UTP vs FTP vs STP: Understanding Ethernet Cable Shielding

When comparing UTP vs STP vs FTP vs S/FTP, the key difference is that FTP cables have an additional foil shield, making them better suited for environments with high interference. The type of shielding on a copper cable impacts its stability, performance, speed, the longevity of the cable and that of your network. These are the most widely used types of shielding available for Ethernet cables and what they mean:

• Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable has no shielding. This is the most used and most basic type of cable. The UTP cable contains pairs of wires twisted together to help reduce and prevent electromagnetic interference. It is widely preferred for home and office networks due to its affordability and ease of installation.
• STP cable, or Shielded Twisted Pair cable, also have twisted wires, which are then wrapped with a shielding or screening material, typically a foil wrapping or a copper braid jacket.
• Foil Twisted Pair (FTP) cables - An FTP cable features individual shielding around each twisted pair of cables wrapped in its own shielding of foil to protect the cable from EMI and crosstalk.
• Shielded Foil Twisted Pair (S/FTP) cables - A SFTP cable combines shielding techniques to provide superior EMI protection. The wires inside the cable are twisted and then shielded with a foil wrapping, then the 4-pair grouping of foiled wires are shielded by a wrapping of either foil or a flexible braided screening. This type of SFTP cable is ideal for environments with high electromagnetic interference, such as industrial settings. This provides the highest level of protection against EMI and crosstalk, making it superior to a standard FTP cable when it comes to demanding applications.
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