"The two main types of LAN cables used in networks are Cat5 and Cat6. These types of cables can be either copper or fiberglass, which is sometimes referred to as fiber. The main difference between a Cat5 and a Cat6 cable is their bandwidth. Cat5 cables typically support 100 Megabits of speed, while a Cat6 cable can easily support 1 Gigabit. Cat5 copper cable can also support 1 Gigabit, but it is not recommended since its peak is not sustained capacity. A cross cable can be either Cat5 or 6 and is used to connect the same type of devices, such as laptop computers without using a switch or a hub so that they can communicate directly with each other."
