Cables are everywhere today, and they range from a 100 ft HDMI cable to cat6 ethernet cables to lightning cables for iPhones and even bulk fiber optic cables. While wireless technology is quite useful for mobile devices such as smart phones and laptops, wireless Internet connections have not made lightning cables or ethernet cables obsolete. In fact, in the office or the home, it may be preferable to use cables like lightning cables, since these cables allow for fast, secure transmissions of data. A modern office’s WiFi would soon be overwhelmed with dozens of computers all using wireless connections, but cat5e cables or cat6 ethernet cables can get around that problem and keep everyone connected just fine. What is there to know about bulk USB cables or ethernet patch cables at the office? And what about cables for the home, such as lightning cables or HDMI cables?
Offices and Cables
Most businesses today, even small and modest ones, make good use of cables to keep computers and related devices connected securely. This is largely the arena of IT professionals, who may not only set up the computers themselves, but also all the cables that connect everything. These cables are typically threaded around the office so that they are not a tripping hazard, and workers may even drill holes in the floor to allow cables to go right through.
A good start may be ethernet patch and crossover cables, which allow for a secure Internet connection. Office workers may be using the Internet to access Cloud data accounts, research, email, and more, so routers and ethernet patch cables allow work PCs to plug right in. Cat6 cables, in particular, have four pairs of copper cables to allow the fast and smooth transmission of huge amounts of data. Meanwhile, crossover ethernet cables can be used to connect several computers to each other. Elsewhere in the building, fiber optic cables can be installed, and these are glass cables that carry pulses of light to transmit data at incredible speeds. Such cables allow a large office to meet all of its Internet needs, and extra cables may be installed if the building’s Internet needs expand further in the future.
Meanwhile, cables also make a data server possible. What is this? A data server is made up of hundreds of computers on shelves in a room, all connected with cables to form a single, vast entity. These are not desktop work PCs; they don’t even have mice, monitors, or keyboards plugged in, but they do form a network with vast storage space and boosted processing power. Work PCs may be plugged right into this to join together into a private server, and this allows for the easy, convenient transmission of data. That, and all connected PCs may also enjoy a boost to their processing power.
Cables in the Home
Don’t forget domestic uses for cables. Many Americans own smartphones today, and these mini-computers make use of cables to recharge their batteries and share data. When a smartphone is plugged into a computer, files can be shared back and forth between the two devices. Lightning cables for the iPhone are a fair example of this, and such cables often have a USB end that can plug into a computer or into an adapter that allows them to plug into wall sockets.
A home office is also possible thanks to these cables, and a work PC may be plugged into a router with a patch cable while cables connect it to printers, fax machines, and anything else. But cables can also be used for leisure. A home entertainment system is possible when enough cables plug everything together, and the only real limit is making sure that all involved devices are compatible. For example, an HDMI cable can connect a Blu-ray player, laptop, or a modern game console to a digital projector or an HDTV, and this makes high-def graphics possible. Meanwhile, cables can also connect the sound system, and cables can plug the laptop or game console into the Internet. This can enable online gaming or video streaming on the game console, for example. All of these cables can be set up in the living room so that they are not a tripping hazard.
