificial origin.

Installing an Internet cable in an apartment

When installing it yourself in an apartment, you must read the instructions for carrying out the specified work and get advice from experienced installers. Internet cable installation can be done in various ways:

— Hidden, for which it is necessary to make special grooves (grooves) in the walls where the wires are hidden. Used during major repairs or during construction work. When laying an Internet cable hidden, the cord is pulled through a corrugated pipe and secured in a groove. Sockets and other elements are mounted in round recesses. The surface is rubbed with plaster. The router is fixed in a special niche covered with a shield. This installation allows you not to disturb the interior of the apartment;

- Open. This method is required for wooden houses. In concrete rooms, the Internet cable is laid along the wall surface and covered with cable ducts, baseboards, and fillets. It is advisable to use products with several channels, where you can simultaneously install an electrical, television, and network cable. It is necessary to follow simple rules - you cannot leave Internet cables, wiring on vertical, enclosing structures, floors, or cover them with plaster.

Connection to the connector

It is used when replacing a failed special item for connecting to a provider’s wire, connecting a personal computer to a router with a twisted pair cable, connecting two computers on a local network. Represents the fastening of special disconnectors at the ends of the cord.

A network cable used to switch connections between a computer and network equipment is crimped in two ways: straight and cross, which differ in the pressing of the cores in the connector.

A computer hub (straight) is used when connecting two different types of devices (a computer and a TV to a router, a device capable of performing a specific operation to a switch, a router to a switch, a computer to a modem). It is named because the veins are arranged in the same order. At home it is used to build a local network via fiber optic cable.

Computer-to-computer (cross-cross) is used to connect similar devices: computer-to-computer, router-to-router, TV-to-computer. Named for the cross arrangement of the connector cores. One end is crimped with a direct connection, the other with a modified sequence.

Name options

You've probably heard words like:

• network cable,
• twisted pair,
• twisted pair cable,
• patch cord,
• Ethernet cable,
• Internet cable,
• LAN cable,
• Internet cord.

All these words are synonyms. Used to describe a cord designed to connect network devices to each other. The origin of these synonymous words is to one degree or another connected with the topic of network connection.

The cable from the router to the computer is called twisted pair, due to the peculiarities of the weaving of the cores inside the cable. There are eight of them in total, and they are arranged in pairs (four pairs).

We wrote about which cable to choose for connecting the Internet in an apartment here.

The LAN and Ethernet prefixes are added because of their designation. The first is a local area network, which means connecting computers and other gadgets into one network located at a short distance from each other. The second is the technology for organizing LAN networks.

If the words “network” and “Internet” do not require explanation, then it is advisable to explain the patch cord. A beautiful word borrowed from the English language. Patching cord translated as connecting cord.

Decide for yourself which synonym to use in the lexicon. But remember this:

1. Twisted pair is a general name for the wires that are used to deploy a network.
2. Patch cord is a generalized name for a ready-made cable that can be used to connect any devices, not necessarily “LAN”. But over the past decades, this word has been assigned to the cable that is used in Ethernet. At the ends of the patch cord there are two identical 8P8C connectors, which many mistakenly call “RJ-45” without adding the letter S.

The RJ-45 standard is used in the 8P4C connector, which is not compatible with the 8P8C. According to one version, the confusion occurred due to the external similarity of the connectors.

Conductor material.

Conductors in pairs are made of copper, aluminum and bimetal (copper-bonded aluminum). Initially, the conductor material was exclusively copper. However, copper has a drawback - it is high cost, and therefore aluminum, and later bimetallic twisted pair, which costs less than copper, appeared on the market. But are such savings beneficial in the long term? To obtain a high-quality and long-term operating network, and even more so to pass certification, it is only possible by using copper conductors.

Table of AWG values ​​for solid cables.

RJ-45 connectors corresponding to categories.

Main types

Currently, various types of cables are used to increase the speed of information transfer in networks. Their main difference is their technical characteristics.

Three main types are used:

• Twisted pair;
• Fiber optic;
• Coaxial;

Important. In addition to the cord itself, it is equally important what type of core and how the product is shielded.

twisted pair

Twisted pair cable is the most common method of data transmission in local networks. Each cord includes a set of stranded, insulated copper wires in pairs. A regular cord contains 4 pairs of conductors. The industry also produces wire with only 4 cores.

The insulation is painted in standard colors. The main requirement for laying networks is the need to locate all devices at a distance of less than 100 meters.

Depending on the insulating braid, twisted pair cables can be divided into several categories:

• UTP – without protection. Apart from their own plastic protection of the cores, no insulation is provided.
• F/UTP - a layer of reflective foil is fixed on top of all conductors.
• STP (secured). Each of the conductors is covered with an additional layer of shielded film. Additionally, a mesh screen is used.
• S/FTP – foil, shielded pair. Each pair of conductors is in its own braid, and for reliability, the wire itself is protected by a copper shield.
• SF/UTP – a double screen is attached for protection: copper film and foil.

Fiber optic network cable

Important. This Internet cable is the fastest way to transmit information. It is used to transmit data via the Internet to another part of the world and to other countries.

Main advantages of the cable:

• High throughput.
• Long service life.
• It is easy to detect outside interference, which significantly improves data security.
• Noise reduction and protection from various interruptions and interference.
• High data transfer speed.

Coaxial wire

This type of Internet cable for computers is the oldest. It is rarely used to transmit data for television and radio. This type of equipment is practically not used for lan networks and internet.

General rules for selecting and connecting twisted pair

Twisted pair, connector, Ethernet connection are concepts that frighten the inexperienced user, but everything is not so complicated.

When selecting a VP, first of all, you need to pay attention to the purpose (laying a telephone line or local network), as well as the required data transfer speed and the required length. These three factors influence the choice of category.

Operating conditions will affect the choice of color, and the installation location (inside the walls or indoors) will affect the “vitality”.

The selected cable must be crimped (crimped); as a rule, this can be done in a store, but at home it is not a difficult task. You just need to look at how to insert the twisted pair into the connector, the sequence of wires, and also choose the crimping method (with special pliers or a screwdriver).

In any case, an attentive user will be able to figure out the selection task: twisted pair markings, color order and designation on diagrams are standard and publicly available.