Ethernet and Ethernet patch cables?

QI got talking with a fellow football fan in the club bar. At some point, I mentioned running an Ethernet cable from my router to my garage workshop so I could get online from there – to watch match highlights on my laptop while I tinker – because our Wi-fi doesn’t reach that far. My new acquaintance kept using the phrase ‘Ethernet patch cable’. I asked if that was different from what I just call an ‘Ethernet cable’. He said he didn’t know, but that was how he always referred to them. I have a handful of Ethernet cables collected over the years. Is there a difference between an Ethernet cable and a ‘patch’ cable? If so, how would one tell them apart?

AThere could be innumerable differences between any two Ethernet cables. We explained some of the technicalities way back in Issue 530 in our answer to Gordon Holmes, in this very same section. Here, though, the fundamental distinction is far simpler. First, the term Ethernet really refers to the electrical protocol rather than physical cables. Obviously, though, people talk of Ethernet cables. Similarly, the plugs and sockets – which are technically known as RJ45

– get called Ethernet plugs and sockets.

In this context, a ‘patch cable’ refers to a cord that has an RJ45 plug on both ends, enabling the Ethernet signals to travel between any two devices with an RJ45 socket – like the pictured Amazon Basics model (starting from £4.59, www.snipca.com/43780).

These tend to be cables of up to 100ft in length. For longer runs, ‘structure’ cables are required. These are more expensive, are very sturdy and might be hardwired, rather than relying on RJ45 connectors – so they wouldn’t be considered patch cables.

For engineers, these kinds of details can be important. But for most of us, most of the time, an Ethernet patch cable is just an Ethernet cable.

If you’ve got an Ethernet cable that’ll plug into your router and your laptop and reach your garage, it’s technically a patch cable.

Want to know the difference between technical terms? Email noproblem@ computeractive.co.uk

A ‘patch cable’ has RJ45 plugs and sends Ethernet signals between devices with RJ45 sockets