Networking

Networking is an integral part of any home or office. The right networking equipment keeps reliable connectivity, and the right equipment is easy to install and maintain.  Don't compromise the reliability of your network by purchasing poor quality products.

4Cabling sells a large range of wired and wireless networking equipment products including wireless routers, patch panels, network switches, transceivers and more. We also have specific CAT 5E, CAT 6, and CAT 6A cables and compatible patch panels for them. Whether you're working on a small home project or looking for commercial network cabling, 4Cabling has the expertise and network data products suitable to your needs. If you have any questions about our products or which network cabling will best complement your system, please visit our contact us page and our customer service team will be in touch with you shortly.

Network cables can be split, but in a slightly different way than other cables. To split a network cable, you first need a device called an ethernet splitter on either end of the cable. At the source end, it combines 2 ethernet signals across one cable but intern limiting its speed to a max of 100mbs, then this can be split at the other end so you have the 2 separate ethernet signals. Effectively with an ethernet splitter, you can connect 2 devices to the same ethernet cable.

An ethernet splitter is not ideal in many situations and often a simple network switch can achieve the same result and also provide more connection points with no degradation of the signal.

A common question people ask about ethernet splitters is whether they impact the speed of the network. For networks with speeds that exceed 1Gbps, a splitter will reduce speeds to 100Mbps."

Twisted pair cables: This type of networking cable is divided into different categories: Cat3, 4, 5, 6, 6a, 7, 7a and 8. A twisted pair cable consists of two conductors of a single circuit (normally made of copper) that are twisted together. These cables work best for short to medium length connections.

Coaxial cables: Another type of cable, coaxial cables comprise an inner conductor that is fully enclosed within an insulating layer, which is in turn surrounded by a conducting shield. In many cases, these three parts are insulated by a final outer shield. Coaxial cables are used for passing radio frequencies.

Fibre optic cables: These cables offer high data capacity and are ideal for long-distance connections. As inferred by its name, the core of fibre optic cables contains fibreglass, which relays data by transferring beams of light.

Managed switches: This advanced switch provides high-levels of control and security. Due to its higher cost, it is mostly reserved for use in larger networks.

Smart switches: These switches provide a decent level of segmentation and management. 

Unmanaged switches: As these switches require no configuration and offer basic connectivity, unmanaged switches are more popular for home networks.

PoE (Power over Ethernet) switches: This type of switch is slightly different from the ones mentioned above. PoE switches also allow multiple devices to communicate with one another within the same network, where PoE differs is that it can also provide power to devices that support PoE.

Networking equipment is a large umbrella term that covers the various equipment needed to direct, connect, switch or split the pieces of data within a network. The exact type of equipment needed to support a network will differ depending on whether it’s intended to be used for LAN (local area networks), MAN (metropolitan area networks) or WAN (wide area networks).

Some of the most common networking devices include:

Routers: A router connects a LAN to the internet by forwarding data packets. Routers are typically reserved for use in smaller networks and home networks.

Switches: A switch works by forwarding packets of data between devices. They allow different devices to share information with each other if they are within the same network.

Gateways: Used in telecommunications networks, gateways enable data to transfer from one network to another. The major difference between switches or routers and gateways is that gateways can connect multiple networks.

Bridges: Network bridges can combine two different LANs to create a larger, aggregate network.

Repeaters: Repeaters receive and retransmit signals. The purpose of a repeater is to extend transmissions and in the process allow signals to cover longer distances without interference.