Category 2 cable

Category 2 cable, also known as Cat 2, or Level 2, is a grade of unshielded twisted pair cabling designed for telephone and data communications. The maximum frequency suitable for transmission over Cat 2 cable is 4 MHz, and the maximum bandwidth is 4Mbit/s. Cat 2 cable contains 4 pair of wires, or eight wires total.

Though not an official category standard established by TIA/EIA, Category 2 has become the de facto name given to Level 2 cables originally defined by Anixter International, the distributor. Official TIA/EIA-568 standards have only been established for cables of Category 3 ratings or above.

Anixter Level 2 cable was frequently used on ARCnet and 4 Mbit/s token ring networks, it is also used in telephone networks but it is no longer commonly used.

References

Bibliography

• Meyers, Mike. All-In-One ComptTIA Network+ Exam Guide, Fifth Edition, McGraw Hill Publishing, 2012.
• Carpenter, Tom. CompTIA CTP+, Convergence Technologies Professional Certification Study Guide, McGraw Hill Publishing, 2012.

Citations and notes

• CCNA: Network Media Types
• PC Magazine, Encyclopedia, Cable Categories