ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Voice - Data - Video Discussion 568A or 568B ????

As long as they are different it really doesn't make any difference.

That's the key -- Minimal coupling by use of different twist rates.



Here's the cable I was examining. I think it's clear enough to see the order of most-to-least twist is blue, green, orange, brown:

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The amount of twist in any one pair of wires in a CAT5 cable is not operationally significant. In fact they differ between manufacturers. The difference in twist frequency is there to prevent the pairs from nesting as they run through the cable thus REDUCING XT. If the orange or green pair doesn't seem twisted enough up to the termination, twist it yourself. You won't hurt the integrity of the cable.

I've ben using "B" terminations since I started (7 years ago). Seemed to be more debate on which to use back then.

The "beyond Cat6" stuff they pulled into a local Telco office had a plastic divider in the cable to separate the pairs. I guess that prevents nesting even better.