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Cabling
Basics
- (February - 2009)
The two
most popular types of network cabling are twisted-pair (also
known as 10BaseT) and thin coax (also known as 10Base2). 10BaseT
cabling looks like ordinary telephone wire, except that it has 8
wires inside instead of 4. Thin coax looks like the copper
coaxial cabling that's often used to connect a VCR to a TV set.
Which type
of cabling is best for you? Thin coax and 10BaseT can both be
used exclusively or together, depending on the type of network
that you're putting together.
Small networks, for example, may want to use 10BaseT cabling by
itself, because it's inexpensive, flexible, and ideal for going
short distances. Larger networks (usually with 10 or more
computers) may use a thin coax backbone with small clusters of
10BaseT cabling that branch off from it at regular intervals.
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