Patch Cable vs Ethernet Cable - All You Need to Know
Ethernet patch cable can be used to connect a computer to a network port, router or ethernet switch that is useful for building networks of home computers.e Ethernet cable includes cable such as fibre optic cable, twisted pair or coaxial cable and category cable.
Patch Cable
Patch cables are often used in offices for short distances. Ethernet patch cable can be used to connect a computer to a network port, router or ethernet switch that is useful for building networks of home computers. A form of cable with connectors on both the ends, it is also known as Patch Cord, is. It is used to connect an end unit to a power source. There are fibre patch cable and Ethernet patch cable, such as LC fibre patch cable or Cat6 RJ45 patch cable, close to the Ethernet cables.
Ethernet Cable
The Ethernet cable includes cable such as fibre optic cable, twisted pair or coaxial cable and category cable. Copper network cable and fibre-optic cable are the two common types of Ethernet cables. In general, people get used to naming Ethernet cables as Cat5, Cat5e and Cat6 as Ethernet cables to simplify the appellation.
Ethernet and patch cables have become quite prevalent in our day-to-day lives. However, many of us have a lot of confusion about both types of cables. The ethernet cable is a type of cable whereas the patch cord or cable is a part of this cable as a connector on both ends. Let us have a look at the technical differences between the patch and ethernet cables.
Typically, the term patch has been derived from “patch-in,” which means this cable patches a signal from one switch, hub, another hub or the router. It is a type of cable that has two ends which are used to connect an end device to something such as the power source.
There are two types of patch cables, one is the fiber patch cables and the other being the ethernet patch cables.
The patch cables are widely employed for short-distance connections, typically in corporate offices. They are perfect for connecting a computer to a network hub or the ethernet switch.
Patch Cable Can Be Used As An Ethernet Cable
A patch cable can be employed as the ethernet cable, since both are the same thing in copper networks. The important fact to take note here is that the patch cables are best suited for smaller distances, from the patch to the switch.
More often than not, the ethernet and patch cables are more or less the same thing.
But, when it comes to ethernet, it refers to the flow of information across the diverse locations, while the latter ones are the best option for shorter distance connections as they are supported by the patch cables that lack flexibility.
The biggest shortcoming associated with the patch cables is that the attenuation is on the higher sides. Another difference between the patch and the ethernet cable is the former has two connectors at both of the ends, while ethernet cable may not have two connectors and often terminate directly to the device interface directly.