Shielded twisted pair and Unshielded twisted pair

The network cable we are talking about is usually twisted pair.

The material of the network cable is copper, and the insulated copper wire is twisted counterclockwise in pairs. In the production standards of network cables, there are regulations on the winding rate and so on.

Generally, low-quality network cables will have a discount on the material and winding degree, resulting in a short transmission distance and unsatisfactory network speed.

The network cable is divided into shielded twisted pair (STP) and Unshielded twisted pair (UTP)

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP):

The outer layer is wrapped with a metal material to reduce radiation and prevent information from being eavesdropped. At the same time, it has a high data transmission rate, but the price is high and the installation is also relatively complex.

Unshielded twisted pair (UTP):

UTP has no metal shielding material and is only wrapped in a layer of insulating rubber, which is relatively cheap and flexible in networking. Except for some special occasions (such as areas with severe electromagnetic radiation), UTP is generally used. UTP is also the most commonly used network cable in daily life.