1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:00,990 In this lesson, 2 00:00:00,990 --> 00:00:02,280 we're going to explore the different types 3 00:00:02,280 --> 00:00:03,660 of copper network connections 4 00:00:03,660 --> 00:00:05,730 used in our enterprise networks. 5 00:00:05,730 --> 00:00:08,760 Whether a cable is used for telephones, video, or data, 6 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:09,690 it needs to be terminated 7 00:00:09,690 --> 00:00:10,770 with the appropriate connector 8 00:00:10,770 --> 00:00:13,020 to use it for your desired application. 9 00:00:13,020 --> 00:00:15,660 Each application, we use a different type of connector, 10 00:00:15,660 --> 00:00:17,130 even though some of them can be used 11 00:00:17,130 --> 00:00:20,250 with the exact same type of copper cable or wiring. 12 00:00:20,250 --> 00:00:23,580 For example, if you run a Cat 5e cable in your home, 13 00:00:23,580 --> 00:00:25,320 you can actually connect a telephone to it 14 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,360 using an RJ-11 connector, 15 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,850 or you can connect a desktop computer to it 16 00:00:29,850 --> 00:00:32,610 if you're using an RJ-45 connector instead. 17 00:00:32,610 --> 00:00:34,860 The cable itself didn't actually change, 18 00:00:34,860 --> 00:00:37,290 just a small plastic connector on the end of it 19 00:00:37,290 --> 00:00:39,390 to meet the needs of your specific application 20 00:00:39,390 --> 00:00:41,520 and its wall jack size and format. 21 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:44,130 Now, most connectors are called something like RJ 22 00:00:44,130 --> 00:00:47,460 and a number like RJ-11 or RJ-45, 23 00:00:47,460 --> 00:00:49,800 or you may see some of your cables talked about 24 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:54,660 in terms of RG and a number, like RG-6 and RG-59. 25 00:00:54,660 --> 00:00:57,330 Whenever you see something like RJ and a number, 26 00:00:57,330 --> 00:00:59,310 this refers to a registered jack. 27 00:00:59,310 --> 00:01:02,730 Now, a registered jack, often written as RJ-X 28 00:01:02,730 --> 00:01:05,340 is a standardized telecommunication network interface 29 00:01:05,340 --> 00:01:07,800 for connecting voice and data equipment to a service 30 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:09,660 provided by a local exchange carrier 31 00:01:09,660 --> 00:01:11,310 or a long distance carrier. 32 00:01:11,310 --> 00:01:14,940 The X inside the RJ-X is really just a placeholder 33 00:01:14,940 --> 00:01:17,070 for the specific standard number you're talking about, 34 00:01:17,070 --> 00:01:21,600 like RJ-11 or RJ-45. 35 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,450 Each RJ number denotes a different physical connector 36 00:01:24,450 --> 00:01:26,010 and its wiring configuration, 37 00:01:26,010 --> 00:01:27,660 and there are dozens of registered jacks 38 00:01:27,660 --> 00:01:28,950 for various purposes. 39 00:01:28,950 --> 00:01:30,540 But as a network technician, 40 00:01:30,540 --> 00:01:34,230 you really just need to focus on RJ-11 and RJ-45 41 00:01:34,230 --> 00:01:36,360 because they're going to be used with a twisted pair of cables 42 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:38,550 for voice and data networks. 43 00:01:38,550 --> 00:01:40,560 Now, another classification you're going to see 44 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,280 is something known as the RG-X series of designations. 45 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:46,590 The RG stands for radio guide 46 00:01:46,590 --> 00:01:49,800 and the RG-X works just like an RJ number 47 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,630 or registered jack standard. 48 00:01:51,630 --> 00:01:54,480 The RG though, is going to be used with coaxial cables 49 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:55,770 for various applications like 50 00:01:55,770 --> 00:01:58,560 high speed internet connections, television connections, 51 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,330 and radio communications. 52 00:02:00,330 --> 00:02:02,010 While there are numerous RG standards 53 00:02:02,010 --> 00:02:03,570 used for various purposes, 54 00:02:03,570 --> 00:02:04,950 as a network technician, 55 00:02:04,950 --> 00:02:06,480 you're likely going to be working with just 56 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:07,950 two of them most of the time, 57 00:02:07,950 --> 00:02:10,979 and these are RG-6 and RG-59 58 00:02:10,979 --> 00:02:13,080 because they're used for cable television connections 59 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,050 and high speed internet service connections respectively. 60 00:02:16,050 --> 00:02:17,670 So now that you understand a little bit 61 00:02:17,670 --> 00:02:20,250 about the registered jack and radio guide standards, 62 00:02:20,250 --> 00:02:21,690 let's explore some of the most common 63 00:02:21,690 --> 00:02:23,580 copper cable network connection types 64 00:02:23,580 --> 00:02:24,570 that you're going to come across 65 00:02:24,570 --> 00:02:26,250 when working as a network technician, 66 00:02:26,250 --> 00:02:31,250 including RJ-11, RJ-45, F-type and BNC connectors. 67 00:02:31,740 --> 00:02:34,680 First, let's take a look at the RJ-11 connector. 68 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,800 The RJ-11 connector is the standard for telephone wiring 69 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:38,940 and it's commonly used to connect 70 00:02:38,940 --> 00:02:41,040 telephone equipment to a wall jack. 71 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,590 The RJ-11 connector has a six-position, 72 00:02:43,590 --> 00:02:47,910 two-conductor configuration, known as a 6P2C connector. 73 00:02:47,910 --> 00:02:50,130 This configuration means that the cable's connector 74 00:02:50,130 --> 00:02:52,200 can support up to six slots for pins, 75 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,300 but we typically will only use two of these slots 76 00:02:54,300 --> 00:02:55,700 for a telephone connection. 77 00:02:55,700 --> 00:02:59,040 RJ-11 connectors are considered to be smaller in size, 78 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,040 which does make them ideal for telephone applications. 79 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,770 Unfortunately, RJ-11 connectors are not considered 80 00:03:04,770 --> 00:03:07,410 to be suitable for high speed data transmission, though, 81 00:03:07,410 --> 00:03:08,970 because they only use a limited number 82 00:03:08,970 --> 00:03:11,790 of the inner cables from a twisted pair of cable. 83 00:03:11,790 --> 00:03:14,370 If we want to achieve higher levels of data transfer, though, 84 00:03:14,370 --> 00:03:17,010 we're going to need to move up to the next connector. 85 00:03:17,010 --> 00:03:18,150 The second one we have 86 00:03:18,150 --> 00:03:20,910 is what's known as an RJ-45 connector. 87 00:03:20,910 --> 00:03:24,450 The RJ-45 connector is considered to be a large connector, 88 00:03:24,450 --> 00:03:25,950 and it's the standard for data networks 89 00:03:25,950 --> 00:03:29,250 that utilize copper cables to create your ethernet network. 90 00:03:29,250 --> 00:03:31,950 The RJ-45 connector has an eight-position, 91 00:03:31,950 --> 00:03:33,510 eight-conductor configuration, 92 00:03:33,510 --> 00:03:36,510 which we call an 8P8C connector. 93 00:03:36,510 --> 00:03:39,360 Now, an RJ-45 connector is going to be widely used 94 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:41,460 in networking to connect computers, switches 95 00:03:41,460 --> 00:03:44,730 and routers together inside of a local area network. 96 00:03:44,730 --> 00:03:46,500 With its eight pin configuration, 97 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:49,560 RJ-45 connectors can support the high speed data transfer 98 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:52,320 required in our modern wired ethernet networks. 99 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,950 RJ-45 connectors are used with Cat 5, Cat 5e, 100 00:03:55,950 --> 00:03:59,880 Cat 6, Cat 6a, Cat 7, and Cat 8 cables. 101 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:01,740 And as the Cat number increases, 102 00:04:01,740 --> 00:04:03,540 the cable and its associated connector 103 00:04:03,540 --> 00:04:05,490 become capable of reaching higher bandwidths 104 00:04:05,490 --> 00:04:06,900 and higher speeds. 105 00:04:06,900 --> 00:04:10,020 This makes RJ-45 connectors the defacto standard 106 00:04:10,020 --> 00:04:12,480 used by most residential and enterprise networks 107 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,480 for their copper cabling and infrastructure needs. 108 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,240 Third, let's move into the F-type connector. 109 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,490 The F-type connector is a screw on connector 110 00:04:20,490 --> 00:04:24,840 commonly used with both the RG-6 and RG-59 cable types. 111 00:04:24,840 --> 00:04:27,630 The F-type connector is the standard for cable television 112 00:04:27,630 --> 00:04:28,980 and satellite connection, 113 00:04:28,980 --> 00:04:31,860 and it can be used for cable internet connections too. 114 00:04:31,860 --> 00:04:34,680 RG-6 is the standard for coaxial cables 115 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:36,600 as predominantly used in residential 116 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,330 and commercial settings for television, satellite 117 00:04:39,330 --> 00:04:41,460 and cable internet applications. 118 00:04:41,460 --> 00:04:43,440 These coaxial cable types are equipped 119 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:44,700 with an F-type connector 120 00:04:44,700 --> 00:04:46,350 and are characterized by a thicker gauge 121 00:04:46,350 --> 00:04:48,720 and better shielding compared to their predecessors 122 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:50,820 like the RG-59. 123 00:04:50,820 --> 00:04:52,650 The design of the RG-6 includes 124 00:04:52,650 --> 00:04:54,630 a single copper conductor at its core, 125 00:04:54,630 --> 00:04:56,160 surrounded by an insulating layer 126 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:57,330 and a metallic shield, 127 00:04:57,330 --> 00:04:59,370 as well as an outer protective jacket. 128 00:04:59,370 --> 00:05:01,650 The enhanced construction of the RG-6 cable 129 00:05:01,650 --> 00:05:03,240 allows it to support higher bandwidth 130 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:04,980 and higher frequency applications, 131 00:05:04,980 --> 00:05:06,060 and it makes it well suited 132 00:05:06,060 --> 00:05:07,830 for digital television transmission 133 00:05:07,830 --> 00:05:09,540 and high speed internet services 134 00:05:09,540 --> 00:05:11,520 that are provided through cable modems. 135 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:13,740 The RG-6 cable is the modern standard 136 00:05:13,740 --> 00:05:15,750 for these applications with a heavier gauge 137 00:05:15,750 --> 00:05:18,750 and better shielding than the older RG-59, 138 00:05:18,750 --> 00:05:20,820 and this allows it to support higher frequencies 139 00:05:20,820 --> 00:05:23,730 over longer distances without signal loss. 140 00:05:23,730 --> 00:05:25,950 Now, you may also find older coaxial cables 141 00:05:25,950 --> 00:05:27,900 being used in your home or office building 142 00:05:27,900 --> 00:05:30,690 that rely on that older RG-59 standard, 143 00:05:30,690 --> 00:05:32,730 so let's talk about that one for a moment. 144 00:05:32,730 --> 00:05:35,820 RG-59 cables use this older specification 145 00:05:35,820 --> 00:05:37,620 that used to be very common for television 146 00:05:37,620 --> 00:05:39,420 and radio signal transmission. 147 00:05:39,420 --> 00:05:42,420 While most RG-59 cables have largely been replaced 148 00:05:42,420 --> 00:05:45,060 by RG-6 cables in most of our applications, 149 00:05:45,060 --> 00:05:46,380 because of those lower bandwidth 150 00:05:46,380 --> 00:05:49,740 and lower frequency capabilities of the RG-59 cables, 151 00:05:49,740 --> 00:05:52,980 you may still find some of those RG 59 cables used 152 00:05:52,980 --> 00:05:56,400 in some of your closed circuit television or CCTV systems. 153 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,260 Since RG-59 only supports 154 00:05:58,260 --> 00:06:00,480 lower bandwidth over shorter distances, 155 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:02,820 you should never use an RG-59 cable 156 00:06:02,820 --> 00:06:04,020 for any of your high bandwidth 157 00:06:04,020 --> 00:06:07,050 or high definition signal transmission applications. 158 00:06:07,050 --> 00:06:10,290 The fourth one we have is known as a BNC connector. 159 00:06:10,290 --> 00:06:11,730 Now, the BNC connector, 160 00:06:11,730 --> 00:06:14,400 also known as the Bayonet Neill-Concealment connector, 161 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,070 is another type of coaxial connector that's characterized by 162 00:06:17,070 --> 00:06:19,530 its secure bayonet locking mechanism. 163 00:06:19,530 --> 00:06:21,810 The BNC connector is usually going to be used 164 00:06:21,810 --> 00:06:25,200 with the same RG-6 or RG-59 coaxial cables 165 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,360 like you would with an F-type connector. 166 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:28,980 But instead of creating a screw on connector 167 00:06:28,980 --> 00:06:30,390 like the F-type does, 168 00:06:30,390 --> 00:06:32,940 it's going to provide a push and twist style connector 169 00:06:32,940 --> 00:06:35,850 to lock the cable onto the connection's jack. 170 00:06:35,850 --> 00:06:38,790 The BNC connector is going to feature two bayonet lugs 171 00:06:38,790 --> 00:06:40,020 on the female connector. 172 00:06:40,020 --> 00:06:41,940 They're going to be turned about a quarter turn 173 00:06:41,940 --> 00:06:44,850 to fully mate the cable to the coupling nut on the jack 174 00:06:44,850 --> 00:06:46,740 to create a secure connection. 175 00:06:46,740 --> 00:06:49,920 The BNC connector and its associated RG-6 cabling 176 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:51,960 are going to use an outer conductor with slots 177 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,300 and some plastic dielectric on each connector 178 00:06:54,300 --> 00:06:55,860 to ensure a good connection is maintained 179 00:06:55,860 --> 00:06:57,630 between your two systems. 180 00:06:57,630 --> 00:06:59,370 You're going to find BNC connectors 181 00:06:59,370 --> 00:07:01,260 are used in professional video connections 182 00:07:01,260 --> 00:07:02,670 such as those found in studios 183 00:07:02,670 --> 00:07:04,290 or video surveillance systems, 184 00:07:04,290 --> 00:07:07,410 as well as in some radio frequency applications too. 185 00:07:07,410 --> 00:07:09,090 The BNC provides us with a quick 186 00:07:09,090 --> 00:07:11,220 and secure connection for coaxial cables, 187 00:07:11,220 --> 00:07:12,840 and they're praised for their reliability 188 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:14,430 in maintaining a stable connection, 189 00:07:14,430 --> 00:07:17,610 which is critical when working in a professional setting. 190 00:07:17,610 --> 00:07:19,890 Another thing about BNC that you should be aware of 191 00:07:19,890 --> 00:07:22,080 is that many people will erroneously call it 192 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:23,520 the British Naval Connector 193 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,430 instead of the Bayonet Neill-Concealment connector. 194 00:07:26,430 --> 00:07:28,260 Now, this is because these type of connectors 195 00:07:28,260 --> 00:07:30,540 were first introduced back in the 1940s 196 00:07:30,540 --> 00:07:33,330 to connect different pieces of military radio gear together, 197 00:07:33,330 --> 00:07:35,460 especially on British Navy ships. 198 00:07:35,460 --> 00:07:38,700 So people started calling them the British Naval Connectors 199 00:07:38,700 --> 00:07:41,070 instead of the Bayonet Neill-Concealment connector, 200 00:07:41,070 --> 00:07:43,410 which was named after the people who invented it. 201 00:07:43,410 --> 00:07:45,420 Now, if you remember the term BNC, though, 202 00:07:45,420 --> 00:07:46,860 you're going to be fine either way, 203 00:07:46,860 --> 00:07:48,270 regardless of who you're talking to 204 00:07:48,270 --> 00:07:50,880 about this specific cable connection type. 205 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:53,220 So remember, there are a few different types of connectors 206 00:07:53,220 --> 00:07:54,210 that you should be aware of 207 00:07:54,210 --> 00:07:55,890 when working as a network technician, 208 00:07:55,890 --> 00:08:00,770 including the RJ-11, RJ-45, F-type, and BNC connectors. 209 00:08:00,770 --> 00:08:03,600 RJ-11 connectors are used for connecting a telephone 210 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:05,640 to a voice-based communication network. 211 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,670 RJ-45 is going to be used to connect data devices, 212 00:08:08,670 --> 00:08:12,000 including computers, network printers, switches, routers, 213 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,810 and even voiceover protocol devices to your data network. 214 00:08:15,810 --> 00:08:18,240 F-type connectors are used for coaxial cables, 215 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:19,073 and they're usually found 216 00:08:19,073 --> 00:08:20,040 when you connect your cable modem 217 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:22,470 to your service provider's coaxial cable service jack 218 00:08:22,470 --> 00:08:23,940 in your home or office. 219 00:08:23,940 --> 00:08:26,010 And a BNC connector is going to be used 220 00:08:26,010 --> 00:08:28,170 to connect professional video devices together 221 00:08:28,170 --> 00:08:30,360 using a simple push and twist connector 222 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,370 instead of relying on the screw type connector 223 00:08:32,370 --> 00:08:35,120 like the F-type connector provides us with our cabling.