Network Cable Connectors Types and Specifications.

Learn what type of network cable connector (such as Rj-45, J Rj-11, USB, MT-RJ, Coaxial BNC, LC Local Connector, MT-RJ, USB BNC, and AUI) is used to connect what type of network cable.

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

• Universal Serial Bus, or USB, is a computer standard designed to eliminate the guesswork in connecting peripherals to a PC. 
• It is expected to replace serial and parallel ports. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices, such as mice, modems, keyboards, digital cameras, printers, scanners, MP3 players, and many more. 
• USB also supports Plug-and-Play installation and hot plugging.
• USB 1.1 standard supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps.
• USB 2.0 (Also referred to as Hi-Speed USB) specification defines a new High-speed transfer rate of 480 Mb/sec.
• USB 2.0 is fully compatible with USB 1.1 and uses the same cables and connectors. USB has two connector types. The first is Type A (on the right), This connector connects to the PC's USB port. 
• The Type B (on the left) connector is for connecting to the relevant peripheral. Whereas the type A connector is truly standard, the Type B connector could be changed in size, etc. with individual peripherals meaning they require their own unique cables.

RJ-45 (Registered Jack)

• The "RJ" in RJ45 stands for "registered jack," since it is a standardized networking interface. The "45" simply refers to the number of the interface standard. 
• RJ45 cables can be wired in two different ways. One version is called T-568A and the other is T-568B. These wiring standards are listed below:

• Each RJ45 connector has eight pins, which means an RJ45 cable contains eight separate wires. If you look closely at the end of an Ethernet cable, you can actually see the eight wires, which are each a different color. Four of them are solid colors, while the other four are striped.
• An RJ45 cable is primarily used to connect devices over an Ethernet connection. 

RJ-11 (Registered Jack)

• Standard telephone cable connectors, RJ-11 has 4 wires (and RJ-12 has 6 wires). RJ-11 is the acronym for Registered Jack-11, a four- or six-wire connector primarily used to connect telephone equipment.
• RJ11 is the “telephone” standard. If you still have a wired land-line phone (not a VOIP phone), it almost certainly has an RJ11 phone jack, or a cord with an Rj11 connector, attached to it.

F-Type

• The F connector is a type of RF connector commonly used for cable and universally for satellite television. 
• They are also used for the cable TV connection in DOCSIS cable modems, usually with RG-6 tri-shield cable. 
• The F connector is inexpensive, yet has good performance up to 1 GHz. One reason for its low cost is that it uses the center wire of the coaxial cable as the pin of the male connector. 
• The F connector or F-type connector is a form of coax cable connector that is widely used with domestic television equipment.
• The F connector is cheap and can perform to frequencies in excess of 2 GHz making it ideal for terrestrial and satellite links between antennas / down-converters or LNBs and the television itself.
• The male connector body is typically crimped onto the exposed outer braid. Female connectors have a 3/8-32 thread. Most male connectors have a matching threaded connecting ring, though push-on versions are also available.

ST (Straight Tip) and SC (Subscriber Connector or Standard Connector)

• Fiber network segments always require two fiber cables: one for transmitting data, and one for receiving. 
• Each end of a fiber cable is fitted with a plug that can be inserted into a network adapter, hub, or switch. 
• A straight tip connector (ST connector) is a connector used in fiber-optic cables that utilize a bayonet-style plug and socket. 
• It has become the de facto standard for commercial wiring. The ST connector setup allows for unidirectional communication, so two ST connectors and two fiber cables are used for bidirectional communication.
• In North America, most cables use a square SC connector (Subscriber Connector or Standard Connector) that slides and locks into place when inserted into a node or connected to another fiber cable, Europeans use a round ST connector (Straight Tip) instead.

MT-RJ (Mechanical Transfer Registered Jack)

• MT-RJ connectors are used with single-mode and multi-mode fiber-optic cables. 
• The MT-RJ connectors are constructed with plastic housing and provide for accurate alignment via their metal guide pins and plastic ferrules.
• Used for Gigabit Ethernet. To connect to modules with MT-RJ interfaces, use multi-mode fiber-optic cables.

BNC connector

• The Bayonet Neill-Concelman Connector (BNC connector) is a type of coaxial RF (Radiofrequency) electrical connector that is used in place of coaxial connectors.
• A BNC connector connects various radio frequencies up to 3GHz and voltages under 500V DC and is used in electronic architectures such as audio, video, and networking. 
• One of the benefits of the BNC connector is its close-fitting connection. The connection is locked by the BNC male connector that has a pin that fits into the main conducting wire. 
• It is then secured in place with an external ring that turns to a locked position.
• BNC is also used in avionics and high-grade analog communications test equipment due to its low-signal-loss architecture. Co-axial ethernet cabling is nearly always terminated with BNC connectors.