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Cable Types Cheat Sheet
Ethernet cables, fiber, coaxial, and wiring standards
| Type | Category | Speed | Max Length | Connector | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat 5 | Copper | 100 Mbps | 100m | RJ-45 | Legacy networks, phone systems |
| Cat 5e | Copper | 1 Gbps | 100m | RJ-45 | Standard Ethernet, offices |
| Cat 6 | Copper | 10 Gbps | 55m (10G) / 100m (1G) | RJ-45 | High-speed LANs, data centers |
| Cat 6a | Copper | 10 Gbps | 100m | RJ-45 | PoE+, enterprise networks |
| Cat 7 | Copper | 10 Gbps | 100m | GG45/TERA | Data centers, specialized |
| Cat 8 | Copper | 25-40 Gbps | 30m | RJ-45 | Data centers, switch-to-switch |
| Coaxial RG-6 | Coax | Varies | 500m | F-type | Cable TV, broadband |
| Coaxial RG-59 | Coax | Varies | 230m | BNC/F-type | CCTV, legacy video |
| Single-Mode Fiber | Fiber | 100+ Gbps | 40+ km | LC/SC | Long-haul, WAN |
| Multi-Mode Fiber | Fiber | 10-100 Gbps | 550m (OM4) | LC/SC/ST | Data centers, campus |
| Direct Attach Copper (DAC) | Copper | 10-100 Gbps | 7m | SFP+/QSFP | Rack-to-rack, ToR switches |
| T568A Pinout | Standard | N/A | N/A | RJ-45 | Crossover cables, government |
| T568B Pinout | Standard | N/A | N/A | RJ-45 | Standard patch cables |
| Rollover Cable | Console | N/A | N/A | RJ-45 to DB9 | Console access to routers/switches |
📌 T568A vs T568B
T568B is most common for patch cables. Both ends same = straight-through. T568A on one end, T568B on other = crossover cable.
🎯 Exam Tips
- • Cat 5e = 1 Gbps, Cat 6 = 10 Gbps (55m)
- • All Ethernet max 100m except Cat 8 (30m)
- • Single-mode fiber = long distance (km)