Written by Dave Harris, applicable technical specialist, Bicsi Inst1, Instc Certified

The axial cables were a cornerstone in the transfer of data for decades, which made everything from the cable TV to the high -speed internet. However, although it is widely used, axial technology is surrounded by misconceptions that often lead to confusion.

In this blog, we will deal with the most common myths and concepts about the axial cables, explain the facts, and help you make enlightened decisions for your projects.

Axial cable structure

Let’s jump directly!

The wrong belief: A pivotal cable does not need to ground.

Indeed, according to the national electrical symbol (NEC), it should be established. And if it is veiled to go to the antenna mast, the mast should also be a sign. If your cable service is used Coax to enter your home, there is a grounding block near the entrance to the cable associated with the ground system of the structure, usually at the ground rod. So in most homes, the central network of cables is already based.

You may install a pivotal cable for a different purpose, such as installing a plate of satellite. You will need to make sure that the cable may be based, not only to meet the code, but to work properly as well. To establish the cable, install a grounding block for F. Use the #14awg wire to connect the mass to the ground system. If you have a mast needing the ground as well, use the #10awg wire to the ground system to make the bond to the air mast.

Introduction mass of the axial cable using F. (Channelmaster.com)

Cable fasteners are usually associated with the pivot cable entrance to the Earth’s rod, because in most homes, they are likely to be close to each other. Even if not, we recommend not to drive a new ground rod. Any additional ground bars should be combined into the current ground electrode system, and there are rules to do so. If this seems to be a problem, it will be good to have an electrician on board.

If you want to see more about axial cable installation tips, look at “”How: Copper ethernet and cable installation for success“

The wrong belief: A pivotal cable cannot work in today’s network speeds.

The performance of the cable depends on the attenuation (the signal loss in DB/100ft), the external electronic effects such as electromagnetic interference, fixed accumulation, and restrictions on technology that provides signal. For most users at this time, COAX internet service is limited to about 1 GB per second using technologies such as Docsis and MoCA. Subscribers to the services provided via optical fibers are also operated at a speed of 1 GB per second for most users. Therefore, you may say that COAX works well at the speed of the network today. But some fiber providers started providing services at 2.5, 5 and 10 GB per second. We’ll see if COAX technologies can keep up with it.

Poor belief: The four -protection cable provides faster performance over longer distances than a double shield.

Consider a quadruple cable only after looking at the electronic environment at the installation site. If there is a source of fixed charging or electromagnetic interference, you should think about the Quartet cable. The only difference between the double shield and the quadruple shield is the amount of shielding. If there is nothing to shield it, there is no difference in performance. Without a source close to electromagnetic or fixed electromagnetment, there is nothing that can be acquired with a quarter cable.

Also, remember that cables with a quad, more heavier, more intense and more solid, are often more difficult to finish. I think COX SquIELD COAX is great, but only when I need it.

The wrong belief: The more hardy braid, the more effective the shielding.

It may seem clear that if you use more minerals in the shield, shielding is more effective. However, the host shield is just one part of the shield. The shield consists of the brake item, but it is also a foil component. The braids, chips, and even the interconnection method are part of an improved design to provide the most effective shield in the most common operating frequencies.

A heavier braid will make the entire cable heavier. Not only that, it will make the cable more solid and more difficult to finish. Even if it seems that the braid leaves some gaps on the surface of the protection, you can be confident that the shield is designed for optimal performance.

The wrong belief: the axial cable is a commodity element that will perform the same, regardless of the price.

Not all axial cables are designed and build the same thing. Also, the quality of materials and manufacturing varies between different manufacturers. Aluminum is widely used for each of the components of the axial axis and axial chips, but be careful of aluminum in the central conductor.

For many applications, CACS (CCS) steel is suitable for the central center connector, however, all our axial cables are made of a steel copper center connector, which increases conductivity and reduces signal loss due to attenuation. It may be a little more expensive, but we believe that low signal loss is worth it.

The wrong belief: the optical fibers are always faster than persuasion.

When it comes to Coaxial Vs Fiber Optic cables, it is widely recognized that optical fibers are able to achieve faster speeds in most circumstances.

But let’s focus on the word “always”. This is where things are difficult. Both axial cable and optical fibers theoretically transmit data. The main difference in attenuation lies: There is more signal loss (attenuation) with copper in the axial cables due to electrical resistance. This makes optical fibers in general faster in longer distances and higher data loads.

However, there are specialized scenarios where COAX may outperform the optical fibers over very short distances. Although I cannot think about a specific example of my head, I can imagine that it is theory.

Here is a fun hypothetical: If your optical fiber cable is One spot of dust on its final faceIt can hinder the performance enough that persuasion may actually be faster at that moment. In addition, COAX does not require a lot of maintenance – no need to carry a Dust!

What about this? If your fibers are One spot of dust on its final faceThen it will be faster. I do not have to carry anything Dust.

Coachery: Coax Series-6 (RG-6) is an updated alternative to Series-59 (RG-59) Coax.

Both the Series Cable -6 and Series-59 are still in use. The Series-59 cable is used for low frequency applications such as the closed radio and television antennas. The Series-6 cable is more suitable for high-frequency applications such as broadcasting of broad domain data and high-resolution TV. Since high frequency applications are more popular these days, it may seem that the Series-59 cable has been replaced by Series-6, but this is not the case.

Series Cable -6 and Series -59 chain cable, both of which were prepared for the end. The insomnia observed the central insomnia in the series cable-59, and the diameters smaller than the electric insulation and the jacket.

The choice of the cable is determined by the electronic equipment requirements that are connected to it. Series-59 cable has a 50ω resistance value. Series Cable -6 has 75ω resistance. The appropriate cable should be chosen to ensure that the disabilities match all over the transmission channel. Both Series Cable and Series-6 Coxial still have their right applications. If you want to learn more about the differences between the Coaxial Series-59 and Series-6 cable, check the entry of our blog, “RG59 VS RG6: The main differences and any central cable is the best for you“

Poor belief: The axial cable can transmit a signal from the ethernet box.

Once on the day of low -precision analog signals, it was possible to effectively operate a hundreds of hundreds and perhaps up to a thousand feet. This may still be true for certain types of signals, but not for broad domain data signals. For any specific axial cable, the higher the signal of the signal, the shorter the distance so that the loss of the sign is very large so that the signal cannot be used. Broad domain systems and digital satellites work at very high frequencies. For these signals, COAX from Series-6 (RG-6) can lead to a distance of 46 meters (150 feet).

The Ethernet (Copper Twised -Pair) is developed specifically to transfer digital data signals via ETHERNET. It is designed to perform a distance of up to 100 meters (328 feet). Series -11 (RG -11) can be apparently from the many ethnic cable Multiple or users.How long can I run a pivotal cable?“

The wrong belief: ancient cable.

A pivotal cable is still alive and healthy! It is used to transmit cable TV, closed circuit television, audio and visual systems, and satellite TV systems. When the Ethernet Protocol was first developed, use a pivotal cable for network connections. It can still be used for today, but the speed will be slow compared to the twisted copper ethernet cable.

Network interface card with both axial and twisted husband connectors

So what about modern axial cable applications? Can you still use a pivotal cable for the Internet? New technologies such as Docsis and MCA allow the use of current central cable installation operations for high -range applications. Docsis is a technique that allows the transmission of broadband signals to each of the cable and the Internet to distribute to buildings via the axial cable. MCA is a technology that allows the axial cables already in buildings to be used to transfer broadband signals. However, the use of MoCA requires investing in electronic devices to transform the signal between protocols. Also, MoCA is currently limited at 1 GB speeds per second. If you want to learn more about MOCA, its benefits and restrictions, check the entry of our blog, “MoCA opposite ethernet“

If you want faster mesh speed speeds, the axial cable inside the structure may need to already be replaced. The new DOCSIS 4.0 technology with 10 GB Internet service is provided by powerful and hybrid networks. However, although the Docsis modem and routers are characterized by a ppotist input, there is no ruling on pivotal output. All output ports are RJ45 Jacks for Ethernet cable. The good news is, as long as your inner pivot cable does not interfere in its place, you can use the old cable to pull the new brand CAT6A Twisted-Pair Eternet CableWhich will support speeds of up to 10 GB per second.

conclusion

So there are you. Nine common wrong concepts were often exposed about the axial cable.

The axial cable is still common and is expected to remain so. Coaxial distribution networks that provide internet service will soon be operating at a speed of up to 10 GB per second with the start of Docsis 4.0. However, local region networks may benefit from a cable infrastructure update.

The axial cable is still a vital and versatile part of modern communication systems. By understanding the facts, you can make enlightened decisions and avoid common pitfalls. We hope some of these decisions will become easier.

Do you need high -quality central cables for your project? Browse the choice of Truecable from cables, connectors and tools from the Series-6!

Truecable displays the information on our website, including “Cable Academy” and supporting direct chat, as a service for our customers and other visitors on our website according to our website Conditions and terms. Although the information on this site revolves around data networks and electrical problems, it is not a professional advice and any dependence on these materials on your own responsibility.

The post Exposing common misconceptions with a pivotal cable appeared first on Evolution Electric.

Written by Don Schultz, Senior Technical Consultant for trueCABLE, Fluke Networks Copper/Fiber CCTT, BICSI INSTC, INSTF Certified

Wired networks are the backbone and foundation of any properly established local area network (LAN). Even as 5G UW, 4GLTE, Wi-Fi 6E, and advanced Wi-Fi 7 are becoming the norm, there’s an organized cabling system of sorts behind it all. Given that we’re discussing the base layer of the network, it occurs to me that we should really be talking about the “wired part” of the “back to basics” starting point. Why? Good…

Over time, a great deal of well-intentioned but misleading information has reached the Internet. This happens when best practices and compliance with standards are confused with one-time success stories or strong personal beliefs resulting from narrow experiences. Inevitably, these beliefs are repeated and then repeated as truth. The truth is that what worked well for one person may not work well for another, or at all. Casual success, while ignoring all actual industry best practices and guidelines, cannot and should not serve as guidance for future installations.

Even the term “Ethernet cable” itself can sometimes be a confusing term and also be a source of controversy. Not only are there common misconceptions about the name of the cable in question, but these misconceptions extend to different types of cables and what they are suitable for. In this blog, we’ll cover where misunderstandings and misconceptions occur. Let’s get this straight, shall we?

As usual, trueCABLE has created a companion (not a replacement) video to this blog which helps to further clarify our current topic. Please take a look…but be sure to come back here and keep reading as the written blog adds more information.

Misconception: What is an Ethernet cable?

One might think that since this term has been around for decades, we would omit this part, but not entirely.

It is a common misconception that the category of twisted pair copper cable is “Ethernet cable”. While Cat5e, Cat6, and other twisted copper grade cables are specifically designed to carry Ethernet data packets, they are capable of carrying more types of signals than just Ethernet packets. HDBASE-T is a great example of this, where data packets are intended for video systems. Ethernet is a protocol It defines how data is formed, generated, error-checked, and then transferred between devices on the network so that everything can “talk” to each other. The protocols are referred to (for example) as 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T, etc. The cable itself facilitates data transfer, but it’s not technically part of the discussion. Why? Well, different types of physical cables can transmit Ethernet data packets. they:

But it is easy to understand how this misconception formed. Copper twisted pair class like cable Cat6 It has been used to transfer Ethernet data for a long time and is very popular for this task. Thus, copper grade cable became incorporated as “Ethernet cable”. It doesn’t hurt to refer to twisted pair cables this way as long as everyone understands what you’re talking about, but don’t assume they do!

Myth: Choose the largest, highest-rated Ethernet patch cables for best results

The quality of an Ethernet patch cord is critical and often overlooked

Be careful in choosing Ethernet patch cords. There are somewhat outrageous marketing claims designed to pull the wool over your eyes.

Shielded patch cords are of limited use, especially if the permanently installed solid copper Ethernet cable is already shielded and properly grounded. Cat7 Ethernet patch cords, which use 8P8C (also known as RJ45) plugs, are automatically counterfeit. The ISO/IEC 11801 specification specifies GG45 and TERA connectors for Cat7. “RJ45” connectors are not part of this specification. Dealing with thick Ethernet patch cords is more difficult when connecting a patch panel and a patch cord manager. Unnecessarily high shielding and class makes the patch cord thick! When used as a complete communications channel (just one cable from the switch to the end device), most patch cords work well enough, but if there is a formal regulated cabling system, the quality of the patch cord is crucial. Always choose 100% rated and certified patch cords to be sure, as proper TIA patch cord testing is beyond the capabilities of most people.

The long and short of it is to choose a quality patch cord that passes the component evaluation test. It doesn’t matter what category it’s supposed to be rated or what level of protection there is if an Ethernet patch cord doesn’t work.

Ethernet patch cords have been a constant quality concern over the past several years. the reason? Most of the imported patch cords are fake and do not meet industry standards.

I suggest you take a closer look at Introducing trueCABLE’s new Cat6 patch cable – optimized for high-performance network upgrades in 2024 and beyond.

Myth: A shielded Ethernet cable is better than an unshielded Ethernet cable

Unshielded Ethernet and shielded Ethernet

This is a recurring and persistent myth. How did this legend start? This myth started due to outdated notions about interference associated with analog communications and audio and video cables where shielding was of actual benefit to analog signal quality. The truth is that an unshielded Ethernet cable already has built-in protection of some sort due to fluctuations in the pairs and the overall construction of the cable. Unshielded grade twisted pair cable will ignore the majority of common EMI/RFI found in office and residential environments.

There are cases where Ethernet shielded Required, or at least a very good idea, but these things are uncommon. Environments such as:

Radio stations Military and civilian radar sites Factory floors using powerful equipment and extremely high voltages Hospitals equipped with medical equipment such as MRI and CT machines

…There are potentially situations where protected Ethernet might be of benefit, but it’s not automatic. The distance can also be used to prevent interference in addition to metal grounded paths (ENT channel).

If in doubt, please check back Top 5 things to consider when running an Ethernet cable.

Do not install shielded Ethernet cable unless you have a clear and obvious reason to do so. There are penalties such as cost and installation complexity that come with this!

Myth: Use Cat6A, Cat7, or Cat8 Ethernet cable to ensure high quality

Although you should match your twisted copper grade cable to the speeds you intend to run with an eye toward the future, you should be aware that overbuying will likely cost you more money and you will get nothing in return. Additionally, a higher-end Ethernet cable is not an indication of high quality.

Consider these points:

Residential Internet speeds are 2.5 Gbps and lower as of 2025. Even “low” cat5e This can be handled brilliantly, at a low cost and with easy installation! Typically, more features added to a cable also increase installation complexity and cost. Installation quality, such as terminations and attention to detail, has a much greater impact on cable-grade installation performance.

You can’t go faster than your fastest piece of equipment. Are you limited to 1 Gbps for the foreseeable future? Most people are.

Cat8 Ethernet cable Only able to reach its maximum speed of 100 feet. Beyond 100 feet, it works just like Cat6A. In short, once you go beyond 100 feet or you don’t need to push 25Gbps or 40Gbps at any distance, you’re wasting your money and dramatically increasing the difficulty of installation at the same time.

Recommend trueCable Unshielded (U/UTP) Cat6 as your starting point. It handles all the expected residential speeds while remaining low cost and easy to work with.

Myth: Cat5e is dead and buried

If I had a US dollar for every time I heard this statement, I would now own a small country. Although Cat5e is certainly older and gradually getting longer teeth, it still serves the vast majority of residential installations well. Cat5e, when installed correctly, achieves speeds of 2.5GBASE-T (2.5 Gbps or 2500 Mbps) easily assuming you have that speed for the equipment – ​​which you probably don’t. That’s fast, and the bonus is that the solid copper Cat5e will handle 100W of PoE power. Here are some other useful Cat5e points to consider for certain installations:

Cat5e is easier to terminate Cat5e is much lighter than higher tier cables The weight of the cable manufacturer is a real concern in some installations, thinner and thinner Cat5e may be what is needed for tight spaces installations on limited budgets

The two primary downsides of Cat5e are:

Dealing with Boo. In larger packages, especially packages in conduit, Cat5e using 24AWG connectors is more limited in the number of cables as the DC wattage (and heat generated) increases. See Power over Ethernet (PoE) installation best practices. For details and charts! Home Internet speeds are now 2.5 Gbps, so Cat5e won’t be able to handle the next speed boost of 5 Gbps.

Choose Cat5e when it makes sense to do so without guilt or buyer’s remorse. If you have doubts, trueCABLE is ready to provide help and advice!

Myth: Twisted copper Ethernet cable is broken. Use fiber optics instead.

Fiber optics is undoubtedly a wonderful technology. Using pulses of light to transfer data is great for the following reasons:

Fiber optic cable is completely resistant to EMI and RFI Fiber optic cable does not care about ambient temperatures, so optical fiber insertion loss (signal degradation) will not occur due to high temperatures. Fiber cable is capable of transmitting for kilometers over a single section, or over shorter distances and at extremely high speeds (think 100 Gbps) Much more communications circuits can be accommodated in a fiber optic cable than any type of copper communications cable making the cable thin and light Extremely

However, one thing fiberglass cores cannot do is transmit electricity (DC power) to power PoE (Power over Ethernet) devices like cameras and WiFi access points over a single cable. Sure, you can add some copper connectors with fiber connectors to get some low-voltage electricity to a powered device, but the vast majority of PoE devices are not hybrid fiber/copper in nature and use a single cable for the task.

Here are some additional considerations as to why copper twisted pair Ethernet cable is far from dead:

Copper Ethernet is already installed in a large number of homes and businesses. Technologically, copper Ethernet class cable is well understood and accessible even to do-it-yourself installers. Copper grade cable works very well up to 10Gbps

Given the above, twisted pair copper cables will be with us for a very long time and will likely be phased out over the course of decades. All combinations become hybrids anyway, leveraging the right technology at the right price for the intended need. Long distance links are served by optical fiber. Areas that cannot be wired, or where this is impractical, are served by WiFi. Small areas that need a wired connection (but fiber would be impractical) are better served by the tried-and-true Ethernet cable.

conclusion

So, there you have it. We’ve debunked some common misconceptions and myths about Ethernet cable and set the record straight. Over time, opinions become fact and incorrect information becomes canon. Humans like to categorize and simplify things, which is natural. Humans also like to distill highly technical concepts down to the lowest common denominator as they are easier to remember. When all of these factors combine to sabotage a well-implemented communications cabling system, we need to step back and fix it! And with that he said…

Happy communication!!

trueCABLE provides the information on our website, including the “Cable Academy” blog and live chat support, as a service to our customers and other visitors to our website subject to our website. Terms and Conditions. Although the information contained on this site relates to data networking and electrical issues, it is not professional advice and any reliance on such material is at your own risk.

The post Debunking common misconceptions with Ethernet appeared first on Evolution Electric.