Before getting into the different types of ethernet, we need to understand what ethernet is, how to use it, and where to use it. You’ll also want to be aware of the hardware you’ll need to set it up as well as the cable options and ethernet types. So, let’s get into it.

What is Ethernet?

Ethernet is a technology that has been around since the 1970s. It connects local area networks (LANs), which is a group of devices in close proximity that share a common line for communication. In simple terms, it’s the technology in your home or business that allows all the devices to communicate with each other. For example, it’s possible to have multiple computers connected to the same printer. We most commonly see LANs throughout businesses or office buildings.

How Does it Work?

This works through networking and hardware. It involves transmitting information through carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD). This essentially dictates who can send information, who’s information goes through first, and how fast it is.

Hardware That You’ll Need

Bridges

These act as an additional source for information to pass through. With only one line of communication, it can become cluttered and backed up quickly, so bridges do exactly that—they bridge the gap to allow for smoother communication.

Router and Modem

Since these two devices depend on each other, manufacturers often combine them. The modem holds the internet connection, and the router is what connects to the internet via ethernet cables. These are the bridge between the router and the internet.

Network Interface Card (NICs)

Most computers today will have these already built-in, but there are some organizations that still use older equipment. If that’s you, chances are you’ll need to get a NIC to connect with the ethernet. Please note that if you use older equipment, you may need NICs for each computer in the network.

Cable Options

There are a lot of cable options available, and most of them have their own purpose and use. So, if you’re looking to replace your existing cables, you’ll need to take note of the other hardware you have and their specs. Otherwise, it’s possible you’ll end up purchasing the wrong cable, and possibly install the wrong cable, which would be a lot of unnecessary stress. In most scenarios, the standard cable is going to be the Cat5e. However, depending on your hardware, you may have the option to get a higher quality cable that will be stronger, faster, and a better fit for your specific needs.

Cat5

These cables are slower than most hardware requires now, so it’s uncommon for people to use them. It wouldn’t be worth wasting your time with these unless you have older hardware that requires outdated hardware.

Cat5e

These are the updated version of Cat5 cables according to 5e ethernet. The e stands for enhanced. These are often the most common cables used today because they’re affordable to manufacture, and they work well with most setups.

Cat6

These are more expensive because they back stronger bandwidths. In other words, they’re faster than Cat5 and earlier versions. However, the distance that is most effective for the best results is reduced and also less than Cat5 and 5e.

Cat6a

The a in this cable represents augmented. While not necessarily enhanced like the Cat5e, they have an additional feature. Manufacturers design these cables to work with a maximum distance of 90 meters for full 10-Gigabit network speeds.

Cat7/7a

These are an upgrade from the 6 and 6a cables, but they are not readily available to most, as there are limited hardware options for pairing. These offer an increase in bandwidth and distance; however, the farther away you get, the worse your connection will be in general.

Cat8

People often use these cables, along with Cat7 and 7a, in very niche situations. Individuals or organizations that use these need the absolute best connection and speed possible.

Coaxial vs. Twisted Pair

These are the two most common types of cables. Coaxial is a thick cable that does not easily roll up for quick storage. On the other hand, a twisted pair cable is flatter and much easier to work with and hide. People typically use coaxial for longer distances, and the twisted pair is better for short wiring.

These are the typical ethernet cables you’ll encounter, but there are other more unique options available. For example, there is an HDMI ethernet cable that is compatible with most smartphones. Plus, one of the best things about our cables is that they all come with a lifetime warranty!

The Different Types of Ethernet Networks Explained

Fast Ethernet

This type of connection is purely Mbit speed-based. The rate of speed is typically around 100 Mbit/s. You can usually use it with a Cat5 cable, as well as a fiber optic.

Gigabit Ethernet

While this type is still in development, it’s constantly improving and becoming more and more available. The rate here is 1,000 Mbit or 1 Gbit. For this ethernet, professionals do not recommend you have any cable less than a Cat5e—in fact, most are opting for a fiber optic cable.

10 Gigabit Ethernet

The 10 Gigabit is the latest standard for top speed ethernet. This type is best for organizations due to their distance capabilities. It’s capable of bridging up to 6.2 miles and the speed can reach 10,000 Mbps. Tenfold of Gigabit Ethernet.

Switch Ethernet

Small- to medium-sized organizations often use this type. Most switches support up to 100 Mbps for Fast Ethernet and up to 1,000 Mbps for the latest Ethernet. The Switch Ethernet technology has been around the longest of all these, so it’s very common and well researched.

The quality of your internet connection can vary greatly based on the cable alone. But the hardware, such as the modem and router, play a big role in internet connection as well. So, it’s important to be sure you have the right equipment for your needs. Ethernet always seems to be changing for the best, so it’s better to purchase the best option available upfront. This way, you will save from replacing the basic cables in the long run.

Every business can improve its efficiency, whether that’s via employees or infrastructure. In this case, we discuss the importance of structured cabling systems in business, which will improve your business’s infrastructure. In addition, structured cabling helps IT workers remain safe on the job and reduce connection downtime.

Easier to Identify A Problem

With a structured cabling system, your cables will be much more organized than if you didn’t have a structure. That said, with such a system, it’s much easier to locate the problem cable if you experience downtime and get the business back up and running. Anytime you lose your Wi-Fi connection, it could lead to lost sales because your employees can’t work until the internet is back up.

Improves Efficiency

In addition to reducing downtime, structured cabling improves connectivity because it ensures that you’re using quality cables and your network is reliable. In addition, if your business adopted a structured cabling system, you’d invest in future growth because having modern technology will make your business run much smoother.

Creates a Safer Environment

Having a mess of cables not only raises the chance for someone unplugging a cable and losing your connection—it also makes the work environment more dangerous. Therefore, structured cabling systems make the work environment much safer. For example, a structured cabling system reduces the risk of employees tripping or having cable shortages, which could lead to fires. An additional way to reduce the negative results of a fire is by using plenum cables, because they’re regulated under the National Fire Protection Association. The NFPA suggests plenum cables because they put off minimal toxins into the air if there was a fire, and they have a fire-retardant coating.

It’s important to adopt structured cabling systems in business, as they keep cables organized, improve efficiency, and promote a safer environment. All this ultimately allowing for more efficient fixes, less downtime, and a lowered injury risk. As we mentioned, plenum cables are common in businesses because of their fire-retardant properties. We offer plenty of Cat6 plenum cableoptions here at CableWholesale. We’ve set the standard for excellence in products and customer service, and we won’t slow down now. Contact us today for more information—we look forward to serving you!

There’s nothing worse than, when you’re in the depths of your work, you go to stretch your legs and end up snagging the cables under your desk, unplugging your computer. Unplugging your computer unintentionally is not only frustrating—it takes you away from your work and could even lead to losing your work. Of course, this would happen during the one time you didn’t click save, right? You’re not the only one that faces this problem, though; cables can easily get tangled and unplugged in data centers, homes, offices, and so on. Because of these problems, we came up with these effective cable management system tips to help you avoid these frustrations and potential work loss.

Reduce the Distance as Much as Possible

One of the simplest and most straightforward solutions to keeping your cables out of your way is by using the shortest cable available. Far too often, people use excessively long cables for a project that doesn’t need it. For example, you don’t want to use a 50 ft HDMI cable in an area that only needs a 10 ft cable; it’s just asking to get tangled up. Now, that doesn’t mean rearrange your entire office or room just to make the shorter cable work, but if there’s a shorter cable available, then go for that one. More benefits of a shorter cable are that it can reduce any potential latency issues and improve your overall connection, and they’re much easier to hide.

Tie the Cables Up

Another great way to organize your cables is by tying them up out of the way. This is common in offices to avoid the aforementioned tangling scenario. The best way to do this is by getting hooks underneath your desk to drape the cables from. However, we don’t recommend drilling a hook into your desk—your boss may not get a kick out of that. So, an easy solution is using hooks with adhesive backs, preferably permanent adhesive if you can, but non-permanent will work too. You can also tie the cables together with zip ties or Velcro. Just don’t tie them too tight, because that can lead to cable damage. If there’s no easy way to hide your cables because they’re in the open regardless of what you do, don’t worry; there’s still a way to hide them. Consider getting cable sleeves these wrap over most of the cables, making the bunch of cables look like one.

Additionally, there’s another handy use for binder clips. These clips are great for organizing any frequently used cables that go behind your desk. You can easily tape the clip to the back of your desk out of sight, and then run your cables through the silver wire that you’d squeeze to open. Anytime you’re not using the cables, you can push them behind your desk, and the silver wire will keep them from falling to the floor and getting tangled again.

Use Concealed Power

Concealed power is just a sophisticated way of saying hidden power strips. These power strips are largely popular in offices because, like tying the cables up under your desk, this reduces the distance for power supply. Many of these power supplies can attach to the bottom of your desk, and to avoid damaging your desk, you can attach these to the legs with Velcro instead.

Label Everything

This tip is especially helpful in areas that have abundant cables, such as data centers at your work building. A data center can have hundreds of cables, so you’ll need to know the purpose of each cable in your structured cabling system. By labeling each cable—though it’s a tedious process—it’ll make your life much easier when you’re trying to figure out why something isn’t working, or when replacing cables.

However, labeling your cables doesn’t only apply to big data centers; it also applies to your home. For example, some people have big entertainment set-ups at home including their TV, Blu-ray player, surround sound, sound bars, and so on. On the other hand, some have more modest set-ups. Whatever your situation, it’s helpful knowing which cable is going where when you look behind your TV to find why something isn’t working.

If It Doesn’t Negatively Affect Performance, Go Wireless Where You Can

There are times when going wireless can make your connection worse. On the other hand, there are a handful of devices that don’t experience a decreased connection when wireless. Common devices that are usually fine in wireless form are computer accessories, such as your mouse and keyboard. Items like modems may see a decrease in speed if they’re wireless. However, with the increasing technology, bandwidth, and Bluetooth, there are more devices that are capable of being wireless nowadays.

Ultimately, the best way to maintain effective cable management is by keeping them out of sight. It just looks better, keeps cables out of your way, and it avoids any problems. And we understand that while everyone is trying to go wireless with everything, it’s not always the best option because your connection quality can decrease. Only select devices work fine wirelessly such as a mouse or keyboard. The purpose of cabling is to make your life easier and to increase connectivity throughout buildings and homes. Cables shouldn’t get in the way every day—that’s why we wanted to share these effective cable management system tips.

Here at CableWholesale, we have all the cables you’ll ever need in every length—for instance, if you need a 75 ft HDMI cable, we have the best quality on the market. We can supply you with cables for something as large as your entire office building, or as small as your home entertainment set-up. And if you’re not sure what cables you need, we have the best customer service team available to help you find what you’re searching for. We’re dedicated to offering the highest quality products and customer service available, so you can shop with confidence. In fact, we believe in our products so much that we offer a lifetime warranty on most items!

HDMI cables are one, if not the most common, way we connect entertainment devices in our lives. These common cables help us watch our favorite movies, TV shows, play video games, and share family photos. To get the best result, however, you need the right cable. This guide will help you understand the different types of HDMI cables and which cable best fits your needs.

First, What’s an HDMI Cable Anyway?

HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and several companies, including Hitachi, Sony, and Panasonic, developed the first cable in 2002. The purpose of this cable was to transmit data and speed to multimedia devices, such as DVD and Blu-ray players, TVs, projectors, game consoles, computers and laptops, and some digital cameras. They’ve become the most common way that we connect any of these items in our homes and businesses today.

Will Any HDMI Cable Work?

Kind of, but it won’t work to its full potential if it’s the wrong cable for the wrong device. For example, some manufacturers design HDMI cables specifically to quickly transfer data for higher quality video, such as high definition and 4K. With the rise of smart devices and smart homes, just about everything needs to connect to the Internet, so there are HDMI cables with Ethernet built in as well. While technically any HDMI cable will work for basic needs, if you need maximum efficiency, you should choose your cable wisely.

The Different Types of HDMI Cables

HDMI cables changed a lot since the first version released, so let’s get into them, their differences, and which one fits your needs.

Standard HDMI

This is the cable from 2002 that started the trend; they’re still used today, but not as much with all the improvements. Some uses for the standard cable is basic cable and TV connectivity. It’s not the best option anymore, but it gets the job done in traditional scenarios.

Standard Automotive HDMI

Remember those entertainment systems that some families had in their cars? That’s exactly what the standard automotive cable is for. It’s like the standard cable, only it has an additional coating to reduce interference from other devices within the car.

High Speed HDMI

As technology and video quality improved, the standard HDMI cables couldn’t keep up with the demand. Manufacturing began on high speed HDMI cables to handle the demands of high definition, 3D, and 4K.

High Speed Automotive HDMI

Of course, with the technology updates, “everyone” was getting 4K TVs in their cars too, so manufacturers had to update the automotive cables too.

Premium High Speed HDMI

Similar to the previous high speed HDMI cable, 4K became more demanding, so the cables needed updates as well. However, it wasn’t only the improvements in 4K that required better cables; high dynamic range (HDR) picture grew in popularity as well. Thus, the birth of premium high speed HDMI cables came about.

Ultra High Speed HDMI

Technology didn’t stop at the premium models. As it continued to improve, the cables struggled to keep up with the transfer speeds required. Ultra high speed HDMI cables became common in professional settings most due to its high quality. Ultra high speed is no joke—these cables are capable of transferring speeds for up to 8K and 10K resolutions that aren’t readily available to most.

HDMI with Ethernet

As mentioned previously, most devices throughout our homes and businesses all connect to the Internet now, and as that became more popular, the cables needed to change again. These not only increase the quality of connection but if you need Internet connectivity for, say a smart TV, these are the best choice for you.

The Different Types of HDMI Connectors

Now that the cables are out of the way, there’s also a handful of different connectors found on HDMI cables. It’s important to note that most of these have a Type A connector on one side, and a different connector on the other side.

Type A — Regular

When you think of an HDMI cable, this is probably what you envision. This connection has been the most common since the initial design of HDMI cables.

Type C — Mini

This connector is helpful during presentations because one end is a Type A, so you can connect it to a TV or a projector. The Type C end is a common size for tablets, cameras, and other electronics.

Type D — Micro

Like a Type C connector, a Type D is smaller and works with even smaller electronics, such as handheld digital cameras, tablets, and some smartphones.

Type E — Automotive

Lastly, for all your car entertainment system needs, there’s Type E connectors. These have a traditional Type A connector on one side, and then the Type E connector would go to the input installed on the vehicle.

So, Which HDMI Cable Should I Buy?

It depends on what you need them for. If you’re looking to connect your TV to your DVD or Blu-ray player, and you’re watching 4K movies, then you’ll need the high speed cable. On the other hand, if your grandma just wants to watch Wheel of Fortune on basic cable, then she’ll probably only need a standard HDMI cable. Now, if you’re a creative professional or a cinematography enthusiast, you’ll want the highest quality picture available, and that’s going to come from an ultra high speed cable. If you use a camera to display your photos on a TV, you’ll need at least a high speed HDMI cable with either a Type C or Type D connector.

Whatever your needs are, there’s an HDMI cable available for you, and CableWholesale is the best place to look. We offer the highest-quality products and have a team of experts ready to help you find whatever HDMI cable you need. Our customer service has the highest standards and has pioneered the level of quality since 1996, and we have no plan on slowing down. Whether you’re a homeowner that needs a standard cable to connect a DVD player or a professional that needs a 100-foot HDMI cable with Ethernet, we have it all. In addition to our wide selection of products, we offer a lifetime warranty on all our cables.

The data center is one of those rooms many people don’t get to see, usually because they’ll probably mess something up, so it’s easier to just keep them out. However, for those of us who are in the data center, here’s a few pro tips on implementing a data center cabling infrastructure the right way—the first time.

A Visual Representation Will Be Helpful

Before you walk in the data center, you should have a visual representation of how this project’s going to look once finished. A digital representation is ideal, but even if you draw it on the back of a napkin, it’s better than nothing. Your visual representation should include details such as the positioning of the cables, the lengths of cable you’ll need, and the type of cable (e.g. copper vs. fiber optic). That said, you’ll want to ensure that there will be room for cooling and identify the placement of the cabinets.

Have A Note Taker Nearby

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when implementing a data center is not documenting everything, in other words, you can never take too many notes in this scenario. For example, if you’re setting up the data center on your own now, but you decide to hire a network or IT professional later, they’ll need to know your processes. If you neglect to document this process, you will regret it when something goes wrong and you can’t remember the differences between all the cables.

Use Structured Cabling and Quality Cables

If you only take away one point from this, remember this one. By using structured cabling, you’ll avoid a mound of tangled cables as this method offers a way to organize your cables. And of course, it’s a method to connect all your cables to hardware such as bridges, modems, routers, and so on. With all this work, it’d be ideal to have your cables last without you, or an IT employee having to replace them a lot. That’s why we strongly encourage quality cables, especially considering you’ll need large amounts of cable to implement a data center.

With these tips on implementing a data center cabling infrastructure,you’ll be on your way to a more efficient network in no time. In addition, you’re going to need a versatile cable in bulk that will last, we would recommend a Cat5e cable in 1000feet. Of course, we understand that cables will wear down over time—that’s why we offer a lifetime warranty on all our cables!

Quick Charge technology allows for more power to be delivered from a charger to a device via a USB cable. This means the battery of the device will charge faster than standard USB rates allow. It optimizes the power and charge capabilities of the charger and cable while still protecting against overcharging and overheating.

Quick Charge, by chipmaker Qualcomm Technologies Inc, is one of the most widely implemented charging standards on the market. There are other fast charging technologies used in mobile device charging today such as: Huawei’s SuperCharge, Motorola’s TurboPower, and Apple’s fast charging via USB-PD. Apple’s technology manages power delivery over USB.

Although the Quick Charge technology was created by Qualcomm and rolled out in their Snapdragon SoC (System on a chip), the technology is not tied exclusively to Qualcomm’s processors. Any smartphone manufacturer is free to license the power controller technology.

The most recent version of Quick Charge to hit the market in mobile devices is QC4+. Its previous iterations were QC4, QC 3.0, QC 2.0, and QC 1.0.

Quick Charge allows you to dump a lot of power into your battery using higher than normal voltage until it reaches what is called “saturation.” Saturation happens at around 60 – 80% charge depending on how the device’s power management is configured. At that point, the device’s power controller scales back the amount of power it receives and will charge more slowly as it approaches 100% charge.

When viewing the following charts detailing USB PD charging standards followed by Qualcomm’s Quick Charge standards, remember that Voltage x Amperage = Wattage.

What devices support Quick Charge?

Quick Charge is a feature for Android devices and accessories. Sorry Apple product lovers, this blog may not be for you. Apple products do not use Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology. But just so we can keep a good 50% of the team happy, let me quickly mention some specs for Apple “fast charging.” Apple products from the iPhone 8 or later have a “fast charging” capability when using a USB-C to Lightning cable with a USB-C power adapter that is rated for 18W, 29W, 30W, 61W, or 87W.

A current list of devices that support Qualcomm Quick charge.

What do you need to use the Quick Charge functionality of your device?

In order to take advantage of Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology, two things must support the technology. Your device and the charger both have to support Quick Charge.

What are the results you can expect from using Quick Charge technology?

The latest version of Qualcomm’s Quick Charge is version 4+. This latest version can recharge a device to 50% in just 15 minutes. The more widespread version of QC 3.0 can recharge a battery to 50% in half an hour.

** Based on internal tests charging a 2750mAh fast charge battery and using the maximum power for a thermal limit of 40C for all charging implementations. Charge time based on 0% to 50% utilizing 2017 charging Implementations (September 2016). Snapdragon 835 is designed to allow devices to support 5 hours of battery life with 5 minutes charging. Actual results may vary depending on device design.

Here at CableWholesale, our aim is to provide you with the newest industry advancements and standards so that you can stay up to date with the latest technology. Today we will focus on the new and improved Ethernet network cabling standard, Category 8. Category 8 is similar to previous standards Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a in that they use the same RJ45 connector and are fully backward compatible. The internal features of Cat8 and performance attributes are what set this new cable apart from the others.

Category 8 supports bandwidth up to 2000 MHz and internet speeds up to 40 Gbps at distances up to 30 meters. If you need a longer run, it can still achieve data speeds of 10Gbps up to 100 meters. Another unique characteristic within Category 8 cables is that there is no unshielded version of these cables. They are all shielded. The shielding within the cable helps create a high-frequency rating, which in return provides better performance speed.

We know everyone wants to wire their home with the fastest and best ethernet cable available. This newest Category 8 fits that bill, but its true intended use is in server racks and data centers. They will still work, but are not really intended for the home or office use. As technology advances, the demand for increased data speeds will continue to grow and manufacturers will continue to develop solutions that can support those higher speeds.

Some of you may be wondering how we went from Cat6a to Cat8 and completely skipped over Cat7. As far as TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) standards go, approved ethernet specifications are Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, and Cat8. You may find cables on the market that have names like Cat6e, Cat6x, Cat7, and others. Please note that these are not approved standards for Ethernet cable by the TIA. If you see cabling for sale labeled as Category 7, it is likely based on The European ISO standard of Class F. This standard is not recognized by the TIA/EIA, nor do any manufacturers support it on their Ethernet equipment. If you buy ethernet cable that is not an approved standard of EIA/TIA, it cannot be guaranteed exactly what you are buying.

Check out our Ethernet cable comparison chart below to see how Cat8 stacks up against its predecessors:

Now that Zach has explained UPS basics and given you a walkthrough on models we carry, we thought you might be interested in more details on disruptions, types of UPS, and how to select the correct size for your application.

Common Electrical disruptions a UPS is designed to mitigate.

Surge: An intense but brief spike in electricity. Typically caused by lightning strikes or anomalies in the power grid when power is restored after a blackout. Surges can damage or destroy electronics

Blackout: A power outage that could last anywhere from seconds to days. Blackouts are most commonly caused by severe weather, utility power shortages, and power grid failures.

Brownout: Drops in voltage for an extended period of time whether it be intentional or unintentional. Power companies may lower voltage to avoid a total blackout condition.

Voltage Sags: A sag is another type of under voltage, but is sudden and brief in time.

Over Voltage: A higher than normal amount of incoming voltage. It lasts longer than a surge, but the increase in voltage is not high enough to be considered a surge or spike.

Line Noise: Can disrupt or degrade the performance of a circuit by injecting abnormalities into a system. Line noise is often referred to as frequency noise.

Frequency Variation: Can occur when using generators and power frequency fluctuates more than desired. This is not a common problem when power supplies are stable.

Harmonic Distortion: Is a departure from the ideal electrical signal on a given power source.

What kind of UPS devices are out there?

There are three types of UPS devices on the market today: Standby, Line-interactive, and Double Conversion. Each type offers protection for your equipment from electrical anomalies. Based on the type of electric anomalies in your area, you can more confidently decide the correct type of UPS that suits your needs.

Standby UPS offers protection from the following power-related issues: surge in power, blackout, and brownout.

The standby UPS essentially stays in a standby mode unless it is needed. The inverter and battery do not supply any power unless the main source of power goes out. The main source of power comes from a utility or power line. The system has a transfer switch that automatically selects the backup power provided by the battery once the main source of power goes out.

Line-interactive UPS offers protection from the following power-related issues: surge, brownout, blackout, voltage sags, and over voltage.

This type of UPS uses automatic voltage regulation (AVR) to correct abnormal voltages without switching to battery. Regulating voltage by switching to battery drains your backup power and can cause batteries to wear prematurely. The UPS detects when the voltage crosses a preset low or high threshold and uses transformers to boost or lower the voltage by a set amount to return it to the acceptable range. They also provide Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) filtering.

Double Conversion UPS provides protection from all the power-related issues we first described: surge, brownout, blackout, voltage sags, over voltage, line noise, frequency variation, and harmonic distortion.

This type of system works by converting power from AC to DC power and then back to AC. The primary power path is the inverter versus the AC mains. Failure of the input AC does not cause activation of the transfer switch, because the input AC is the back-up source. It provides the highest level of protection because it isolates your equipment from raw utility power.

How big a UPS do you need?

When selecting the correct size of UPS, VA or volt-amps is the measurement that must be considered. Fortunately, the calculations are rather straight forward. First, one decides everything that will be plugged into the UPS for power backup. Once you have decided what is being plugged in, you then have to read some power labels and do a little simple math. You will need to know the maximum voltage (V) and amperage (A) for each device.

Our webmaster supplies a quick example:

Computer tower:115 volts x  10 amps = 1150VA
21.5 in. monitor: 115 volts x 1.5 amps = 172.5VA
21.5 in. monitor: 115 volts x 1.5 amps = 172.5VA

This adds up to a total of 1495 volt-amps. If we were to provide the standard suggested cushion of 20%, our total would bump to 1794VA. We would be looking for 2000VA or higher.

But how long will it last?

In order to figure this out, we are going to need to collect some info and do some math. We will need to know the draw of the attached devices in watts and the UPS battery’s amp hour rating. The formula for a battery’s runtime is ( volts x amp hours ) / watts. This formula does not account for inverter loss. The industry standard formula does so roughly by reducing the standard 12 volts to 10. Below is the formula we will use for this exercise:

( ( 10 x AH ) / watts ) * 60 = minutes of run time

For this example we have determined that the Vesta Pro 2000 UPS is our best fit. The manual informs us that it contains two 9AH batteries which gives us 18AH. We know that our max draw by the computer is 700 watts, and for this example we’ll keep it simple and work with that number. We also know, by a little research, that each monitor draws 30 watts.

( ( 10 x 18 ) / 760 ) * 60 = 14 minutes

In reality it is unlikely that the computer is drawing a full load very often, but this gives us the worst case for our scenario.

Hopefully this has been helpful to you. And a small apology from the webmaster to his Theoretical Chem professor from uni for being fast and loose with the units. 😉

Products related to post

Vesta Pro 2000 UPS
Vesta Pro 1000 UPS
Vesta Pro 600 UPS

XP 600 Surge Strip UPS
XP 400 Surge Strip UPS
1U Rackmount UPS 1000VA/600W

A commonly asked question of our tech support team is for help figuring out the power cable needed for a specific application. We are often met with confusion by the customer when we ask what type of connection they are looking for. NEMA 5-15P, C13, C7, and other terms are not widely known. We’ve put together some brief descriptions and pictures of power cables we carry at CableWholesale. We hope this will be a useful sheet to help people identify what kind of power cable they need:

Common Power Cords (NEMA 120V 15A)

• 
  NEMA 1-15P: Two-prong plug.
  • The Non-polarized version has two equal straight blades.
  • The Polarized version features 2 blades with one being wider.

• 
  NEMA 1-15R: Two-prong receptacle.
  • ‘receptacle’ connectors would have holes that would accept a plug with prongs to be inserted.

• 
  NEMA 5-15P: Three-prong plug.
  • Features 2 straight blades with a third round or U-shaped ground pin. The ground pin is longer than the two blades which ensures the device is grounded before the power is connected.

• 
  NEMA 5-15R: Three-prong receptacle.
  • This will be what you would typically see in your home (USA & Canada) as a power outlet or on the female end of a power extension cord. You would also see this as the receptacles on a surge strip.

Laptop

• 
  C7: Figure Eight.
  • Non-Polarized connector featuring a ‘figure 8’ shape with two holes.
  • Although we list as a notebook power cord, the C7 connection is used in many devices.

• 
  C7PW: Polarized connector.
  • Has basically the same shape as C7, but instead of rounded ‘figure 8’ style, one of the sides is flat, allowing the connector to only be inserted one way.

• 
  C5: Three-pin connector.
  • Typically connects a laptop power brick to a wall outlet.
  • Polarized connector. The shape of the connector prevents shocks. Sometimes called a ‘Mickey Mouse’ cable due to the resemblance to a certain cartoon character’s silhouette. Also called “cloverleaf.”

Computer/Monitor

• 
  C13: Three slot connectors.
  • Features a dog-ear shape and the three slots are in a staggered vertical orientation.

• 
  C14: Three prong inlet receptacle.
  • Features the same dog-ear shape as the c13 with 3 blades in a staggered vertical position.

Server/Appliance

• 
  C19: Three-slot connector.
  • Used in Enterprise-class servers and data center rack-mounted PDUs.
  • Rectangular with four rounded corners, and three staggered blades in the same orientation (horizontal).

• 
  C20: Three-prong Inlet receptacle.
  • Rectangular with four rounded corners, and three staggered slots in a recessed receptacle (horizontal).