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Questions tagged [cable]

In electronics, a cable is 1 or more wires (fibers) bound together and running parallel to each other such that larger amounts of data/current can be transmitted at faster speeds than would be accomplished with a lower amount of wires. A cable can refer to an audio, visual, data, electrical or any other numerous types of cables.

120 votes
3 answers
43k views

Why does a gigabit/sec Internet connection via cable (coax) not offer symmetrical speeds like fiber?

In our area, we have Cox Communications (cable) which offers 1 Gbit/s down, and 30 Mbit/s up, while CenturyLink (fiber) offers 1 Gbit/s up and down. Why does copper only 'allow' fast speeds for ...
v15's user avatar
  • 1,965
93 votes
7 answers
13k views

Why do some RJ45 plugs have the lock release clip under a rubber cover?

Some RJ45 plugs have an exposed lock release clip, like this: However, others place the release clip under a rubber cover, like this: I find that the rubber cover is almost never anything but a ...
user's user avatar
  • 30k
83 votes
4 answers
85k views

What is that cylinder on cables?

There's always that pesky cylinder thing on every cable I have. What is it? And more importantly, why don't Apple's products have them?
digitxp's user avatar
  • 14.6k
80 votes
5 answers
40k views

What is the little twist in this floppy ribbon cable for?

There is a twist of a few lines in this floppy cable. Why? What is the purpose of it?
totymedli's user avatar
  • 5,234
79 votes
3 answers
18k views

Does a USB 3.0 connection require a USB 3.0 cord?

Does a USB 3.0 connection require a USB 3.0 cord to reach USB 3.0 speeds (SuperSpeed)? Will any USB cord support any USB 3.0 device?
Xavierjazz's user avatar
  • 8,188
79 votes
8 answers
158k views

The locking clip/tab on my Ethernet cable's plug is broken. How can I fix it?

I have a 10 meter long Ethernet cable. One plug has the little locking clip missing, just like missing the part in red ellipse in the following picture. How can I fix it? Is this something I should ...
Tim's user avatar
  • 17.3k
61 votes
3 answers
296k views

Maximum length of a USB Cable?

I want to use a very long USB cable to place a webcam in a different room. The maximum length that I found was five meters. What is the maximum length of a USB cable? What is the maximum length ...
Click Ok's user avatar
  • 3,915
54 votes
3 answers
16k views

What is this female plug with two rows of ten holes (one hole filled in) on the other end of my USB 3.0 cord?

When I built my computer I had a USB 3.0 cord where one side looked like a normal USB to stick into a USB port but the other end has this blue thing: Where do I stick that in?
Chris's user avatar
  • 657
45 votes
14 answers
19k views

How to declutter and organize the cables on and under my desk? [closed]

Computer cables and external devices are a continuous source of frustration for everybody who likes a clean working environment. The more devices you add to your home office, the more disastrous the ...
45 votes
5 answers
159k views

Is there a difference between "Thunderbolt" and "Mini DisplayPort" cables?

TB-to-TB cables seems to be more expensive than mDP-to-mDP cables. Is there any actual difference besides the branding? This is for use in connecting a MacBook Pro to a dock with multiple ports (USB ...
d0g's user avatar
  • 2,300
41 votes
4 answers
17k views

What is the purpose of this 4 pin cable with 3 wires that came with an old IDE DVD-ROM drive?

Stumbled on this cable today, it has 4 pins, of which only three are actually in use. It was found with a quick installation guide of an old DVD-ROM IDE drive and nothing else except some screws, so I'...
mxt3's user avatar
  • 706
39 votes
6 answers
17k views

I plugged in a molex cable the wrong way and the power supply exploded. Did it kill my hard drive?

I bought a cheap kit allowing me to use a 3.5 SATA hard drive with a laptop, by plugging it in with USB. It still requires external power supply so I used an adapter that came with this kit but I ...
jy196's user avatar
  • 399
36 votes
7 answers
120k views

How can you tell a USB cable version?

Here is a question a student asked me in one of my A+ certification classes: How can you tell a USB cable version? I honestly don't know the answer and I can't find one either. USB cables are rated ...
Keltari's user avatar
  • 73.5k
35 votes
1 answer
327k views

What kind of cable looks like HDMI but has only one slanted edge?

What kind of cable/connector is this? It looks like an HDMI connector, with very similar pins, but it has a slanted edge on only one side and the other side is square.
Chris_45's user avatar
  • 1,487
34 votes
6 answers
284k views

How to unplug a network cable that's stuck?

I have plugged a network cable into my PC to temporarily adjust some settings on my router. Now I can't unplug it. The cable is physically stuck in the RJ45 port. I've tried squeezing every part of it ...
Nathan Osman's user avatar
  • 2,782

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