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3.1.1 Twisted Pair

Twisted-Pair Network Cabling 0:00-0:15

In this lesson, we're going to talk about twisted-pair network cabling. This type of cabling is widely used because it's supported by many
networking standards, it's inexpensive, and it's relatively easy to work with.

Construction 0:16-0:51

Twisted-pair wiring is made up of pairs of copper wiring twisted around each other. These pairs form a path for an electrical signal, with each
wire carrying an equal but opposite signal. A typical twisted-pair cable has copper conductors that are between 22 and 24 gauges in
thickness. Each wire is wrapped in insulation, which is most often made of PVC. Twisted pairs are color-coded and then bundled together
and covered in a jacket or sheath. Most of the cables you'll work with will contain four individual twisted pairs of wires. In larger wiring
applications, you might see 25- to 100-pair cables.

Crosstalk 0:52-1:51

When you run an electrical current through a piece of copper wiring, a small amount of the signal is emitted beyond the insulation and
broadcasts a ghost image of what's being transmitted. If a wire is too close to another one, the neighboring wire might act like an antenna and
absorb the signal. This is called crosstalk.

Crosstalk creates a problem in network communications because legitimate data on one wire gets corrupted by the absorbed emissions from
another. To prevent this, we twist two wires together to complete an electrical circuit. The twisting action causes emitted signals to cancel
themselves out due to a principle of wave propagation called destructive interference. Since the emitted signals are canceled out, they can't be
absorbed by a neighboring pair. This allows the data on both pairs to arrive intact. Crosstalk can still occur if two pairs of wire have the same
number of twists. To prevent this, we give each pair within a length of cable a different number of twists.

Advantages 1:52-2:14

Twisted-pair cabling has several advantages over other types of network cabling. It's very flexible and less expensive. It's also easy to work
with and much easier to install. And you can run twisted-pair cabling around tight corners where other types of network cables simply can't
go without being damaged. Beyond this, all the newest network protocols are designed to run on twisted-pair cables.

Disadvantages 2:15-2:49

But there are some disadvantages as well. The jacket or sheath around these cables is relatively thin. It doesn't have a thick insulator like
coaxial cabling. Consequently, twisted-pair cables are susceptible to electromagnetic interference, or EMI. For example, running twisted
cables near fluorescent lights can cause interference.

They're also susceptible to eavesdropping. With the right equipment, you can pick up signals emanating from the wire, allowing you to
capture the data and see what's being transmitted. Other types of cabling, such as coaxial and fiber optic, are more resistant to eavesdropping.

Shielding and Drain Wire 2:50-3:51

Some twisted-pair cabling has an additional component called shielding. Shielding is electrically conductive material, like foil or braiding,
that's wrapped around pairs of wires. While shielding helps to minimize crosstalk, it's main purpose is to shield the cable from EMI that
would corrupt the data inside. Manufacturing plants with large, electrically powered equipment often use shielded twisted-pair cabling.

Since shielding is made of metal, it can also be used as a ground. But most shielded cables have a special grounding wire called a drain wire.
This wire doesn't have a plastic coating, so it's more likely any EMI will be absorbed by it than one of the twisted pairs.

While attempts have been made to standardize the abbreviations that designate the various ways shielding is used, the two most common
abbreviations are UTP for unshielded twisted pair and STP for shielded twisted pair. You'll find that people often use UTP when referring to
twisted-pair cabling in general.
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Plenum and Riser 3:52-4:44

A plenum space is the part of a building that provides a pathway for the airflow needed by heating and air conditioning systems. The space
above a dropped ceiling or under a raised floor is typically a plenum space. Fire can spread rapidly in these places, so if you install cables in a
plenum space, they should be plenum rated. Plenum-rated cables' insulation is made of low-smoke and low-flame material.

You should use riser-rated cables for installations that run between floors in a building. In case of a fire, these cables prevent flames from
traveling up the cable itself. The fire requirements on them aren't as strict as those for plenum-rated cables. Know that you can use plenum-
rated cables in place of riser-rated cables, but never use riser-rated cables in place of plenum-rated cables. Both of these typically include a
rope or filament that helps support their weight when they're installed vertically.

Solid vs. Stranded 4:45-5:26

The wires in twisted-pair cables can be a solid piece of copper made up of multiple strands. Solid wires conduct electrical signals better but
are more prone to break when they're repeatedly bent. Stranded wires are more flexible, but they don't carry signals as well.

You should use solid twisted-pair cables in permanent and semi-permanent installations, such as longer backbone runs and runs between
patch panels. Stranded cables are typically used for patch chords and in places where the cable might be moved frequently. You should use
stranded cables to connect workstations to wall plate outlets, to connect network devices to patch panels, and to connect equipment designed
for mobile use.

Categories 5:27-8:50

There are international standards bodies that rate twisted-pair cabling, primarily by the bandwidth that the cable can support. The physical
characteristics that contribute to bandwidth support include the quality of the copper used to make the conductors, how tightly the wires are
twisted together, and any shielding that's added on. The bottom line is that tighter twists and added shielding contribute to higher supported
bandwidths.

The first type you need to be familiar with is called Category 5, or Cat 5. Cat 5 cabling supports 100-megabit Ethernet, and it's sometimes
used with ATM networking. Early Cat 5 wiring had issues with excessive crosstalk, so an improved version was introduced called Cat 5e. Cat
5e is similar to Cat 5, but it offers better protection from crosstalk and EMI. Cat 5e can support Ethernet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second.

Cat 6 is very similar to Cat 5e, but it's designed to support very fast, high-bandwidth communications. Cat 6 cabling can be used with
Ethernet standards up to and including 10-gigabit Ethernet networks, though on a 10-gig network, Cat 6 cables must be much shorter than if
you used them with 100-megabit or 1-gigabit Ethernet networks. To use longer cables, you'd need to implement an improved version of Cat 6
called Cat 6a.

Cat 6a supports 10-gigabit Ethernet networks by adding a more effective sheathing. This helps eliminate the crosstalk experienced in Cat 6
when it was used in high-bandwidth environments. Also, Cat 6 cables almost always include a solid plastic core that keeps the twisted pairs
separated and prevents the cable from being bent too tightly.

The Cat 7 standard was ratified years before the Cat 6a standard to support 10-gigabit Ethernet networks. Achieving this speed required
shielding on each individual twisted pair and on the cable as a whole. Also, the Cat 7 standard specified two new connectors, the GG45 and
TERA connectors. The Cat 6a standard uses the same traditional connector as previous standards, so it conforms more closely to existing
infrastructures.

The newest standard is Cat 8. This is the fastest Ethernet cable, with data transfer speeds of up to 40 gigabits and bandwidth support of up to
2 gigahertz. Both the speed and the bandwidth are four times greater than achieved with a Cat 6a cable. These qualities help reduce latency
and give better signal quality. Similar to Cat 7, Cat 8 uses shielded foiled twisted-pair construction, which includes shielding around each pair
of wires within the cable to reduce near-end crosstalk. It also uses braiding around pairs to minimize electromagnetic interference in crowded
network installations.

If you have a network that requires Cat 3 cabling, you can use Cat 3, Cat 5e, or Cat 6 cables without any problems. Later standards are

backwards-compatible with earlier ones. However, if you have a later network specification that requires Cat 6a, you can't use Cat 3 or Cat
5e. You must use Category 6a. The exception is Cat 7, and that's only when it's terminated with TERA connectors. Cat 8, on the other hand,
is backwards-compatible with previous standards.

Connectors 8:51-10:33
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We see several types of connectors used with twisted-pair cabling. The RJ11 plug has four connectors and supports up to two pairs. It has a
locking tab to keep the connector from coming unplugged. RJ11 connectors are used for telephone wiring, so they're used to connect a DSL
router to the telephone network.

The RJ45 connector is widely used for network connections, especially for Ethernet networks. It has eight connectors, so it supports up to
four pairs of copper wire. It also has a locking tab to keep the connector from coming unplugged. Most manufacturers also include a rubber
boot that not only keeps

the end of the cable from being bent too sharply, but also protects the locking tab from snagging and breaking.

Twisted-pair couplers are used to connect two lengths of cable with RJ45 connectors on each end. The RJ48c connector looks very similar to
an RJ45 connector. It's difficult to differentiate the two by sight. The RJ48c connector uses two pairs of wires—one for transmitting and one
for receiving data. Instead of Ethernet networks, the RJ48c connector is commonly used for T1 WAN links provided by a
telecommunications provider.

We see the GG45 connector used with Cat 7 cabling. It's designed to be backwards compatible with the RJ45 connector but has four
additional conductors in the corners of the connector that duplicate and replace the four inner pins of the RJ45.

The TERA connector is also used with Cat 7 cabling but has a different footprint. It is not compatible with the RJ45 or GG45 connectors.
One benefit of the TERA connector is that you don't any special tools to install it.

Summary 10:34-11:22

That's it for this video. In this video, we went over some important facts about twisted-pair cabling. We learned that it uses copper wires
inside a cable sheath that are twisted together to reduce crosstalk. Shielding also reduces crosstalk, but more importantly, it reduces the
effects of EMI.

Either plenum- or riser-rated cables should be used for vertical cable runs between building floors. You should use plenum-rated cables in a
building's air handling spaces.

We also learned that there are several different types of twisted-pair wiring: Cat 5, 5E, 6, 6a, 7, and 8. Several connectors are used with
twisted-pair wiring, like RJ11, RJ45, RJ48c, GG45, and TERA. Remembering these facts will help you in your endeavors to safely and
securely set up your physical network infrastructure.

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