Know the Cables You Need For Your Home

If you’ve been experiencing Internet connectivity issues help guides may suggest using an Ethernet cable to connect your computer to the router for a stronger signal. For many of us, it can be difficult to tell which cable is used for what purpose. It seems that every device we have requires at least one or two cables or wires for charging or hooking up to other devices. So how do you keep them all straight? What kinds of basic cables should you have in your home? Do you need a surge protector to keep your electronic devices safe? We’ll address all of these questions and more below. We do offer lifetime warranties on all our cables, as well as both pre-and post-sale tech support for any needs or questions you might have.

What Cables Should I Have at Home?

There are now (to date) nine generations of the iPhone and as of 2015, it was the second biggest smartphone vendor globally. So it’s no surprise to learn that the iPhone has driven much of the smartphone technology of the last decade, including the use of lightning cables for charging our phones and connecting them to computers, tablets, and even televisions. Many of our devices now require a lightning cable for connection or charge and it’s always good to keep them on hand. Having a back-up is smart and keeping one at work, a partner’s house, or in rooms of the house you frequent can make your life easier.

You should also have an Ethernet cable, which transmits broadband signals from your modem, router, and computer to each other. These can come in a variety of lengths, such as a 100 ft Ethernet cable or a ten-foot cable. Unless you’re stretching your cable quite far, you probably won’t need a 200 ft Ethernet cable, but it’s good to know they exist, should you need such a length.

USB cables are another staple you should keep around the house. The other end of a lightning cable is often a USB cable (USB Type-A male), which plugs into desktops, laptops, and certain charge ports. Everything from printers to portable chargers needs a USB cable to function.

HDMI cables can also be useful to have around, to transmit audio and video in one cable. For example, many people use an HDMI cable to connect their computer and TV, in order to stream videos, movies, or TV shows onto a larger screen.

So while it’s doubtful you’ll need a 300 ft Ethernet cable, you should check and see what length you might need and whether you need a category 5e or category 6 cable for best results.

Do I Need Other Types of Equipment?

Having a surge protector or power strip surge protector can help protect your electronics from getting damaged in case there’s a lightning strike, power surge or spike, or malfunction with the power grid. With just one incident, your valuable electronics could be damaged or completely broken — an expensive problem to have. If you get a power strip surge protector, you can plug multiple things into it — helpful for a room like a home office or your bedroom, where you may have multiple devices that need to be charged.

Screen cleaners and protective cases for your gadgets can also help keep them in top working condition. Keep extra batteries on hand for your remotes and make sure you know what kind of remote you might need for the proper replacement.

Whether you need a 200 ft Ethernet cable, a USB printer cable, or a cell phone charger, knowing what you’re looking for can be helpful indeed. Label your cables as you receive them with your devices to keep them straight. A quick Internet search can often help you figure out how to label existing cables and cords.

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