Twisted Pair Cable

Twisted pair cable is one of the most common forms of wiring in networks, Especially in LANs and it consists of two insulated wires arranged in a regular spiral pattern (Double helix). It is generally used for telephone communications in offices and also in modern Ethernet networks. For telephonic communication a Voice Grade Medium (VGM) cable is used but for LAN applications a higher quality cable known as Data Grade Medium (DGM) is used.

Types of Twisted Pair Cable

There are two types of twisted pair cable:

1. Shielded Twisted pair cable (STP)
2. Unshielded Twisted pair cable (UTP)

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable

Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cable

Advantages of Twisted Pair Cable

1. It is simple.
2. It is physically flexible.
3. It is easy to install and maintain.
4. It can be easily Connected and has a low weight.
5. It is very inexpensive.

Disadvantages of Twisted Pair Cable

1. It can be easily pick up noise signals.
2. Being thin in size, it is likely to break easily.
3. It is unsuitable for broadband applications.