By Simon Harris
Years ago, when personal computer systems for homes were relatively new, most people didn't think much about any home computer system network. A PC and a printer -- that was about it in those days. But times have changed -- today there is a much greater need for sophisticated home computer networks: many more devices are being interconnected, sophisticated ones -- such as flatbed scanners, laser printers, and fax machines.
All of this has made it imperative to install an up-to-date cat 5 cable network. Of course, many people are already familiar with cat 5 cables -- typically a computer owner will have one or more cat 5 patch cables already in use, for connecting their computing devices together over short distances. It comes as a surprise to many computer owners to find out that they do not need to purchase pre-made cat 5 patch cables -- with just a little instruction and some inexpensive materials, anyone can learn to make their own.
Of course one of the materials you will need to have on hand if you are doing your own cat 5 cable wiring is a good supply of cat 5 connectors. These are simply attached to each end of the cable, and allow for a quick connect or disconnect of the cable from various computer devices. These are actually called 8P8C connectors, and look just like the kinds of connectors used with telephones, just smaller. Learning how to attach these cat 5 connectors properly is a bit tricky, but you don't have to be a technician to learn how to do it properly.
As your home computer network grows in complexity, you may reach a point where you will need a cat 5 splitter. These are devices that will split -- divide -- the cat 5 cable wiring signal among different devices, so that each can operate properly. With a cat 5 splitter, you can control anywhere from two or three, up to a dozen, computing devices on the same network.
One of the simplest computer networking arrangements would be to connect one computer directly with another. Normally, to do this you would need to use a network hub or switch. But if you want to save money, you can purchase a cat 5 crossover cable -- this properly switches the signal transmissions (the same way a network hub or switch would) so that both devices can communicate with each other directly. 5 crossover cables are generally no more expensive to purchase than other types of cat 5 patch cables.
It may also interest you to know that even if you not have cat 5 cable wiring in your home, you may already have something similar, if you have an older computer network or a standard 2-line phone system. These older computer networks and telephone systems make use of an earlier generation of cable -- cat 3 cable. 3 cable is no longer used for newer home computer networking installations; in fact cat 5 cable has been superseded by an enhanced cable -- called cat 5e -- that provides superior signal quality and faster transmission speeds.
There is much information available on the Internet today regarding cat 5 cable wiring and networking -- if you will take the time to read up on this subject, you will be able to handle this job yourself and avoid possible pitfalls. In no time at all, your new high-speed computer network will be operational -- and your be proud to say that you did all the work yourself!
Simon Harris owns and operates http://www.cat5answers.com Understanding Cat 5 Cable Wiring
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