When it comes to your Internet cable, as an inexperienced user you may not really care what is inside, what quality it has and so on, as long as you can get online. As a matter of fact, if you are not familiar with the industry of cable Internet plans, you may not even understand. Try asking some of the technical team representatives whenever they come hook you up or just fix something. You will be surprised to find out that sometimes, not even these representatives are able to give you precise information about what cable Internet you are about to get. However, for an experienced user, things are somehow different.
Each type of cable Internet comes with various advantages and disadvantages. Although you can't really make a decision or have options, some people who have technical knowledge prefer to know what exactly they got in their house. It may seem useless, but at least they know what kind of quality to expect. The unshielded twisted pair cable Internet is usually known as UTP. It is the most common one, especially in the twisted data networks. The UTP cables are often called Ethernet, after the most common standard. However, this is not always the most reliable one. It is usually used for the local loop of telephone networks and data networks, as a patch cable or a temporary network connection.
The foiled twisted pair (FTP) cable high-speed internet comes with the conductors covered in a screening exterior shield, to protect them against the external interferences. The shield also has the role of an earthing conductor. The screened unshielded twisted pair (SUTP) cable Internet is similar to the FTP one. There is however one big difference – the lace is stranded and there is no shield to cover all the pairs. In the same family, you can also count the screened shielded twisted pair (SSTP) cable Internet, which is a combination between the SUTP and the FTP types. It is screened with both a shield and a lace.
When it comes to expensive and private cable high-speed internet deals, you will most likely be provided with a shielded twisted pair (STP) cable high-sp Internet. Each pair is particularly covered into a screening shield, therefore this cable provides a very solid protection against any interferences. This ensures a solid connection, without the constant problems of losing it once in a while due to weather or anything alike. The shields also “play” as earthing conductors. The STP cable Internet is rarely implemented due to the very high prices. It is mostly used for large companies. If you think about such cable Internet plans for your home, you should also know this type of cable doesn't really have a flexibility.
Last, but not least, the screened shielded twisted pair cable Internet is similar to the STP one, but it brings in a few more protective features. This is even more rarely used, although it is by far the most superior type of cable Internet you can currently find on the market.
