Cat 5
Alternatively known as an Ethernet cable or LAN cable, a Cat 5 or category 5 is a network cable that consists of four twisted pairs of copper wire terminated by an RJ-45 connector. The picture shows an example of a Cat 5 cable.
Cat 5 cable is used with home and business networks to connect computers to each other and the Internet and provide transmission speeds between 100 Mbps and 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps). The maximum recommended length of a Cat 5 cable is 100 meters. Exceeding this length without the aid of a bridge or other network device could cause network issues, including data packet loss and data transmission speed degradation.
Wire order in a Cat 5 cable
A Cat 5 cable contains 8 wires made of plastic and copper that must be connected to a connector in a specific order. If the wires are in a different order, the cable does not work. There are two standards, T568A and T568B, for the order of the wires. Each standard has the same performance and does not provide an advantage over the other. However, you must use the same wire order on each end of the Cat 5 cable.
The tables and images below display the color and order of the wires in a Cat 5 cable, for each wiring standard. As seen in the tables, the cable contains a blue, brown, green, orange wire and a white stripped version for each of these colors.
How to remove a Cat 5 cable
- Locate the Cat 5 cable; it should be on the back or side of your laptop or desktop computer. If you're disconnecting the cable from a network modem, switch, or router locate the correct cable on that device.
- Grasp the cable connector as close to the port as you can.
- You should feel a tab on the top or bottom (it may be under a rubber cable end coating). Depress the tab and pull the cable out. The cable should be easy to remove if the tab is pressed properly.
When attempting to disconnect the cable always pull by the connector and not the cable (wire). Pulling on only the cable may pull the wires out of the connector.
The cable should come out very easily. If it doesn't, you haven't pressed the tab down far enough.
How is Cat 5 installed in a home or office?
For a new home or office that's being built, Cat 5 cable is placed in the walls with pre-existing construction cable may run through raised flooring, ceiling, or behind molding. These cables connect to an outlet with RJ-45 ports on one end and switch, router, or modem on the other end.
Cable, Cat, Cat 1, Cat 2, Cat 3, Cat 4, Cat 6, Cat 7, Data cable, Ethernet, LAN, Network, Network terms, RJ-45, Toner probe