8.10 Implementing Installation of the Network
8.10.6 Patch cables contribute to the overall length of the cabling segment
Patch cables are typically three meters in length and often used for either connecting two MAUs (in a token ring topology) together or connecting two Ethernet hubs together. Patch cables are also used to "patch" a system with a NIC to the digital jack on either a cube wall or floor mount. The TIA/EIA-568-A standards govern horizontal cable installations. For Cat 5 UTP, the distance limitation is 100 meters, of which 3 meters are designated for workstation patch cables, 90 meters for horizontal cable runs (from the outlet to the Horizontal Cross Connect, or HCC), and 6 meters for patch cables/jumper cables within the HCC.