What is twisted pair

This type of cable is widely used in different kinds of data and voice infrastructures. Experts point out that twisted pair cabling is often used to help avoid certain kinds of signal interference. Two different types of twisted pair cable, unshielded twisted pair UTP and shielded twisted pair STP are used in different kinds of installations.

UTP is common in Ethernet installations, while STP is used in various kinds of networks to prevent crosstalk and electromagnetic interference. STP cable can also help to provide grounding. In general, twisted-pair cabling may be preferred over a common alternative, coaxial cable, for different reasons. Coaxial cable involves a single, thicker wire. This requires that all land connection string is properly carried out and maintained. In other words, a shielded network must be very good, otherwise it may behave worse than an unshielded network, much cheaper.

If the length of the wire is small, a few hundred meters to several kilometers, speeds of several megabits per second can be achieved without unacceptable error rate. Over shorter distances, can be obtained without difficulty speeds of several tens of megabits per second. On even short distances, it is easily reached several hundred megabits per second. A distance of about m allows to increase the throughput to several gigabits per second. It is possible to compare the twisted pairs according to their crosstalk, that is to say the loss of part of the energy of the signal due to the proximity of another circuit and its attenuation.

A twisted pair consists of two copper wires about 1 mm thick. The performance of the wire improves with the increase in the number of twist per foot. This results in high voltage level in one wire than the other. Gauge is a measure of thickness of the conductor. The thicker the wire the less the resistance, the stronger the signal over a given distance and the better the performance of the medium.

As distance between network element increases, attenuation increases and quality decreases at a given frequency. It is relatively simple to place physical taps on UTP. The two types of twisted pairs are:. When two conductors run side by side, each generates its own electromagnetic field as energy moves through.

Occasionally, artificial connections can develop between the wires, and may create crosstalk, where signals jump between wires. This can create a compounding effect over long distances. Twisting limits exposure to interference by continually switching which wire is exposed to a neighbor.

Technicians do need to be careful with the wiring, as they could accidentally create a switched pair at the end, where two wires from two different pairs are joined together at a junction or connection box.

Manufacturers can introduce differing numbers of twists into the wire. Home Categories expand. What is Twisted Pair Cable? Twisted Pair Cable — A Primer Today we are going to discuss the most common medium used when deploying an Ethernet extender on your network — twisted pair copper cable.

What Makes a Twisted Pair Cable? Not suitable for transmitting data. Category 2—Capable of transmitting data at speeds up to 4 megabits per second Mbps. Can transmit data at speeds up to 10 Mbps. Category 4—Used in Token Ring networks. Can transmit data at speeds up to 16 Mbps. Category 5—Can transmit data at speeds up to Mbps. Category 5e —Used in networks running at speeds up to Mbps 1 Gbps.

When comparing UTP and STP, keep the following points in mind: The speed of both types of cable is usually satisfactory for local-area distances. These are the least-expensive media for data communication. Because most buildings are already wired with UTP, many transmission standards are adapted to use it, to avoid costly rewiring with an alternative cable type.