Looking to learn? Check out “Cables 101!”

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A long time ago, a very smart man said to me, “90% of the problems in any setup are the cable.” That may have been an exaggeration, but I can’t tell you how many times he was right. Usually it was a bad connection, the wrong cable for the job, or some really weird unexpected mismatch that turned out to be the issue. Putting in the right cable fixed things up very quickly.

Learn everything you need

If you want to learn all about cables, the terms you need, and the difference between them, check out our series, “Cables 101.” As part of building our new web platform, I organized all these tutorials into a helpful group. With all of these articles, you can learn what kind of cable is best, what the key terms are, and even how to make cables the right way. It’s a one-stop destination for all your cable curiosity. You’ll learn the difference between cables and what makes the more expensive ones worth the money.

If I had to recommend one article, though, it would be this short one: Why you shouldn’t buy your cables at a home store. It’s really tempting to just head on out to the local hardware store and pick up some cable that looks perfect to you. The problem is that most home store cables won’t work for most projects. They will work sometimes, though, and do you know when it’s ok to use cables from the local store? Read the article and you’ll find out.

If you’re a professional a lot of these articles are going to seem pretty obvious to you, but keep in mind there are a lot of people who are just getting into this sort of thing. It’s very easy to make mistakes — you spend more than you need and you end up having problems that are very hard to find.

Read “Cables 101” now at The Solid Signal Blog, or ask for help

At The Solid Signal Blog, we’re proud to host over 9,000 articles to help you get the most of your technology. We’ve always appealed to people who take pride in doing it themselves. But, no matter what, there’s always going to be a point where you have to ask for help. That’s part of the game. When you realize that something is too big or too complex for you, call the experts!

Signal Connect has a team ready to help you choose the right equipment. We’ll help you find an installation professional who can take care of the stuff you can’t. We’ve been working with this technology for over 20 years and we’ve helped homeowners, businesses, and even government entities. We’re ready to help you!

When you’re ready to talk, call us at 888-233-7563. We’re here during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, that’s perfectly fine! Fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.