CertiGuide to A+ (Core Hardware)  9  Chapter 1011:  Networking       9  VI  Cables and Wireless

STP 1 Networking Cable Specifications

So, what is cheaper to make and faster to work with then STP? Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP).

The goal has always been to make everything faster and cheaper, and cable is no exception. As UTP cable got more capable, it needed ratings to Identify which UTP cable could do what.

The system for doing that is known as Category X. The X is a variable, which indicated the capacity of the cable. For example the wiring for the telephone system is called Category 1 (sometimes referred to as POTS for Plain Old Telephone Stuff).

After a time, it became clear that Ethernet was gaining ground over the alternatives, and out came Category 3 cable, which supported Ethernet at 10Mpbs over UTP! This advance secured Ethernet as the defacto standard for the office Local Area Network (LAN). It didn't matter that the distance limitation was only 100 meters (333 ft). This was enough for most any office building.

As nature hates a void, network traffic rapidly filled the LAN. The next step was Category 5 cable, capable of 100 Mbps, and Ethernet morphed into Fast Ethernet.

STP 1 Networking Cable Specifications