Patch Cable Vs Ethernet Cable: Know the Difference Between Cables

When you want a wired internet connection, you will need a good-quality network cable. If you are a professional in the networking field and want to know the difference of patch cable Vs Ethernet cable or patch cable Vs network cable, then you are the right place. Here, you will see the difference between these wires.

What is a Patch Cable?

A patch cable is also known as patch lead or patch cord. The working of a patch cable is to connect two different devices to a wired network. Such devices include computers, other hardware components, and non-networking devices like microphones. Mostly, such wires are used in non-networking types of connections.

In general term, patch cable is a Cat5 type of Ethernet cable which connects your PC to a router, hub, or switch. Such wire is used mostly for the home internet network or at the time of traveling when you need to access the hotel internet through cable.

What is an Ethernet Cable?

When you want to make the Local Area Network (LAN) connection, then the Ethernet cables come in the picture. Such wires are the most famous and widely used networking cables today.

Types of Ethernet Cables

Due to their physical work, the Ethernet cables do have some limitations regarding distance, speed, durability, and carrying capability of signals. And so, there are different types of Ethernet cables available in the market.

There are two most common versions of Ethernet cables:

1)    Fiber-optic cables

2)    Traditional copper cables

There are two basic forms of Ethernet cables:

1)    Solid

2)    Stranded

The stranded Ethernet cables are more sturdy and durable compared to the solid type of Ethernet cables. On the other hand, the solid Ethernet cables provide more resistance against the electrical interference and also offer better performance than the stranded Ethernet cables.

The Ethernet cables are generally available in various industry standards like:

1)    Cat5 or Category5

2)    Cat5e or Category5e

3)    Cat6 or Category6

4)    Cat7 or Category7

5)    Cat7e or Category7e

Patch Cable Vs Ethernet Cable

As mentioned earlier in this post, there is nothing much difference between the patch and Ethernet cables. You can define the Ethernet as a protocol which determines the way of the information that transfers between two systems. On the other side, the patch cables are nothing but the basic copper Ethernet wires. The RCA, HDMI cords that connect to your Television systems also can be narrated as the patch cables.

Normally being the Cat5 or Cat5e Ethernet cables, the patch cables do the job to connect two mediums like a computer, a router, a hub or a switch. They are generally of stranded type cables, and so they provide more durability than the other types.

The network cables have commonly been used for transferring the data between a PC and a network. The various types of network cables are useful for some particular needs. From different types of network cables, there are four types which are most famous and widely used; twisted pair, fiber optics, Ethernet crossover, and coaxial cable.

Conclusion

So, these were the differences of the patch Vs Ethernet cables and patch Vs network cables. All have similar working functionality with minimal differences. All these cables can be used on a variety of applications for your specific network and data transfer needs. Every cable type has its own advantages and drawbacks. So, it is advisable to choose the perfect cord according to your requirements.

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