What type of cabling does a LAN typically use?

A LAN, or Local Area Network, typically uses Cat6 cabling due to its ability to support higher data transfer rates and bandwidth compared to older cable types. Cat6 cables are designed to handle frequencies up to 250 MHz and can support data speeds of up to 10 Gbps up to a distance of 55 meters. This makes it ideal for modern networking environments where speed and performance are critical for activities such as streaming, gaming, and high-volume data transfers.

While Cat5 is an older cabling option that supports speeds up to 100 Mbps and frequencies of 100 MHz, it is increasingly being replaced by newer standards like Cat6 due to limitations in performance. Fiber optic cables, although used in certain LAN applications for high-speed connections over longer distances, are not as common for typical LAN setups within buildings due to their higher cost and complexity of installation. Coaxial cables were more common in earlier networking and are now largely outdated for LAN connectivity needs. Thus, Cat6 is recognized as the most suitable choice for most modern LAN environments.