Twisted Pair Cable Advantages and Disadvantages | What is Twisted Pair Cable? Types, Limitations, Pros and Cons

Twisted Pair Cable Advantages and Disadvantages: Networking is essential for communication around the world and twisted pair cables are the best networking cables that help in better communication where the receiver gets the precise and correct information. If there will be a problem in networking then the receiver will not get clear communication. The twisted-pair cable provides a better quality signal. The more twisted cable gives better communication. These cables are of copper which is plastic insulated and two wires are twisted with each other in such a way that it will not create any cross sound and the receiver will get clear communication. Here we will discuss the categories, advantages and disadvantages of Twisted pair cables.

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What is Twisted Pair Cables? Twisted Pair Cables Advantages and Disadvantages 2022

Twisted pair cables are pairs of copper wires with plastic insulation that are twisted together so that the interference will be reduced. These are used for networking around the world and the twisting pair gives better communication on both sides. If the cables are adjacent then there will be an issue of cross sound which affects the receiver by not getting clear communication. But by twisting pair cables the communication gets clear on both the ends as the receiver will get only one signal at a time. The more twisted cable gives better communication. If used at shorter distances then it provides better communication. So basically the twisted pair cables help in clear, non-interfering noise, and good signal communication.

• Twisted Pair Cables Advantages 
• Twisted Pair Cables Disadvantages 
• Comparison Table Between Twisted Pair Cables Advantages and Disadvantages
• FAQs on Pros and Cons of Twisted Pair Cable Advantages and Disadvantages

Twisted pair cables are classified into two categories:

• Unshielded Twisted Pair(UTP)
• Shielded Twisted Pair(STP)

Unshielded Twisted Pair: As the name, unshielded twisted pair is twisted pair of plastic-coated copper wire cables that are not protected by any metallic foil wrapping or any other shield. These are low-cost and widely used in computer networking and other communication systems. It minimizes crosstalk and provides proper compatible cabling but with limited bandwidth. It provides a speed up to 10 to 1000mbps.

Shielded Twisted pair: Like unshielded twisted pair it is made of copper and twisted pair of cables but it has additional wrapping of aluminum or metallic braid jacket to protect it from external damage. It is expensive as it is used underground and has very broad data transmission. It gives very clear communication by vanishing crosstalk. It provides a speed of up to 10 to 100mbps.

Twisted Pair Cables Advantages

Twisted pair cables are the communication medium where the pairs of copper wires are used with plastic insulation twisted together so that the interference will be reduced. Here are some of the advantages of twisted pair cables which show their various benefits.

• Easy to connect: Twisted pair cables are easy to connect to any network and so it is used more for all networking modes whether it is Ethernet or computer network. It is very simple to connect in open space as well it can be undergrounded.
• Carry both digital and analog data: Both unshielded and shielded twisted pair cables are capable of carrying digital data as well as analog data. This makes it the mode of communication with better speed.
• It is best performed at a short distance: Twisted-pair cables work better when it is used for a short distance and if it is used for a longer distance then the interference and cross-talk increase. So for shorter communication, it performs well.
• Weight is Low: Comparatively other twisted-pair cables are lightly weighted which makes it a much better option in terms of easy setting it up.
• Easy to install and maintain: It is easy to install and the maintenance is also.

Twisted Pair Cables Disadvantages

Twisted pair cables are used for networking around the world and the twisting pair gives better communication on both sides. But despite many advantages, there are some disadvantages also. Let us discuss the disadvantages of twisted-pair cables.

• Get affected in long-distance: Twisted pair cables work best in short distances but if the distance increases it does not provide clear communication.
• UTP is not secure: Unshielded twisted pair cables are not secure as they do not have any metallic shield or aluminium foil to protect them from any external damage.
• Breakable: Twisted pair cables are light weighted and not that strong so it is easy to break which is not good.
• Sensitive to electromagnetic interference: These cables are very sensitive to electromagnetic interference which can affect the quality of communication.

Comparison Table Between Twisted Pair Cables Advantages and Disadvantages

FAQs on Pros and Cons of Twisted Pair Cable Advantages and Disadvantages

Question 1.
What are Twisted pair cables? What are its types?

Answer:
Twisted pair cables are pairs of copper wires with plastic insulation that are twisted together so that the interference will be reduced. If the cables are adjacent then there will be an issue of cross sound which affects the receiver by not getting clear communication.

Twisted pair cables are classified into two categories:

• Unshielded Twisted Pair: Unshielded twisted pair is twisted pair of plastic-coated copper wire cables that are not protected by any metallic foil wrapping or any other shield. These are low-cost and widely used in computer networking and other communication systems. It minimizes crosstalk and provides proper compatible cabling but with limited bandwidth. It provides a speed up to 10 to 1000mbps.
• Shielded Twisted pair: It has additional wrapping of aluminum or metallic braid jacket to protect it from external damage. It is expensive as it is used underground and has very broad data transmission. It gives very clear communication by vanishing crosstalk. It provides a speed of up to 10 to 100mbps.

Question 2.
What are the advantages of twisted pair cables?

Answer:
Here are some of the advantages of twisted pair cables which are given below:

• These are easy to connect and carry both analog and digital data.
• It is light-weighted cables and flexible.
• If used at shorter distances then it provides better communication.
• This is easy to install and maintain when required.
• It also provides high-cost performance.

These were some of the benefits of twisted-pair cables.

Question 3.
What are the drawbacks of using Twisted pair cables?

Answer:
With many advantages, there are some drawbacks also of twisted-pair cables which are as follows:

• Electromagnetic interference can easily affect communication.
• At a long distance, it can get affected by its own interference.
• It is breakable due to its thickness which is very thin.
• It requires maintenance for good networking.
• It cannot be used in broadband applications due to its low bandwidth.
• Without a repeater device, it cannot carry both analog and digital data.