Although CAT5 cable usually contains four pairs of copper wire, Fast Ethernet communications only use two pairs.

CAT5e cables additionally preserve backward compatibility with Fast Ethernet equipment.

Types of CAT5 Cables

Twisted-pair cable like CAT5 comes in two main varieties,solidandstranded.

A pair of hands holding a red CAT5 Ethernet cable with a glowing connector

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Solid CAT5 cable supports longer length runs and works best in fixed wiring configurations like office buildings.

Some enthusiast makers and IT techniciansbuild their own.

At a minimum, this skill allows a person to create cables of exactly the length they need.