SOLID VS STRANDED CABLING

Solid and stranded cables each have their individual purposes and benefits, and knowing when and where they should be used will improve networking performance and efficiency. Though they feature similar capabilities, each serves a distinct function and offers specific advantages.

Solid

Solid Ethernet cables are made up of a single, solid conducting wire. Featuring larger wires, solid cables are physically stronger and easier to work with. Further, the larger wires provide superior electrical characteristics capable of remaining stable over a wider range of frequencies. This makes solid cables better suited to newand emerging high-speed Ethernet applications.Due to their large copper diameter, solid conductor cables have a lower DC resistance and a lower susceptibility to high frequency effects.

Solid cables are able to support longer transmission, receiving longer runs and higher data rates than stranded cables. However, while solid cables have a “larger” core, they are also more vulnerable to breakage. This limits their flexibility, as they cannot be repeatedly flexed or bent without breaking or causing performance inefficiencies. This inherent stiffness makes solid cables the ideal solution for horizontal cabling within a system infrastructure. For example, solid Cat5e cables are well-suited for networking applications such as running from room to room in an office building, due to the higher distance needed. For runs over 100 feet, solid cables will perform better and more reliably than stranded cables.

Stranded

With stranded cabling, the inside features twisted pairs of a stranded cable, with each individual conductor made up of a bundle of smaller-gauge wire strands. Stranded cable is arranged in a way that several wires surround a single wire in the bundle’s center. For Category cables, the number of surrounding strands is six, with one in the middle. This stranded arrangement forms a conductor that ends up with a diameter similar to a solid cable. However, the conducting area of a stranded cable is smaller than that of a solid cable due to the smaller diameters of each individual wire strand. Stranded cables are a type of cable that users often have more familiarity with and handle directly.

The stranding of the wire conductor not only protects the cable, but it also enhances its flexibility.The longer the cable is, the more times each strand is twisted around the center. As a result, when a stranded cable is bent, each strand bends as though it is independent of the entire strand. This construction enables these cables to move easily and frequently without harm or risk of performance failure. While they are not as reliable as solid cables for longdistance runs, their flexibility makes stranded Cat 5 cables ideal for short distances. Since there are pliable by nature, stranded cables deliver the mobility necessary to perform well in applications such as patch cabling, as they will be constantly plugged, unplugged, bent or installed. A patch is used to provide connectivity between any two RJ45 jacks. Common patch cabling applications are connecting patch panel ports to other patch panel ports or to switch ports, and for connecting the work area outlet (jack) to the computer or other networked device.