Network cables are commonly known as RJ45 cables and are used to physically connect servers and computers to allow the sharing of data. Data can be in the form of computers talking to one another or for specific uses such as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
The network cables come in many colours, commonly blue, black, green, grey, orange, purple, white and yellow. The defacto standard for data is normally grey and many IT administrators use blue for voice data. Black is normally used for cross over cables. Cross over cables allow two computers to connect together without using a network hub. Which ever colouring sytem you use, it is important to stick to these colours so that other members of the IT team can understand at a glance the use of the specific network cable. Most IT departments will have strict codes which must be adhered to on what colour to use with the varying data types.
The network cables come in various lengths. Most commonly they 0.5m, 1m, 1.5m, 2m, 3m, 5m, 7m, 9m, 10m, 15m, 20m, 25m, 30m, 40m and 50m, the most common of these is the 0.5m network cables. The reason being is that they are used most in the connection of network switches. Have a look at the back of any large server and you will see row after row of these small network cables. Every now and again, you will see an imitation of spaghetti junction behind a server, where cables have been used that have not been in stock at the time. Whilst this will still make the system work, it is untidy and something that most IT administrators are meticulous about. Good housekeeping, properly used network cables.
Using RJ45 cables with gold plated plugs ensure a longer life for your network cable significantly reducing erosion and provides better contact.
There are various different qualities for each cable. Cat5e RJ45 cables are generally used for 10/100 networks (which are 10MBit and 100Mbit network card compatble, although they do work at 1GBit). Cat6e RJ45 cables are the standard cable for 1GBit networks and are well shielded to prevent data loss. Using a Cat5e cable on a 1GBit is not the standard network cable that should be used as it does not have the shielding.
From High street retailers to online suppliers you will see the price of a cable varies dramatically. Without question the high street stores put a large mark up on these types of cables. Mainly due to the low profit they get from their larger hardware items, hence increasing their profitability through peripherals. The cheaper cables of matching, if not better quality, can be found from the online suppliers who are solely dedicated to cable selling. Large savings can be made when buying in bulk from these online retailers.
Every IT department has a budget. Some budgets are large and some are small but it is very important for the upkeep of the computer systems that the correct quality RJ45 cables are used. And for precision it is also important to have the right length and keep to the colour standards defined by the head of the IT department.
By: Neil MacLeod
Posts Tagged ‘Network Cable’
Troubleshooting Four Common Network Card Problems
December 30th, 2009
As the network card is popularized all over the world, it has become a bridge between computers and the network. Once the network adapter goes on the fritz, PC users will suffer lots of unaccountable troubles and feel helpless. Here I will list some common network card malfunctions and their solutions:
Network connection
A network card usually has two indicator lights (LED): the green light shows that the card is receiving electricity; the orange (10Mb/s) or red (100 Mb/s) light indicates network activity (sending or receiving data). When a network card is working regularly, its lights are sustained (flickering when transmitting data), but if the lights become too bright or too dark every now and then, furthermore, computer drops online frequently, most possibly this net card and its PCI slot are poorly connected. Different from other PCI devices, if you often plug net card or move computer, the network connection is easily loose because of poor contact. You can fix this glitch by plugging the net card again or changing to another free PCI slot. Moreover, if there is too much dust on the card, the card’s golden finger is severely oxidized, or the network cable connector is broken, the network connection also would be unstable, well then you need to clean the card, wipe the golden finger with some paper or change a connector.
Drivers
Network card is the same as other hardware devices: its imperfect driver may bring about problems. If your card encounters some inexplicable errors, you can download and set up the latest drivers from some professional websites to repair these errors. In case your network adapter’s malfunction happens after you updated driver, you can restore the driver with the driver program that came with your adapter.
Magnetic field problem
Network adapter is easily interrupted by the magnetic field, so you should avoid putting your computer near to the devices like microwave oven, fridge or TV that have a large and strong magnetic field.
Network cables
Poor network cables and connectors would also affect your net card working. In addition to selecting better twisted pair, you should also note that whether the connection between your network adapter port and connector is in good, and whether the order of the data lines in the connector accords with the international 568a and 568b network cables (especially those self-made connectors).
By: Molly Smith
Wireless Home Networking – How Do I Add a Printer to My Network?
November 18th, 2009
You have gotten your home wireless network up and running without too much trouble. You have learned that it is really convenient to be able to go from place to place and continue your work or play without being tethered by cords and wires.
But you do work and you need to print items from time to time. But the only printer you have is up in the home office and it is connected to your old desktop pc. It is a major hassle every time you have to print something. You have to save the file to a thumb drive or send it as an attachment to an email. Then you have to go all the way up to your office and power up your desktop. When it finally boots up, you have to open you mail or attach you thumb drive and save the file to the desktop. Now you fire up the printer and finally, you print it out.
There has to be a better way. There is! Attach you printer to your home wireless network and you can print anytime and from anywhere in your home. But how?
If you printer has a built in Ethernet adapter, just hook it up to you network. But I have a feeling if it had a NIC built-in, you would have already done that and have had little need to find and read this article in the first place!
Or you could go out and buy a printer with an Ethernet NIC built-in, bring it home, plug it in and off you go. But why spend money on a new printer when you have a perfectly good laser printer and color ink printer just sitting there?
Well, the cheapest and easiest way is to leave your desktop on all the time and enable printer sharing on that computer for that printer. Well, that was quick and easy but hardly the best solution available. If you don’t want you computer sitting idle 99% of the time in the off chance you will print something, there is a better solution.
Get a print server. There are dozens of choices on the market and these devices can breathe new life into the printers you already own. Some connect with a network cable but more and more models are coming onto the market that are wireless. This is worth every penny if you want your printers in an out-of-the-way location and you do not have Ethernet cabling in that location.
Just shop around and you should be able to find a print server solution to fit your needs. Expect to pay more for a wireless solution but prices have really come down over the last year.
By: Jeff Runyon
