Our connection to the internet is considered by many to be a sacred one. After all, 77% of Americans go online on a daily basis, with 43% reporting they do so several times per day. But when it comes to how we get online, we don’t always agree. Some depend on wireless connections to surf the web, while others opt for Ethernet. If the latter is more your speed (and why wouldn’t it be, since it’s faster than a lot of other connections?), you have a few different types of cables to choose from. In today’s post, we’ll be discussing the pros and cons of the Category 5 cable, also known as Cat5, to help you determine whether it’s the right type of cable to fit your needs.

The Advantages of Category 5 Cables

The Category 5 cable is one of the most versatile options at your disposal, allowing for more flexibility in terms of both wiring and usage. In other words, it’s extremely easy to install and use. You don’t need any special tools for the job, which means you can connect to the internet quickly and without frustration. This category of cable is actually two cables in one: it can connect a wall socket with a central panel and a computer with a wall socket. It’s also one of the most affordable cables for Ethernet access and provides a lot of value for the cost. For home applications, this cable also provides fairly high transfer speeds, which is appealing to many people who are fed up with their slow internet.

The Drawbacks of Buying Cat5 Cables for Sale

Of all the categories of Ethernet cables available, the Cat5 isn’t the newest one available. It’s also not the absolute fastest, as Cat5e cables and Cat6 Ethernet cables are able to provide more rapid connections. It won’t provide you with the most impressive way to transfer data, either; it’s a bit more limited than subsequent cable categories. While that’s fine for the typical home user, it’s not always the best option for big corporate networks. It’s also important to note that this type of cable is more sensitive to interference than other Ethernet cable options, which could disrupt your transfer speed or signal strength. Again, that may not be an issue for the regular residential user — but if you’re an avid gamer or there will be multiple people relying on this Ethernet connection, you may want to explore some alternatives.

Ultimately, the Cat5 cable is a dependable go-to for residential use. It may not be the flashiest cable around, but it gets the job done in a variety of instances. Although it’s not the ideal choice for commercial use and isn’t the newest type of cable available, it’s still regarded as one of the most versatile and affordable Ethernet cables on the market today. To learn more about our different types of cables and how they can make your life a whole lot easier, contact us today.

There’s no doubt that the general public is more reliant on mobile phones than ever before. By 2020, the number of mobile phone users worldwide is predicted to reach 4.78 billion. We use our phones for work and for fun, doing everything from shopping and dating to navigating the roads and finding new jobs. It’s no wonder that 77% of U.S. adults now own a smartphone, an increase of 42% since 2011.

But when you rely on a mobile device that much, it’s only a matter of time before you start to drain your battery. That’s a scary thought for a lot of us. In fact, one study conducted by LG found that 90% of people suffer from low battery anxiety — the fear that our phones might die on us. Of course, it doesn’t have to be that way. You just need to know what to do to preserve your battery until you can charge it properly.

Firstly, you’ll need to look at your own habits. If your screen brightness is normally at full capacity, your battery won’t keep its charge for nearly as long as you need it to. Lowering your phone screen’s brightness level can make a huge difference in how long your battery lasts. iPhone 4 users found that decreasing display brightness settings could increase battery life for anywhere from two to three hours, as compared to when they kept this setting as bright as possible.

You should also take a closer look at the way you’re using your apps. Certain apps, especially ones that use a lot of graphics or audio features, are known to drain phone batteries more quickly. Refrain from using these apps when you’re out without a charger and remember to force quit them. Otherwise, they’ll continue to run in the background.

If you’re really in a bind, you may consider turning on airplane mode or enabling your phone’s low battery mode. This will automatically take care of dimming your screen and disabling those background activities so that you don’t have to manually adjust every setting.

But if you want to avoid this scenario altogether, you should invest in a portable phone charger or a case that offers charging abilities. A survey conducted by Veloxity found that 78% of people carry no backup charging method for their devices, yet people in most major U.S. cities charge their phones more than once per day. You can save yourself a lot of trouble and stress by preparing for the inevitable ahead of time.

What Kind Of Cable Is This?

According to 2015 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 78% of American households own a laptop or desktop computer, while 75% owned a smartphone and 77% had broadband internet. With so many Americans plugged into their technology, it’s no surprise that we spend a good amount of our waking hours consuming media. In fact, a 2018 Nielsen report found that Americans spend 11 hours or more per day watching, reading, listening to, or interacting with media.

In order to take in that much digital media, a lot of power is required — hence, the need for technological cables. Cables can be used to connect our devices to sources of electricity. They also transfer vast amounts of data.

But with so many different cables out there, how exactly are you supposed to tell one type from another? If you know what characteristics to look for, you’ll soon be able to identify and use the correct cables for your given application. Keep scrolling for our visual guide to identifying different cables.

Video Graphics Array (VGA) Cable: Created in the 1980s, this distinctively chunky cable is usually used to connect a computer monitor with its computer tower or a TV screen to a projector. Its boxy connector design features 15 different pins, with each of the three rows of pins responding to a different color channel (red, green, or blue) used in the display of graphics.

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Cable: You’ve probably used and seen USB cables in both professional and personal settings. They’re used to connect devices like keyboards, mouses, external hard drives, flash drives, and smartphones to computers. There are a couple of main formats (USB 2.0 and USB 3.0), as well as micro, mini, and types A and B. They’re fairly easy to recognize by the shape of their connector, but they also bear the symbol of a trident; at the end of each of the trident’s three spokes, you’ll see a circle, a triangle, or a square.

Ethernet Cable: Ethernet cables are used to set up internet connections and most closely resemble landline phone jacks in their appearance. They’re often more colorful than other kinds of cables and feature connectors at both ends. They also contain four pairs of twisted wires, eight pins, and a clip to keep the connector in place.

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) Cable: HDMI cables are used to provide both video and audio transmissions at the same time. You’d use this kind of cable to hook a laptop or DVD player up to a TV screen, for example. They’re a more modern iteration of the DVI cable (which replaced the VGA, in many cases). HDMI cable connectors look like trapezoids with two rows of pins (10 on the top and nine on the bottom).

Now that you know a bit more about common cables you might see in your home or your office, you can feel more confident about connecting devices correctly — and about buying the right ones to fit your needs.

Although the iPhone 7 accounted for only 8.1% of all smartphone sales in the U.S. during Q3 of 2017, Apple products are among the most popular types of technology in the world. That said, these smartphones have their share of dumb problems. One of the more annoying ones you might experience is a pop-up message that proclaims that the cell phone accessories (like cell phone charging cables) you’re trying to use are not compatible with your device.

Typically, this window notifies you that these cell phone cables or other accessories are not certified and will not work reliably with your device. But why does this notification appear in the first place? And what can you do to ensure your cell phone can be charged, uninterrupted?

You Might See This Message Because…

• The cable you’re using is damaged: In some cases, a damaged cable can cause this message to appear. While that’s not really the intended purpose of this error message, it can let the user know that their old cable isn’t working the way it should. This may happen when cables have fraying edges or have been exposed to a damaging element (like water). If you know you’re using an Apple authorized cable but this message pops up, you should inspect your cell phone accessories for signs of damage and consider replacing them right away.
• The cable you purchased is counterfeit: The main reason this window appears is Apple’s desire to discontinue the use of unauthorized cables. The company has implanted authentication chips in its own lightning cables to ensure they will be recognized by their devices — and that cell phone accessories without these chips will be flagged as unauthorized. If you bought a cheap cable as a quick fix, you’ll probably see this message at some point. It’s not just because Apple wants to have control or make more money, either. Counterfeit cables and other cell phone accessories can actually damage the internal components of your devices and may even present a safety hazard to users. If you see this message and have at least a suspicion your cable is counterfeit, replace it with an authorized one so your phone can maintain its charge and you won’t risk setting it on fire.
• Your iPhone’s charging port needs to be cleaned: In rare cases, this message may appear by mistake. If your phone’s charging port is filled with debris, it might not be able to register the charging cable correctly and could deliver the error message as a result. It could also randomly pop up for seemingly no reason at all and go away when the cable is unplugged and plugged back in again. But if you’ve cleaned out your charging port and see no signs of damage to your device or accessories, this probably isn’t the reason you’re seeing this pop-up window.

The best way to prevent dealing with this annoying issue? Buy authorized charging cables. These high-quality cables won’t let you down and won’t compromise your safety or your phone’s data. To learn more, please contact us today.