Also called Thinnet. 10 Mbps Ethernet on thin (RG58) coaxial cable.
10BASE5
Also called Thicknet. 10 Mbps Ethernet on thick coaxial cable.
10BASE-T
10 Mbps Ethernet on twisted-pair
(Category 3) cable.
100BASE-T
The twisted pair version of 100 Mbps Ethernet. Requires Category 5 cabling.
1000BASE-T
A recent LAN standard for implementing 1000 Mbps Ethernet on Category 5 and Category 5e cable. See also Gigabit Ethernet.
1000BASE-TX
A recent LAN standard for implementing 1000 Mbps Ethernet on Category 6 cable. See also Gigabit Ethernet.
10GBASE-T
A recent LAN standard for implementing 10000 Mbps (10 Gigabit) Ethernet on Category 6 and Category 6A cable.
110 Connector
A popular insulation displacement connector (IDC) used modular jacks, patch panels and cross connects.
3270 (IBM)
A mainframe computer. Originally implemented on RG62 coax. Now generally implemented on UTP cable
using baluns.
66 Block
A legacy cross connect
system. Similar in function to AMP
110Connect XC.
AS/400 (IBM)
A midrange computer system. Originally implemented on twinaxial
cable. Now generally implemented on
UTP cable using baluns.
Attenuation
The amount of signal lost as it
travels through the cabling system.
Backboard
Refers to a plywood panel
mounted on the wall of a telecom closet. Used to mount the cross connect.
Backbone cabling
Cabling between floors in a
building or between buildings in a campus.
Balun
A transformer used to attach
coaxial or twinaxial equipment to twisted pair cabling.
BNC
A bayonet style coaxial
connector.
Category 3
A performance classification for
twisted pair cables, connectors and systems. Specified to 16 MHz. Suitable
for voice and data applications up to 10 Mbps.
Category 5
A performance classification for
twisted pair cables, connectors and systems. Specified to 100 MHz. Suitable
for voice and data applications up to 155 Mbps (possibly 1000 Mbps).
Category 5e
Also called Enhanced Category
5. A performance classification for
twisted pair cables, connectors and systems. Specified to 100 MHz. Suitable
for voice and data applications up to 1000 Mbps.
Category 6
A performance classification for
twisted pair cables, connectors and systems. Specified up to 250 MHz.
Channel
The entire horizontal cabling
system. Everything between the computer and the LAN hub in the telecom
closet, excluding the equipment connections.
Coax
Short for coaxial. Single-conductor cables with braided
shields. Used in the 80's for data
transmission. Now generally replaced
with UTP for data. Still used for
video.
Consolidation point
An interconnect device that
allows the horizontal cable to be split into two parts. Used for zone cabling.
Cross connect (XC)
Connecting hardware used to
patch between two groups of cables (horizontal to backbone, for
example). AMP 110Connect XC.
Data rate
The speed, measured in bits per
second, that a particular network (or other application) transmits data.
dB
Abbreviation for decibel. The logarithmic ratio of two powers,
voltages or currents.
Delay skew
The difference in propagation
delay between the slowest and fastest pairs in a cable or system.
Drop
Refers to the horizontal cabling
for one work area, as in "The job has 100 drops. "
ELFEXT
Equal Level Far End Crosstalk. A
measure of FEXT which accounts for the attenuation of the cabling system.
Enhanced Category 5
Also called Category 5e. A performance classification for twisted
pair cables, connectors and systems. Specified to 100 MHz. Suitable
for voice and data applications up to 1000 Mbps.
Ethernet
The most common network protocol
in use. A protocol is a set of rules
enabling data communications. Based originally on a bus topology.
F connector
A common coaxial connector used
for video applications (CATV).
FEXT
Far End Crosstalk. Unwanted
noise coupled onto a receive pair from a transmit pair at the far end of the
system.
Gbps
A data rate. Gigabits per
second. A gigabit is one billion
bits.
Gigabit Ethernet
The newest (1999) and fastest
version of Ethernet. Data rate is
1000 Mbps or 1 Gigabit per second.
Horizontal cabling
Includes the work area outlet,
distribution cable and connecting hardware in the telecom closet.
Hub
Network device, usually in the
telecom closet, that stations connect to.
IDC
Insulation Displacement
Connector. A style of connector that
slices through the cable insulation to make a connection. Eliminates the need to strip insulation.
IEEE
Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers. 802 Group develops Local Area Network standards and
Metropolitan Area Network standards.
IEEE 802. 3
Usually referred to as
Ethernet. A networking protocol. .
IEEE 802. 5
Usually referred to as token
ring. A networking protocol.
Impedance
The total opposition to the flow
of alternating current in a conductor.
Jumper
Usually unjacketed twisted pair
wire used to make a cross connection.
Kbps
A data rate. Kilobits, or
thousands of bits, per second.
LAN
Local Area Network. Usually confined to one building or even
one floor. Large companies may have
several LANs connected by an internetwork or backbone network.
Link
The part of the horizontal
cabling system between the work area outlet and the telecom closet
termination.
MAC
Moves Adds and Changes: When data and voice services (to include: outlets and cabling, patching, etc. ) of a given location are moved to a new location or removed completely.
Mbps
A data rate. Megabits, or
millions of bits, per second.
MHz
Megahertz. Millions of cycles (Hertz) per second. A
frequency or frequency range (bandwidth) through which a cabling system is
specified.
Modular jack
The standard female connector
for twisted pair cable. A
"telephone jack".
Modular plug
The standard male connector for
twisted pair cable. A "telephone
plug".
MT-RJ
A small form factor, dual fiber
connector.
Multimode
A type of optical fiber in which
the light travels in multiple paths. Utilizes LEDs or lasers as light
sources.
Multi-user outlet
A work area outlet designed to
support multiple users. Also called multi-user telecommunications outlet
assembly or MUTOA.
MUTOA
See multi-user outlet.
NEXT
Near End Crosstalk. The unwanted noise coupled into a device's
receive circuit from its transmit circuit.
NIC
Network interface card. Allows a PC to attach to a network.
Node
A device connected to a network.
Outlet
Where the horizontal cabling
terminates in the work area.
Patch cord
A cable assembly with (usually)
a plug on each end, used to make a cross connection.
Patch panel
A rack-mountable panel (usually
19" wide) containing connecting hardware. Used to patch between groups of cables and equipment.
PBX
Private Branch Exchange. The premises telephone switch. Handles telecom functions.
Plenum
A chamber that houses
environmental air transfer. Plenum-rated cable is required in such locations.
Power sum
A mathematical addition of noise
from multiple disturbers. Applied to NEXT and ELFEXT requirements.
Propagation
delay
The amount of time it takes a
signal to travel through a cable or system.
Propagation delay skew
The difference in propagation
delay between the slowest and fastest pairs in a cable or system.
PS ELFEXT
See power sum and ELFEXT.
PS NEXT
See power sum and NEXT.
Punchdown
Refers to IDC connectors and the
method used to terminate them.
Rack
Used to mount patch panels,
enclosures and equipment in the telecom closet. Usually 19" wide by 7' high.
Return loss
A measure of the signal
reflected back toward the transmitter as a result of impedance variations in
the cabling system.
Riser
Backbone cabling connecting
telecom closets situated vertically on separate floors.
RJ11
A wiring pattern for 6-position
modular jacks. Used to refer to the
jacks themselves.
RJ21
A wiring pattern for a 25-pair
(AMP CHAMP) connector. Also used to
refer to the connectors themselves.
RJ45
A wiring pattern for8-position modular jacks. Used to refer to the jacks themselves.
SC connector
A duplex optical fiber
connector. The standard connector for optical fiber per the 568 cabling
standard.
Singlemode
A type of optical fiber in which
the light travels in a single path. Utilizes lasers as a light source.
ST connector
A bayonet style optical fiber
connector. An alternate style per the
568 standard.
A type of network hub. Provides higher bandwidth than shared
hubs.
System/3X (IBM)
The predecessor of the AS/400.
T568A and B
The two standard wiring patterns
for 8-position modular jacks.
Telco
Short for telecommunications (or
telephone company).
Telco connector
Refers to a 25-pair (AMP CHAMP)
connector.
Telecom closet
Telecommunications closet. The
area of the building that houses the termination of the horizontal
cabling. May also contain LAN
electronics.
Thicknet
IEEE 10BASE5. 10 Mbps Ethernet on thick coaxial cable.
Thinnet
IEEE 10BASE2. 10 Mbps Ethernet
on thin (RG58) coaxial cable.
Token ring
A networking protocol based on a
token-passing ring.
Twisted pair cable
Cable made from pairs of wires
which have been twisted together.
UTP
Unshielded twisted pair cable.
Cable made from pairs of wires which have been twisted together.
Wiring closet
See telecom closet.
Work area
Where the users' communications
equipment resides. The part of the
cabling system between the outlet and the equipment.
Zone cabling
An architectural concept which
splits the horizontal cabling into two sections. Eliminates the need to
replace the entire horizontal cable in moves, adds and changes.
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