Computer Network - What are Connectors?

What are Connectors? (Fully Explained)

A device designed to remove a segment of cabling or provide access for network devices such as PCs, hubs, and switches. Connectors are often recognized for their physical design and mating characteristics, which include jacks and male connectors or attachments and female ports.

Connectors serve the purpose of linking guided (wired) transmission media to devices like hubs, servers, and workstations, among others.

Types of Connectors

Several types of connectors exist, including:

Twisted Pair Cable Connectors

In recent years, nearly all new connections have been established using a twisted pair cabling system. UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) is predominantly used over STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) due to its lower cost and ease of installation and handling.

The standard UTP connector is the RJ45 (where RJ stands for Registered Jack). The RJ45 connector resembles the modular telephone connectors found in homes but is larger.

Coaxial Cable Connector

To connect coaxial cables to devices, coaxial connectors are necessary. The commonly used connector type is the Bayonne Neill Concelman (BNC) connector.

Fiber-optic Cable Connector

There are three types of connectors for fiber-optic cables:

The Subscriber Channel (SC) connector is utilized for cable television and features a push/pull locking mechanism. The straight-tip (ST) connector is employed for connecting wires to networking devices and utilizes a bayonet locking system, making it more reliable than the SC. The MT-RJ connector is comparable in size to the RJ45.