Monthly Archives: August 2019

What is Ethernet?

Ethernet is a network cable used to connect computers, printers, modems, routers, and other electronics to the Internet. Other names for Ethernet include Cat5e cable, Cat6 cable, Cat7 cable, and RJ45 cable.

What does Ethernet Look Like?

Ethernet looks similar to a telephone cord, but with a larger plastic connector on the end. Inside the connector are 8 wires, each a different color to tell them apart easily.

How does Ethernet Work?

Electrical signals are sent down the wires inside the Ethernet cable. If the electricity is on, it translates to “1”. If it is off, it translates to “0”. These 1’s and 0’s are read by computers and other machines as binary code.

How Long can an Ethernet Cable be?

The maximum length of a single

Almost every electronic today from simple cell phones to a new 70” TV is made Wi-Fi ready. When setting up a new device, most people will pull up the Wi-Fi menu, connect to their network, and go. While this is usually the obvious choice, it is not always the best one. With most handheld devices it is the only choice, so there is no choice there. But where bigger electronics are concerned, using an Ethernet hardline can provide many advantages over Wi-Fi.

What Makes Wi-Fi Signals Weaker?

Wi-Fi is a popular technology for one key reason: convenience. Being able to connect any device to the Internet while in range of a Wi-Fi signal is a huge deal. Over the last few decades, wireless technology has gone from nothing but pagers to every electronic coming with wireless functionality. Not being limited by the accessibility and distance of a cable was a major game-changer for a multitude of technologies, but that does not mean Wi-Fi’s potential is limitless.

All Wi-Fi signals have to be generated by some sort of machine, such as a modem/router or wireless access point. These signals get weaker as users get further away from their sou

What Does “Coax” Mean?

“Coax” is shorthand for coaxial cable.

What is Coax Cable?

Coax cables send and receive audio/video/data transmissions via electrical signals. They are most commonly used for television and Internet applications within the telecom/datacom industry. 

What Does “RG” Stand For?

“RG” stands for Radio Guide, the most common type of coax cable. RG cables were originally developed for military use during WWII.

What Coax Cable is Used for TV?

Televisions typically use RG6 for short runs and RG11 for long runs. RG59 is sometimes used instead of RG6 when extra flexibility is needed. Likewise, RG8 can be used instead of RG11 for extra signal strength.

What Coax Cable is Used for Internet?

The same coax types used for TV cable can be used for the Internet.

VESA mount patterns are the series of holes found on the back of a television or monitor, used to attach them to wall mounts. There are a few other names that can apply to these standards as well. VESA stands for Video Electronics Standards Association. The organization VESA is a technical standards association located in California that focuses on computer and video displays. Most major companies that manufacture monitors or televisions (Dell, Sony, Samsung, etc.) are members of the organization and follow its standards. Items made by these members follow VESA standards and even non-member companies tend to stick to them for the sake of conformity.

Officially, VESA mount patterns were dubbed Flat Display Mounting Interfaces (FDMI) by the VESA organization. As a secondary name, the patterns were also called VESA Mounting Interface Standards (MIS). This second name stuck and was eventually shorthanded to just “VESA mounts”.

How are VESA Mounts Measured?

VESA mount patterns are made from four holes, forming either square or rectangle-shaped. Each hole is one corner of the square/rectangle and holds a screw that secures the mount to a television or monitor. Made to international standards, VESA mount patterns are measured in millimeters. For example, a mount labeled wit

What Does HDMI Stand For?

HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface.

What is HDMI?

HDMI was developed as a new audio/video cable standard when the industry started manufacturing electronics with digital technology, replacing older analog machines. A coalition of major electronics manufacturers worked together to develop HDMI technology. HDMI 1.0 was first introduced to the open market in 2002.

Does HDMI Support 4k?

The current standard version of HDMI, HDMI 2.0, fully supports 4k video. This version of HDMI was released in September 2013. HDMI 1.4 cables, the standard from 2009 to fall 2013, have limited 4k support. Older HDMI cables do not support 4k.

Does HDMI Carry Audio?

Yes, HDMI is an audio/video cable. An extractor can be used to separate the audio & video signals into separate lines.

How to Connect an HDMI Cord?

Simply plug one end of the HDMI cable into the audio/video source and the other to the audio/video display. Make sure the display is on the correct HDMI input and the sound/images should display automatically.

How Much Does an HDMI Cord Cost?

HDMI is the most common audio/video cable used today. Ushered in as the new standard for the digital age, HDMI was created in a joint project by numerous electronics manufacturers who wanted to set the stage as the switch from analog to digital technology was made. The development of HDMI cables began in 2002 and was completed the following year. Each following year saw more and more HDMI-ready products enter the market. Electronics equipped with HDMI ports became readily available across the world in the coming decade, with an estimated 3 billion HDMI-ready devices made by more than 1,300 companies as of HDMI’s 10-year anniversary in 2013.

HDMI Specifications

While HDMI has been around for some time now, the technology has continued to evolve since its invention. The current standard for HDMI is version 2.0, which was introduced in 2013. This was the first version of HDMI fully capable of supporting 4k signals, which have become increasingly popular for televisions, computer monitors, and projectors. While newer versions of HDMI do exist, they exceed the specs most televisions and other electronics are currently capable of supporting. Since version 2.0 cables are more cost-effective to produce, manufacturers have stuck with them as the standard for the time being. Version 2.0 will eventually become outdated but for the time being, they are considered more than adequate.

While HDMI is certainly the most popular audio/video cable for electronics, it is not the only choice available. DisplayPort is HDMI’s main competitor, also being a digital audio/video cable. While DisplayPort is a little bit better than HDMI, it was designed specifically for use with computer monitors. It is very rare to see DisplayPort on other electronics like televisions or projectors. DVI is an older video-only cable that can be digital or analog, depending on the type of DVI, but cannot perform as well as HDMI. VGA is even older and analog-only, making it the weakest video cable still in use today.

Types of HDMI Cables

Not being able to find a Wi-Fi connection is enough to annoy anyone these days. But worse than that, having a slow Wi-Fi connection is sure to raise anybody’s blood pressure. Even in the age of wireless technology, cables and wires are an essential part of making any machine work right. When a smartphone, computer, or any other device is connected wirelessly, the modem/router that wireless signal comes from is still using Ethernet cables. These cables may be providing the Internet signal indirectly, but they are still an integral part of the process.

There are different categories out there and the type used will determine how fast electronics can operate online. If a page is loading slow, a better quality Ethernet cable can potentially make those connections go faster. It also helps to know how much data the average online task uses. Something simple like downloading a picture should go fast on any Ethernet cable whereas more data-heavy tasks like streaming videos can put strain on weaker connections.

These factors ring true for both wired and wireless connections, although from a technical standpoint those can be two very different things. Speaking of things that are different, being in a building that supports fiber optic cable over Ethernet can also make a huge difference. Understanding the basics of these concepts can ensure you understand what steps can be taken to make your Internet faster.

Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi

All cables (with the exception of fiber cables) are made using metal. Looking at any cable, users can see metal in the connectors on the end. Some connectors are entirely made of metal while others are mostly plastic and contain small metal pins. Regardless of how much metal is used in making a cable, and regardless of what exactly that cable is used for, these materials are all used for the same purpose: to conduct electricity. Any user who has handled various cables over the years, as most people have, has probably noticed that different metals can be used from one cable to the next.

Why are Certain Metals used in Cables?

So why are different metals used? Is there a metal that is better than the rest? There are many different factors that go into selecting what metals are used in making a cable. The first of which is conductivity. The list shows the commonly used metals in cable manufacturing, from most to least conductive (rated assuming the metals are pure).

1. Silver
2. Copper
3. Gold
4. Aluminum
5. Zinc
6. Nickel
7. Brass
8. Bronze
9. Iron

Ethernet cable has a major role anytime and anywhere the Internet is involved. Whether Internet connections are used at home or in a professional setting like an office, school, hospital, or manufacturing plant, Ethernet plays a part. Even wireless connections have to get their signals from devices like routers or wireless access points that are using Ethernet themselves. But most people who use the Internet for activities with high data usage, like video streaming, will choose Ethernet for its faster speed over Wi-Fi.

Getting hardline connections ready may sound easy, but there is a bit of a planning process that goes into it. Firstly, think about what type of Ethernet cables you will need. Ethernet is divided into different categories. The current default cable is Cat5e, although newer and faster versions are also available. Consider what kind of data speeds the cable should be expected to handle and make a decision from there. Also, ask yourself where the cable will be located. If it is sitting on a desk in a room-temperature climate, any Ethernet cable will do. But if it will be exposed to extreme temperatures, sunlight, water, oil, chemicals, or any other harsh conditions, make sure to select a cable