At LTHS Company, we are always asked whether the colors of different wires and cables follow industry standards or not. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a worldwide trade association, does indeed provide guidelines for electrical and network design. But the key point is that their standards don’t actually specify the color of cables. They are used for a specific purpose or function. Instead, the pressure for standardization in this area is greater than in the private sector, with the telecoms industry leading the way. Here we delve into the fascinating world of cable colors, starting with the function of each color in a network cable, its meaning and purpose.
Network cable color standard.
First of all, when it comes to cable color standards, it should be noted that there are organizations such as the IEEE that help to provide a degree of standardization that is still a universally accepted standard or even a requirement in most industries for the function of any color in network cables. Does not exist. The color scheme used in one industry can be completely different to that used in another, and can vary significantly depending on when the system was installed on site.
Remember that the iPhone and the first true smartphone didn’t appear until 2007, when the new telecoms infrastructure was in place to support them, so depending on when the cables were installed in their respective systems, their color standards cover almost the entire spectrum.
In addition, the reason for the lack of standardization in the function of each color in the network cable can be seen as the difference from one country to another. With today’s global logistics, a company in Iran or another country such as America may source its cables from several different foreign countries, all using different color schemes. With guidelines from the IEEE, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and other industry requirements, such as those required by the Department of Defense, standardization is possible but can take a long time to achieve. However, we will see later how different cable colors can serve specific purposes in different applications.
What do different colored network cables mean?
Network cable or Ethernet is a very common type of cable used in computer networks. Wired networks are used in both residential and commercial applications where data sharing and Internet access are desired. An Internet router often uses Ethernet cables to connect to a cable modem and comes with a kit that your cable company sends you when you sign up for service.
Does each color in the network cable have a different function? What do the different colors on Ethernet cables mean? Do colors affect speed? To understand this, let us take a closer look at the use of colors and their combinations in Ethernet and telephone cables.
What color is the network cable or Ethernet cable?
Like all cables, network or Ethernet cables can come in many different colors. One color is not ‘better’ or ‘faster’ than another, but colors can help with the intended application. The most common colors for Ethernet cables are grey, blue, yellow, orange, green and white. If the Ethernet cable will be used outdoors, it will often be black and waterproof to help it last longer in the elements.
What are the four main colors of the network cable?
Again, while there is no direct industry standard for the function of each color in network cable, with one color being preferred over another, the four main colors of network cable that are common have a few similarities:
- Gray
- Green
- yellow
- Blue
Of course, in some cases, the main colors of the network cable will be blue, gray, brown and green.
Network cable secondary colors
Considering that the function of each color in the network cable is very wide and it is also related to the sub-colors of the network cable, the sub-colors of the network cable that are common are
- Orange
- Purple
- Red
- black
- Pink
- White
The function and function of each main color in the network cable
Grey color: Grey Ethernet cables often represent a ‘standard’ Ethernet connection such as residential and commercial networks, in short, they are used for standard Ethernet connections.
Green color: Green Ethernet cables can be used for cross-connect classification, which is used to connect different computers or devices directly to each other.
Yellow: Yellow Ethernet cables are commonly used for so-called Power over Internet (POE) connections. Interestingly, this standard was developed by the IEEE in 2009 to help classify these cables, which provide 30 watts of power at the port level when used with a twisted pair Ethernet cable.
Blue color: Blue Ethernet cables are typically used to connect to the terminal server. A terminal server allows multiple systems to connect to a LAN without the need for a modem or other network interface.
The function and function of each sub-color in the network cable
Orange: Used for non-Ethernet analogue connections.
Purple: Used for digital non-Ethernet connections.
Red: Used for external connections such as IP cameras.
Black: Used as a general colour.
Pink: Used as an additional colour option.
White: Also used as an additional colour option.
At the end of this section and according to the function of each colour in the network cable, it should be said that the colour of the network cable may be different depending on the customer and the application. However, the main key of colours is simple and the name of this simple key is compatibility. With any new system, sticking to a consistent colour scheme can help save time and money during implementation and maintenance, as well as avoiding future conflicts.
Network cable coloring in Keystone
As you know, a keystone is a small box that acts as an interface between components used on the Internet, such as the interface between a network cable and a computer. Different colours can be considered for the network cable in the keystone. The colours of the keystone are usually referred to as groups A, B and C, and of course this small box contains four top sockets and four bottom sockets, or four right sockets and four left sockets, so in total each box contains eight sockets, so if colour A is used for the left socket, the colour of the same group must be used for the sockets on the right. Otherwise, the colours will not be compatible.
Here we discuss one of the cases of network colouring in Keystone, taking into account the function of each colour in the network cable:
The four sockets on the right side of the keystone use the colour combination green-white-green-orange-white-orange, and the four sockets on the left side of the keystone use the colour combination brown-white-brown-blue-blue-white.
According to this, the colours of the network cable in the Keystone are orange, white, blue, green and brown, and finally a special colour scheme is created according to the existing compatibility.
