How to read the code
The ISO naming is a fraction. The letter before the slash is the overall screen. The letters after the slash describe the pairs. U means unshielded, F means foil, S means braid.
| Code | Construction | What it means on site |
|---|---|---|
| U/UTP | No shield | Simplest to terminate; the common office cable |
| F/UTP | Overall foil, unshielded pairs | A single foil to drain and bond |
| U/FTP | Foil on each pair, no overall shield | Pair foils must be handled at the jack |
| S/FTP | Overall braid plus foil on each pair | Highest coverage; more work to terminate |
| F/FTP | Overall foil plus foil on each pair | Fully foiled; still needs a correct earth |
When shielding is worth it
Unshielded U/UTP Category 6 and Category 6A are valid cables. Category 6A U/UTP meets the standard when it is installed with the separation and bundle practices the vendor and the standard describe. Shielding is not a substitute for a bad pathway.
Specify foil or braid when the drawing says shielded, when the cable runs beside heavy electrical plant, variable-speed drives, or large fluorescent and LED loads, or when a dense Category 6A bundle needs the extra alien-crosstalk control a shield provides. Industrial and plant rooms are the usual cases. A normal office floor often stays U/UTP.
A shield that is not bonded is worse than no shield: it can pick up noise and couple it into the pairs. Shielded jacks, patch panels, racks, and the earthing system have to be part of the same decision. If the installers are not set up to terminate shields, U/UTP is the more reliable choice.
Ordering it
The construction is in the part number and on the product page (U/UTP, F/UTP, S/FTP, and so on), along with the jacket. AmberWork Source stocks shielded and unshielded SYSTIMAX and NETCONNECT cable and cords in Singapore. Match the cord to the horizontal cable: a shielded channel wants shielded cords.