Each network cable contains four pairs of wire, each pair twisted at a regular rate. Better grades of cable deliberately apply different amounts of twist to each pair. 10-Base-T and 100-Base-T lines use two pairs, one to transmit and one to receive data, copper Gigabit uses all four pairs. The twists provide a consistent impedance along the length of the cable, reduce the crosstalk between pairs and tend to make induced noise cancel out.

To preserve these qualities, it is important to maintain the twist when installing connectors, right up to the point of termination. You shouldn't untwist more than about a half an inch of wire. And when you install the cable, take care not to pull it tightly or make sharp bends, as those will disrupt the pairs' integrity.
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by DTVtech

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last modified: 2002-07-23 00:57:30