Meanings
- uncountablecomputer hardwareA twisted pair cable for carrying signals, particularly for Ethernet-based computer networks.
On Cat 5 cable, the jacket is usually stamped with the manufacturer’s name and cable type, including the Cat 5 specification.
2010, Tamara Dean, Network+ Guide to Networks, fifth edition, Course Technology, Cengage Learning, chapter 3 “Transmission Basics and Networking Media”2 more examples
Cat-5 UTP cable – level 5 cables have twisted-pair cores with a characteristic impedance of 100Ω (±15Ω) and a capacitance of 45.9 pF/m. Conductor resistance is around 9Ω/100 m.
2000, Bill Buchanan, Computer Busses: Design and Application, Arnold, London, →ISBN, page 60When first connecting the service, it may be necessary to connect the Cat 5 or Cat 6 Ethernet cable directly to the computer to sign up with the ISP before inserting the router/firewall and switch between the modem and the computer(s).
2006, Dennis C. Brewer, Paul A. Brewer, Wiring Your Digital Home For Dummies, Wiley Publishing, Inc., →ISBN, page 200
Origin
Cite this entry
Cat 5. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cat%205
“Cat 5.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cat%205. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cat 5,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cat%205.
Source: Cat 5 on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.