10/100 Mbps Twisted Pair Ports
The
Type of Connector
The twisted pair ports have RJ45 connectors.
Speed
These ports are compliant with the
Duplex Mode
The twisted pair ports can operate in either half- or
Cabling
The RJ45 ports on the switch can use shielded or unshielded twisted pair cable. There are several categories of twisted pair cabling used in Ethernet networks. They are Category 3, 4, and 5. The main difference between the categories relates to their attenuation, which is a measurement of signal loss over the length of the cable. All cables experience attenuation. The signal loses strength the longer the cable. The lower the loss of signal, the lower the attenuation.
Of the three categories, Category 3 has the highest attenuation, meaning that it has the highest signal loss. It is adequate for 10 Mbps operation, but should never be used for 100 Mbps network operations. The higher speed requires Category 5. If you are installing a new network with end nodes operating at 10 Mbps, it is recommended that you install Category 5 instead of Category 3. This will save you the trouble of having to install new twisted pair cabling should you later upgrade your end nodes to 100 Mbps.
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