Solid vs. stranded wire

Q: When is the correct time to use solid vs. stranded wire in network and communications applications?

Dave Collins

Highline School District #401

Seattle, WA

A: TIA-568A, the revised commercial building telecommunications cabling standard, allows stranded UTP cable to be used only for patch cords. There will be a significant increase in the attenuation of stranded-conductor compared to solid-conductor cable. This is the reason TIA-568A allows a 20% increase in attenuation for stranded cable.

Donna Ballast is a communications analyst at the University of Texas at Austin and a BICSI RCDD. Questions can be sent to her at Cabling Installation & Maintenance or at PO Drawer 7580, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78713. Phone (512) 471-0112, fax (512) 471-8883. Internet address: [email protected].