APPENDICES
49
Appendix C: UTP cabling
The following information is intended to brief you on various aspects of connection
media. The performance of an switching system depends on high quality connections.
Poor quality or poorly installed or maintained cabling can diminish system
performance.This appendix is for information purposes only. Consult with the local code
officials or cabling consultants prior to any installation.
UTP copper cabling
Switching systems utilize unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cabling.The following are basic
definitions for the three types of UTP cabling that the appliance supports:
• Cat5 UTP (4-pair) high performance cable consists of twisted pair conductors, used
primarily for data transmission. The twisting of the pairs gives this cable some
immunity from the infiltration of unwanted interference. Cat5 cable is generally used
for networks running at 100 or 1000 Mbps.
• Cat5E (enhanced) cable has the same characteristics as Cat5, but is manufactured to
somewhat more stringent standards.
• Cat6 cable is manufactured to tighter requirements than Cat5E cable. Cat6 has higher
measured frequency ranges and significantly better performance requirements than
Cat5E cable at the same frequencies.
Wiring standards
There are two supported wiring standards for 8-conductor (4-pair) RJ45 terminated UTP
cable: EIA/TIA 568A and B. These standards apply to installations utilizing Cat5, 5E, and
6 cable specifications. The switching system supports either of these wiring standards.
Refer to the following table for details.
Cabling installation, maintenance, and safety tips
The following is a list of important safety considerations that should be reviewed prior to
installing or maintaining the cables:
• Keep all Cat5 runs to a maximum of 10 meters each.
Table C.1: UTP wiring standards
Pin EIA/TIA 568A EIA/TIA 568B
1 white/green white/orange
2 green orange
3 white/orange white/green
4 blue blue
5 white/blue white/blue
6 orange green
7 white/brown white/brown
8 brown brown
