Which cable type is the most common for LAN networking?

The selection of Cat5 cable as the most common for LAN networking is well-founded due to its widespread use in local area networks for many years. Cat5, short for Category 5, is designed to support network speeds up to 100 Mbps and can handle data transmission frequencies up to 100 MHz. This performance is suitable for most typical office and home networking needs, making it a popular choice among network installers and users alike during its peak usage.

While other types of cabling, such as fiber optic cable and Cat6 cable, offer higher performance capabilities, Cat5 has been prevalent in many installations due to its cost-effectiveness, ease of installation, and sufficiency for standard network requirements. Coaxial cable, on the other hand, is primarily used for cable television and broadband internet rather than for typical LAN setups, which further highlights why Cat5 has been such a common choice.

In contemporary applications, while Cat6 is gaining popularity and offers enhanced performance, the historical and widespread use of Cat5 in existing infrastructure contributes significantly to its recognition as a standard in LAN networking environments.