QandAs: Tech

What is Cat 5?

Answer:
Cat 5 is a common term used for Category

5 cable. Another term used for Cat 5 is “Cable and Telephone.” Designed to provide integrity for high signal communication, this type of cable has two conductors which are wound together to cancel out electromagnetic interference.

Cat 5 cable is generally used for 100 Mbps networks. It is also inexpensive and can be safely run up to 328 feet. This type of cable is available in both stranded and solid core forms. Stranded core is often used to patch cables which connect computer network cards to a network jack terminal. Stranded cores are more flexible than a solid core; however, a solid core cable is easier to connect to a terminal.

An enhanced version of Cat 5 is Cat 5e; however, Cat 5e cable distances for Ethernet networks are still limited.