Glossary

Note: these aren't the definitions you'd find in a book. If that's what you want, then go look in a book. These are they way I would explain the terms to someone. I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know of anything that's misleading or just plain wrong, but I'm not trying to be too strict. Life is tough enough. Sometimes, I may show some sarcasm, though.

Category 3, 5

Everyone probably has this one figured out, but Category 5 is a class of cable and connector that is capable of supporting 100 Mbit Ethernet (100BaseT). Cat 3 is only for 10Mbit Ethernet (10BaseT). Cat 3 is a cheaper, but it's hard to find. Most everyone puts in Cat 5 now. There are NO OTHER DIFFERENCES except the speed rating of the cable. All the color codes and wiring rules are the same.