A UTP cable may sound complicated, but it is nothing less than a network cable. Via these cables, your house is provided with a good power supply and you can use the internet in several places in the house. Of course there are, it won’t be, countless different cables available. It is therefore possible that you do not see the trees for the forest and have no idea which cable is best for you. To help you on your way, we tell you more about the different UTP cables in this article.
We are going to briefly explain what such a UTP cable is exactly. UTP stands for nothing less than Unshielded Twisted Pair. These cables are used for the construction of computer and telephone networks. Although the UTP cable may have a somewhat complicated name, you can also simply refer to it as an internet or ethernet cable. Sometimes people just want to make things a little more difficult than they actually are.
These cables are identified by a category number. For that reason, there is sometimes something in the form of Cat6 Cable on the cords. This is nothing less than an indication of the type category. So don’t get confused by this right away.
Which internet cable do you need exactly?
If you want to use telephony or internet at home, you need a network cable. In this case you can choose from a shielded (FTP) or unshielded UTP cable (STP). You can also choose from several other options. It is important to know exactly what you want to do with this. Is it a large company that you want to provide with the best quality cables? Then it is important that you take a cable with a large range and high throughput. Is it a cable for a telephone network that you will hardly use? Then you can also reconsider this. You need less than in the first case.
The choice between a shielded or unshielded cable is, as mentioned, also an important one. A shielded FTP cable is very important if there are other power cables near the internet cable. Using the foil in the FTP cable simply reduces the chance of interference from those other cables. These are things that you want to avoid if, for example, you always have to be provided with a well-functioning internet network.
What speed do you need?
As mentioned, it is important to consider how you are going to use the cable. To make it easier for you, we tell you about 3 situations, so that you can let go of your own situation.
At home with your family – Cat6/Cat6a cable
The first situation we will cover is the home network. If you use the internet cable alone or with your family, in most cases you can simply solve this with a Cat6 cable. If you now use a lot, for example by streaming or downloading a lot, it is advisable to switch to a Cat6a cable. He could have just that little bit more.
A small business – Cat6a cable
If you have your own company with a number of employees, then you obviously need a little more. Especially if this involves the necessary downloads from everyone. For these situations it is therefore smart to use a Cat6a cable. This also applies to a situation where if you work from home, someone else in the house is also using the internet. Think of playing children or a partner who is also just at work.
A big company – Cat7 cable
Finally, we give an indication of which cable best suits a larger company. If you have an IT company or if you just need to be in contact with people a lot via email or telephone, then it is smart to use a Cat7 cable. In this way you can continue working undisturbed and there are no disruptions. Very important in a workplace where internet is essential. Given the fact that we are only going to make more and more use of the internet and online contacts, a Cat7 cable is perfect for the future.
Which cable suits you best?
After reading this article, you should know which cable best suits your work. Make this estimate right to save the necessary costs and also to always be equipped with a properly working internet. Good luck with the choice!
