Instructor Note
There are four purposes for this target indicator. First, students should be able to draw and label a side view of STP cable. Second, they should be able to draw and label the cable in cross-section. Third, they should be able to state the advantages and disadvantages of STP. Finally, they should have a basic notion of how STP achieves the shielding of networking signals. For demonstration purposes, terminated and undetermined STP samples should be obtained.
Shielded twisted-pair cable (STP) combines the techniques of shielding, cancellation, and twisting of wires. As specified for use in Ethernet network installations, STP provides resistance to both electromagnetic interference and radio frequency interference without significantly increasing the weight or size of the cable. Shielded twisted-pair cable has all of the advantages and disadvantages of unshielded twisted-pair cable. STP affords greater protection from all types of external interference, but is more expensive than unshielded twisted-pair cable.
