twisted pair
What is a twisted pair?
A twisted pair is the ordinary copper wire that connects home and business computers to a telephone company. To reduce crosstalk or electromagnetic induction between pairs of wires, two insulated copper wires are twisted around each other.
Each twisted-pair connection requires both wires. Since some telephones or desktop locations require multiple connections, a twisted pair is sometimes installed in two or more pairs within a single cable. For some business locations, a twisted pair is enclosed in a shield that functions as a ground, which is known as a shielded twisted pair. Ordinary wire to the home is known as an unshielded twisted pair.
A twisted pair is frequently installed with two pairs to the home. The extra pair enables the addition of another line if necessary.
Twisted pairs are uniquely color-coded when packaged in multiple pairs. Different uses, such as analog, digital and Ethernet, require different pair multiples.
Although a twisted pair is often associated with home use, a higher grade of twisted pair is often used for horizontal wiring in local area network (LAN) installations because it is less expensive than coaxial cable.
The wire available at a hardware store that enables extensions from the phone or computer modem to a wall jack is not a twisted pair. It is a side-by-side wire known as silver satin. The wall jack can have five types of hole arrangements or pinouts, depending on the kinds of wire the installation expects will be plugged in, such as digital, analog or LAN.
