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10BaseT
Cabling
- (February - 2009)
When
10BaseT cabling is used, a strand of cabling is inserted between
each computer and a hub. If you have 5 computers, you'll need 5
cables. Each cable cannot exceed 325 feet in length. Because the
cables from all of the PCs converge at a common point, a 10BaseT
network forms a star configuration, or geometric design, when
viewed from above. In the figure below, three computers are
connected together with 10BaseT cabling and a hub.
A 10BaseT
hub is basically a box with a row of 10BaseT jacks. Most hubs
have 5, 8, 12, or 16 jacks, but some may have more. Most hubs
also have an uplink port, which is a special 10BaseT or thin
coax port that allows the hub to be connected to either (1)
other hubs, or (2) a thin coax backbone (see below for
information on backbones). By up-linking multiple hubs together,
you can add additional computers to your network whenever you
need to.
10BaseT
cabling is available in different grades or categories. Some
grades, or "cats", are required for Fast Ethernet networks,
while others are perfectly acceptable for standard 10Mbps
networks--and less expensive, too.
About 85% of the networks in the U.S. use standard unshielded
twisted-pair (UTP) Category 5 10BaseT cabling because it offers
a performance advantage over lower grades. If you are using a
10Mbps network, category 3 is fine. If you plan on building a
Fast Ethernet network at some time in the future, it's best to
install Category 5 cabling.
10BaseT
Category
What It's Used For
5 Fast
Ethernet (and everything below)
4
Networks other than Ethernet
3 10Mbps
10BaseT
2
Alarms, telephone voice lines
1
Unknown (not rated for anything specific)
If
possible, decide whether you'll be using standard Ethernet or
Fast Ethernet technology before you begin building your network.
If you're not sure which technology you'll eventually use,
choose to install Category 5 cabling.
Remember, Fast Ethernet network adapters and hubs are not
directly compatible with each other. It is possible to have both
10Mbps and 100Mbps segments on the same network, provided you
have a switching hub between them that allows them to
communicate.
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