Kathmandu University

Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Dhulikhel, Kavre

Lab Report
on
“Cabling Details”

[Code No: AICS 301]

(For partial fulfilment of III/I Year/Semester in Computer Science/Engineering/AI)

Submitted by

Name: Nitesh Rajbanshi (Roll No.25)

Submitted to

Sushil Nepal
Department of Computer Science and Engineering

Submission Date:2024/06/23
Experiment Name:

Study of different types of Network cables and practically

implements the cross-wired cable and straight through cable using clamping tool.

Objectives:

● Study of different types of Network cables

● Prepare the cross-wired cable and straight through cable using clamping tool.

Required Materials:

1. RJ-45 connector
2. CAT 5/6 cable piece
3. Clamper
4. Network cable tester

Theory:

Cable is the medium through which information usually moves from one network
device to another. There are several types of cable which are commonly used with LANs. In
some cases, a network will utilize only one type of cable, other networks will use a variety of
cable types. The type of cable chosen for a network is related to the network's
topology, protocol, and size. Understanding the characteristics of different types of cable
and how they relate to other aspects of a network is necessary for the development of a
successful network.

There are several kinds of cables. They are:

● Twisted Pair Cable

○ Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cable
○ Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable
● Coaxial Cable

Twisted Pair Cable:

Twisted pair cabling comes in two varieties:

shielded and unshielded. Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is
the most popular and is generally the best option for
school networks (See figure 1) Figure 1: Unshielded twisted pair

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The quality of UTP may vary from telephone-grade wire to extremely high-speed cable. The
cable has four pairs of wires inside the jacket. Each pair is twisted with a different number of
twists per inch to help eliminate interference from adjacent pairs and other electrical devices.
The tighter the twisting, the higher the supported transmission rate and the greater the
cost per foot. The EIA/TIA (Electronic Industry Association/Telecommunication
Industry Association) has established standards of UTP and rated six categories of wire
(additional categories are emerging).

Table 1: Categories of Unshielded Twisted Pair

Unshielded Twisted Pair Connector:

The standard connector for unshielded twisted pair cabling is an RJ-45

connector. This is a plastic connector that looks like a large telephone-style
connector (See figure 2). A slot allows the RJ-45 to be inserted only one way.
RJ stands for Registered Jack, implying that the connector follows a standard
borrowed from the telephone industry. This standard designates which wire
goes with each pin inside the connector. Figure 2: RJ-45 connector

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable

Although UTP cable is the least expensive cable, it may be susceptible to radio and
electrical frequency interference (it should not be too close to electric motors, fluorescent
lights, etc.). If you must place cable in environments with lots of potential interference,

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or if you must place cable in extremely sensitive environments that may be susceptible to
the electrical current in the UTP, a shielded twisted pair may be the solution. Shielded
cables can also help to extend the maximum distance of the cables.

Shielded twisted pair cable is available in three different configurations:

1. Each pair of wires is individually shielded with foil.

2. There is a foil or braid shield inside the jacket covering all wires (as a group).
3. There is a shield around each individual pair, as well as around the entire group of
wires (referred to as double shield twisted pair).

Coaxial Cable

Coaxial cabling has a single copper conductor at its center. A plastic layer provides
insulation between the center conductor and a braided metal shield (See figure 3). The metal
shield helps to block any outside interference from fluorescent lights, motors, and other
computers.

Figure 3: Coaxial cable

Although coaxial cabling is difficult to install, it is highly resistant to signal

interference. In addition, it can support greater cable lengths between network devices than
twisted pair cable. The two types of coaxial cabling are thick coaxial and thin.

UTP Cabling:

Connecting a network cable is a very skilled task. You need to know some basics about the
color codes and types of connection before cabling. There are generally two types of
connection.

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 1. Straight Through Connection:
A straight-through cable is a type of twisted pair cable that is used in local area
networks to connect a computer to a network hub such as a router. This type of cable
is also sometimes called a patch cable and is an alternative to wireless
connections where one or more computers access a router through a wireless signal.
2. Crossover Connection:
A crossover cable is a type of cable installation that is used for the interconnection of
two similar devices. It is enabled by reversing the transmission and receiving pins at
both ends, so that output from one computer becomes input to the other, and vice
versa.

Procedure:

1. Start by stripping off about 2 inches of the plastic jacket off the end of the
cable. Be very careful at this point, as to not nick or cut into the wires, which are
inside. Doing so could alter the characteristics of your cable, or even worse render it
useless. Check the wires, one more time for nicks or cuts. If there are any, just whack
the whole end off, and start over.
2. Spread the wires apart, but be sure to hold onto the base of the jacket with your other
hand. You do not want the wires to become untwisted down inside the jacket.
Category 5 cable must only have 1/2 of an inch of 'untwisted' wire at the end;
otherwise it will be 'out of spec'. At this point, you obviously have ALOT more than
1/2 of an inch of un-twisted wire.
3. You have 2 end jacks, which must be installed on your cable. If you are using a
premade cable, with one of the ends whacked off, you only have one end to install -
the crossed over end. Below are two diagrams, which show how you need to arrange
the cables for each type of cable end. Decide at this point which end you are making
and examine the associated picture below.

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 1st Jack 2nd Jack

Figure 4: Straight Through Connection

1st Jack 2nd Jack

Figure 5: Crossover Connection

4. As you completely manage the wires as shown above, insert it inside the jack keeping
its lock below. After it is inserted completely, place it in a clamper and clamp it, you
will hear a click sound.
5. Put the two end jacks in the cable tester and test it.