| Even when there seems to be wireless revolution, | | | | allow for longer connections. A cat5e connection |
| the world is still all is all wired up. Cables are found | | | | can only reach up to 100m, although it allows |
| everywhere: in computers, ATM machines, cellular | | | | better reception and less interference. |
| phones, and even television. And the most | | | | Buying the right cable |
| commonly used type of cable is called the | | | | When buying cat 5 cables, choose only the |
| Category 5 (Cat 5) cable. | | | | required length for your cat 5 cables. Next, check |
| Cat 5 cables are commonly used in Ethernet and | | | | to see that your cable meets the standards of |
| ATM machines. They are very common and quite | | | | the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) |
| simple - in fact, you can make your own Cat5 | | | | for efficiency and durability. |
| cables. Just twist four pairs of wire in a single, | | | | Make your own |
| insulating jacket. These four wires allow for a | | | | Nowadays, several websites are providing |
| balanced reception, resulting in less signal | | | | manuals on how to make your own cat5 cable. |
| interference and a smoother connection. | | | | This does save you money, but if you are not |
| New and improved cat5e? | | | | handy with electronics, there is a risk of producing |
| Recently, cat5 cables have evolved and became | | | | poor quality cables, damaging your connection, and |
| the cat5e cables. Introduced in 2001, this type is a | | | | possibly even damaging your equipment. If you |
| modified version of the cat 5, with an added | | | | have a few dollars to spare, it is better to |
| specification allowing for far end crosstalk. | | | | purchase ready made cat5 cables from reliable |
| However, this new technology does have its | | | | stores instead. |
| limitations. Since it is relatively new, it still doesn't | | | | |