The plugs or modular connectors are affixed to the ends of Ethernet cables, while the sockets or jacks are normally embedded in devices or wall sockets. Wired Ethernet connections between devices are often preferred as a physical alternative to wireless or Wi-Fi networks.

See to the right for a Cat5e cable diagram, showing the basic construction of different types of Cat5e Ethernet cables. They are collectively known as Ethernet or network communication cables and are used to achieve high-speed data transfer connections. In the case of Ethernet networking, the plug fixtures on cable ends are the RJ45 male parts, while the sockets found on the devices themselves are RJ45 female parts.

The most commonly used form of Cat5 cable is Cat5e cable which supports the network bandwidth of up to 100MHz. Conversely, the role of sockets is to transfer the electrical data signal through to the device it is being shared with. The more modern Cat5e cable is produced to a higher standard, and is designed to reduce “crosstalk,” which is the phenomenon of unwanted transfer of signals in the wire that reduces throughput. Never bend CAT5 wire tightly around a corner; make sure it bends gradually, so that a whole circle would be at least 2" across. Small office networks, such as those linking computers to a router via a short Cat5e patch cable or similar will generally be fine using stranded Ethernet wiring.

These days, the choices comes down to a handful of different types: Cat5, Cat6, and Cat7, with some variations.Cat5e can have speeds of 1000 Mbps, and is used in many residential and commercial wired applications for Gigabit Ethernet. These "next generation" cable choices of Cat7 and above are more suited to data centers, than residential applications. And if you want straight-through transmission, then you must align those colored wires using the diagram below.

Ethernet connections between devices provide a reliable, stable and interference free connection with fast data transfer speeds and are sometimes more preferred than wireless or Wi-Fi networks. In day-to-day practical terms, most users will chiefly be interested in what internet speeds or data transfer speed each standard support. Common pre-cut lengths you will see on sale at UK suppliers include 30cm/300mm, 50cm/500mm, 1m, 2m, 3m, 5m, 10m, 30m, 100m, 152m, and 305m. An easy way to remember the two different RJ45 connector pinouts is T568A is used in America and Asia, and T568B is used in Britain(UK) and Europe. This is because wired Ethernet tends to provide a more reliable, stable, and interference-free connection.The outer materials are made from thermoplastics, which makes them highly resistant to shock, vibration and extreme temperatures. Wired Ethernet Connections and RJ45 Connectors Types of RJ45 Connector RJ45 Pin Assignment Wiring an RJ45 Connector Crimping Tools for RJ45 Connectors RJ45 Cables Where to Next? For an RJ45 network connector to function properly, the eight Ethernet cabling wires must be inserted into the correct pinout locations on the male connector.

Note that all Cat5e cable is fully backwards compatible with any devices or ports (jacks) that support the use of a Cat5 wired Ethernet connection. In basic construction terms, there are two main types of Cat5 and Cat5e cable, namely stranded core and solid core. One reason for this is that some high-quality Cat6 Ethernet cables achieve their higher bandwidth (and better resistance to crosstalk and attenuation) partly by using thicker individual wire strands than some older Cat5 models.

This includes 5m of patch cables at either end of the cable run, so the fixed cabling’s actual distance is 90m. Beyond that, you can upgrade further to Cat6A (up to 550 MHz and 10 Gbps), Cat7 Ethernet cable (up to 600 MHz and 10 Gbps), and even Cat8 versions (2000 MHz and 25-40 Gbps).