[Q] Do I need to use Shielded Cat 5 Cable? What is it?
[A] We receive many calls from confused cable buyers who are being
told to get Shielded Cat 5 Cable. In most cases, it was
determined that the client did not actually need this type of
cable, and they saved an enormous amount of money.
Shielded
Cable, as its name indicates, has a protective "foil"
that surrounds the cable. The exact material used will vary,
but it is generally a light gauge metal of some kind. This shielding
material is normally terminated into the specialized RJ45 connectors
to ground the cable. The purpose of all this protection is where
the confusion begins to set in.
Shielded
cable was designed to prevent strong sources of Electromagnetic
Interference, or (EMI), from effecting the ability of the cable
to transmit data. In many buildings, there are common sources
of this EMI.
Generators,
Elevator motors, and many types of lighting will produce strong
EMI that can pass through the cable, corrupting your data and
shutting down communication. The Shielding in the wire blocks
this energy from getting through.
We
have even had people comment that because they are building
a "secure network", that the Information Technology
manager specified that they must have shielded cable. This,
of course, has nothing to do with the security of the network.
There
are some specific applications, where certain codes must be
followed in order to meet specific requirements for a given
job. This does not apply to every situation across the board.
CAT
5 Cable Company can make shielded cables on a quoted basis.
Please call for more details.
RELATED
FAQ QUESTION: What is the difference
between CAT 5 and CAT 5e cable?
Keywords: Shielded Cable, Cat 5 Cable, Shielded Cat 5 cable
|