Monthly Archives: October 2022

If you Google “Ethernet patch cable” you will get over a million hits. But while shopping for them can be confusing, you really only have to know four main things:

• What exactly is a patch cable?
• What are the main differences of the cable categories?
• What are your form factor options?
• What are your cable jacket options?

What Exactly Is a Patch Cable?

In a typical corporate office, the PCs are connected via Ethernet cables to a central network hub or switch, located in an IT room or closet. The hub or switch allows the PCs to communicate with one another on the network and to access files from servers. Also in the room are other network devices such as servers, routers and network media players. All these devices are connected, typically through patch panels. With its multiple ports, a patch panel is a switchboard of sorts that employs short Ethernet patch cables with connectors on both ends to make it easier to reconfigure the routing of the devices.

So, Ethernet patch cables, aka patch cords, are basically short Ethernet cables with connectors on both ends. They are used with patch panels, VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phones, Ethernet switches, and routers, and to connect workstations to wall outlets.

What Are the Main Differences of the Cable Categories?

Like the longer Ethernet cables, Ethernet pat

As the demand continues for increased bandwidth and data rates, there is also a need for freeing up more space in data centers and IT closets. In today’s enterprise IT world, smaller cable sizes are sometimes required along with the need for higher performance.

To help you meet these needs, ShowMeCables continues to update its offerings of Category 7 cables, which have many of the functions of Cat8, as well as Cat6a and Cat6 cables. These products offer not only faster throughput, with speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), but take up less room, with features such as a flat, slim or “super slim” profiles. Two other options with increased demand are cable jackets that are bacteriostatic or low smoke