Let's review the major types of network cabling and the different options available with those cables. In the process, higher-specification cables and connecting hardware were required. That advancement drove the development of faster networking equipment. Computers can now communicate at speeds of up to 100 Gbps - or, put another way, 100,000,000,000 separate ones and zeros every second.Īlthough the telegraph and teletypewriter were the forerunners of data communications, computers advanced with ever-increasing speeds. Telegraph operators of the mid-19th century could transmit perhaps four or five dots and dashes per second. The big difference between now and then is the speed at which data is transmitted. Modern data networks use ones and zeros to achieve the same result. Morse code is a type of binary system that uses dots and dashes in different sequences to represent letters and numbers. This may seem like a far cry from current computer networks, but the principles are the same. In 1844, Samuel Morse sent a message 37 miles - from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore - using his invention, the telegraph. A quick history of network cablesĭigital communication is not exactly a new idea. That infrastructure usually includes switches, routers and - underpinning it all - network cabling, one of the oldest and most essential components of network architecture. Network services, like file sharing, internet access, printing and email, are all delivered to end users via the network infrastructure. But others can choose from a range of possible selections. Some connections require an obvious cable option.

2 pair cat 5 cable