Network Cables

datacable55 — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:29:20 +0000

Patch panels are used as the central point in a network where all the network cables terminate. It is the grand central station of the network. Networks that use patch panels (and almost all modern networks use this technology) are consider “star-networks” or they use the term “star-topology.” This is because if you look at a drawing of your network, all the network nodes (nodes are end-points on the network and include things like computers and printer) all connect back to the central “hub” and it looks like a big starburst. Another term is “spoke-and-wheel”
where the “wheel” is your hub and patch panel and the individual cables going out to your nodes (computers and printers) become the spokes.

Advantages:

1) Easy to use and to understand.

2) Requires least amount of cable to connect the computers together. It is therefore less expensive than other cabling arrangements.

3) It is easy to extend a bus; two cables can be joined into 1 longer cable with a BNC, Barrel connector making a longer cable and allowing more computers to join the network.

Disadvantages:

1) Heavy network traffic can slow a bus considerably as only 1 computer can send a message at a time.

2) It is difficult to troubleshoot the bus. A cable break or loose connector causes reflection and stops all the activity.

Star Topology

In this kind of topology all the cables run from the computers to the central location where they are all connected by a device called hub or switch. Each computer on a star network communicates with a central device that resends the message either to each computer or only to the destination computer, e.g. if it is a hub then it will send to all and if it is a switch then it will send to only destination computer.When network expansion is expected and when the greater reliability is needed, star topology is the best.

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.

I hope that data cables is clear to you now.