Many American consumers and employees alike make good use of electronic devices of all kinds, and many of these devices make use of cables to transmit data. While cell phones and laptops have wireless Internet connection capabilities, this is the exception. Desktop PCs, game consoles, digital projectors, HDTVs, and more are using cables such as cat6 ethernet cables, 100 ft HDMI cables, cat5 e cables, bulk USB cables, and more. Wired technology such as cat6 ethernet cables are not obsolete; in fact, they are better than wireless tech in some cases. What is there to know about cat6 ethernet cables or fiber optic cables for the office today? And what about cables and wires to create a home entertainment system?

Cables For the Office

Modern businesses big and small alike make good use of computers, and these PCs will need some cables to function (and not just their power cords). In a large office, there may be dozens of computers being used at once, but they would all interfere with one another if they all used wireless Internet connections. That would also put a big strain on WiFi providers. Instead, an office will hire IT professionals to install cat6 ethernet cables, or at least cat5 cables, and plug desktop PCs into routers with those cables. Such cables will be threaded discreetly throughout the office, such as along the walls or even through holes drilled in the floor, so they do not pose a tripping hazard. A cat6 ethernet cable will have four pairs of copper wires that can easily and quickly transmit data, and this is essential for an office worker with a heavy work load. These cables allow for secure and reliable Internet connections at all times.

Don’t forget the data center. For those not familiar with the concept, a data center is a collection of hundreds or even thousands of computers, all linked in one room with countless cables. These are not work PCs, though; they don’t even have keyboards, monitors, or mice. Instead, these computers sit on shelves and racks, working together as a single entity that offers enormous storage space and boosted processing power. Cables will connect desktop work PCs to this data center, and this allows each connected computer to share data with one another securely and privately. That, and connected PCs will enjoy a boost to their processing power. The only limit is that remote workers have no way to plug into this server, but hybrid systems allow Cloud data accounts to link to the data server for the benefit of remote workers.

Finally, an office may have some fiber optic cables, which transmit pulses of light (which generate no heat). These cables transmit huge amounts of data at incredible speeds via the Internet, making them ideal for a large office with many computers. When fiber optic cables are installed, workers will install extra, unused fiber optic cables known as “dark cables.” These may act as backups if any of the primary cables become defective, and dark cables may become activated later as the company’s Internet use expands.

Cables in the Home

Meanwhile, many homeowners make good use of different cable types for both work and leisure in their own home. Some employees are remote employees and thus will have a home office. This office will feature a desktop PC or laptop, and perhaps a fax machine, scanner, and printer. Cables will connect all of these different devices, including a cat5 cable or cat6 ethernet cable to connect that PC to the Internet. Through the Web, a remote worker will share files, send emails, and conduct video chat services.

Cables can be fun, too. Many homeowners like to build a home entertainment system, which means linking up different devices with the proper cables. This may include plugging a laptop or game console into a digital projector or HDTV with an HDMI cable, which can be bought separately if need be. Ethernet cables can connect a game console to the Internet for online gaming and video streaming, and cables can also connect a sound system to all this. This makes watching TV shows, such as Go Iguanas, an immersive experience. Even home golf simulators may use cables to connect a digital projector to the laptop running the simulator program.