Home network cabling (F/FTP, U/UTP, U/FTP)

Question

I am doing some re-wiring at home and I am buying new patch cables.

Here they are: http://www.justslim.eu/index.php/slimlight/slimlightutp

You can get these in either U/UTP, U/FTP or F/FTP and I will primarily use them for connecting devices like modem <-> router or router <-> pc etc. Basic stuff.

I did some research and whenever I came across a shielded cable there was a mentioning of a grounding wire inside the cable and how to properly ground it (RJ45 plugs, grounded patch panel etc.)

Since this is for my personal use at home, I was planning on buying only U/UTP but it seems like certain lengths of these cables are only available in F/FTP or U/FTP.

Are there any extra steps to take if I would be using such a shielded cable? I really don’t know if the slots on my devices are grounded or not or if that even matters?

Would I have to modify the cable itself like I’ve seen in some videos? They were putting the RJ45 plugs on the actual cable but this is probably irrelevant since I am buying this pre-built, right?

Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

In a home network, it is unusual to use shielded twisted pair cabling. You'd only use shielded cables (F/UTP, U/FTP, F/FTP) in an environment where you expect a significant amount of electromagnetic radiation or crosstalk between cables.

I would advise that you stick to category cabling (Cat5, Cat6, Cat6e, etc.) and regular unshielded twisted pair cabling. You will most likely save yourself some money too.

And, to answer your question, unless you have the [expensive] equipment to test and verify your circuit is grounded and set up correctly, it is highly likely you will burn your house down.

More information about F/UTP, U/FTP and F/FTP

Read this if you want to find out more about shielded cables and the process required to install them in your network without starting a fire