Learn the differences between DSL, Ethernet cable and fiber optic in five minutes. It's worth saving!

​This article will explain the differences between DSL, Ethernet, and fiber optic.

1. What is DSL cable?

DSL is a broadband access technology that uses telephone lines as transmission media. There are many modes of DSL, including HDSL, SDSL, VDSL, ADSL, and RADSL, collectively referred to as xDSL.

Among them, HDSL and SDSL are symmetrical transmission, that is, the upload speed is the same as the download speed, while VDSL, ADSL, and RADSL are asymmetrical transmission, that is, the upload speed is inconsistent with the download speed.

DSL cable is also called telephone cable. It has two, four, six and eight cores, and four cores are usually used. Two cores are analog electronic signals, and four cores are digital telephone signals. For home use, two-core telephone lines are usually used. If it is used by a company or enterprise, four-core telephone lines are usually used. If you are using a digital phone, six-core telephone lines are usually used.

Telephone wires are usually made of copper.

2. What is Ethernet Cable?

Ethernet cable is also called network cable. A network cable usually consists of four pairs of copper core twisted pair wires and uses RJ45 connector.

Network cables are generally divided into STP and UTP, among which UTP network cables are the most frequently used.

Currently, Ethernet cables are divided into

• CAT5E (Category 5e)
• CAT6 (Category 6)
• CAT6A (Category 6A)
• CAT7 (Category 7)
• CAT8 (Category 8)

The maximum transmission rate is 40 Gbit/s and the maximum transmission distance is 100 m. The following table lists the differences between network cables.

3. What is optical fiber?

Optical fiber is made of glass fiber and uses the principle of total reflection of light to transmit data.

Optical fibers are divided into multimode fibers and single-mode fibers. Multimode fibers use a wavelength of 850 nm or 1310 nm for short-distance transmission, while single-mode fibers use a wavelength of 1550 nm for long-distance transmission.

Generally speaking, optical fiber has the following advantages:

1. Large bandwidth and capacity

Compared with traditional copper cables and electrical cables, optical fiber transmission has a larger bandwidth, and the optical fiber transmission principle improves the transmission capacity of the cable through various complex technologies.

2. Low loss and long relay distance

Silica fiber has lower losses than other transmission media currently in use, which also means that fiber optic transmission systems span more relay distances.

3. Strong anti-interference ability

Quartz is the raw material of optical fiber. It is an insulating material with insulating properties, is not easy to corrode, and is not affected by electromagnetic interference.

4. No crosstalk, good confidentiality

The outer cladding structure of the optical fiber absorbs leaked light, prevents the leakage of light wave signals, prevents crosstalk between adjacent cables, and prevents information from being eavesdropped.

4. Comparison of DSL, Ethernet cable, and fiber optic

DSL is an early product of the Internet, suitable for broadband access to home networks, but it has gradually been phased out and replaced by Ethernet cables. To date, Ethernet cables have played an important role in wired networks. Fiber optics is widely used due to its advantages, especially in areas with high bandwidth requirements such as data centers.

Material

Both DSL and Ethernet cables use a copper core, while fiber optic cables are made of glass fibers.

Transmission Mode

DSL and Ethernet lines transmit signals in the form of electrical pulses, while fiber optics transmit signals in the form of pulses of light.

Transfer rate

If VDSL is used, the maximum downstream rate can reach 52Mbit/s. The transmission rate of Ethernet cable can be 1000 Mbit/s, 10 Gbit/s, or even 40 Gbit/s. The transmission rate of optical fiber is much higher than that of network cable.

Transmission distance

The transmission distance of DSL does not exceed 5.5 km (RASDL). The theoretical transmission distance of Ethernet cable is 100 m. The theoretical transmission distance of Category 8 network cable is only 30 m, the transmission distance of single-mode optical fiber can reach 10~20 km, and the transmission distance of multi-mode optical fiber can reach 2~3 km, which is much higher than the transmission distance of Ethernet cable.

Safety

Optical fiber is made of quartz stone, which has good security and anti-interference properties. Therefore, optical fiber is safer than DSL and Ethernet cables.

V. Conclusion

DSL, Ethernet cable, and optical fiber are the three cables we are more familiar with. Among them, DSL will gradually withdraw from the stage of history. Ethernet cable and optical fiber are currently the most frequently used. This article introduces what DSL is, what Ethernet cable is, and what optical fiber is. Finally, a comparison is made. I hope this article will help you understand DSL, Ethernet cable, and optical fiber.