EPT![[image loading]](http://www.sickpc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/cat-5e-ethernet-cable.jpg)
This is not an ethernet cable. There is no such thing as an ethernet cable. There is virtually nothing more in the world that irks me comparably to this. There is no such thing as an ethernet jack/port or a network cable.
Ethernet is a type of technology, just the way bluetooth is a type of technology. Ethernet is a layer 2 technology in the TCP/IP stack and is a standard when it comes to communication between devices that are commonly found in a network. You don't see much ethernet in an ISPs network either; it is more common in businesses and home networks. All of this is unimportant to you though, and I don't expect people to know it because it's not common knowledge, but just remember, it is a technology, NOT a type of cable.
![[image loading]](http://wholesalecomputer.ca/images/uploads/RJ45%20Ethernet%20Network%20Cable.jpg)
So what is this bitch anyway?
It is a twisted pair Cat5e (usually) patch cable, and the ends of it are terminated in two fashions. There are many variations of it, such as UTP/protected, stranded/solid, etc, etc, but patch cable will generally keep you safe from Grobyc facepalms. There are two different wiring schemes for an 8P8C mod plug (the ends of the cable): T568A and T568B. T568A is generally used in Canada, while T568B is widely used in the states. Terminating both ends with the same wiring scheme leads it whether it is classified as a straight through or crossover patch cable. Both ends with the same scheme makes it a straight through cable, and you guess it, having one side an A and one side a B makes it a crossover. Generally, crossover cables are used to reverse two of the pairs of the four that ethernet communicates over when the devices on both ends communicate with one another. To make an analogy, if you didn't reverse them you would have two mouths talking to each other and two ears listening to each other, which leads nowhere. Devices such as switches automatically do the crossover for you, meaning a straight through cable would be needed instead, unless you have two switches connected to each other. Most modern devices and network cards have an autosensing feature that will detect if the pins need to be reverse and do so on their own, so it is becoming less and less of a potential problem, but it's still something to be aware of if you have old equipment per se.
+ Show Spoiler +
Another thing that is also annoying, but to a lesser degree, is that there is no such thing as an RJ-45 plug/jack. RJ-45 is simply the term for the wiring scheme of an 8P8C modular plug (the one at the end of your patch cables.
+ Show Spoiler [Further readings/explanations for thos…] +
Anyway, that's my rant for the day because I've seen so many people calling them ethernet cables and it's making me go crazy. Obviously, this is something the everyday person shouldn't be expected to know, but I gotta start somewhere, right? I hope some of you learned a thing or two regardless.
![[image loading]](http://www.axcessdatasolutions.com/images/dell_rack3_s4gb.jpg)
