What Is the Difference Between the Cable Types Sold on Cables N More?

Updated

Cables N More organizes its catalog by signal type and connector family, so the fastest way to tell products apart is to start with what the cable carries — audio/video, network data, or fiber optic light — and then narrow by connector and category. The store's navigation lists Audio/Video Cables, Fiber Optic, Network, Patch Panels, Cables, Keystone, and Mounts & Cabinets as separate top-level sections, and each one splits further by connector standard (HDMI, DVI, RCA, XLR, Toslink, Cat5e, Cat6, LC, BNC, and so on). If you know the port on each end of your run and the signal it carries, the correct category is usually determined before you compare individual products.

Audio/Video cables: match the connector, not just the name

The Audio/Video section covers cables that carry picture, sound, or both, plus the adapters that convert between them.

Cable type What it carries Typical use
HDMI Digital audio + video together TVs, monitors, projectors, modern set-top boxes
DVI Digital video only Older monitors and graphics cards; often paired with a separate audio path
Stereo / RCA Analog audio (or composite video over RCA) Hi-fi, amplifiers, legacy AV gear
XLR Balanced analog audio Microphones, pro audio, long balanced runs
Coaxial RF or digital audio/video over coax Antenna, cable, some digital audio
Toslink Digital audio over optical fiber AV receivers, soundbars, game consoles

The store also sells Audio/Video Electronics — extenders, splitters, and switches — which are not cables but sit in the same signal chain. A splitter sends one source to multiple displays; a switch selects between multiple sources into one display; an extender pushes the signal over a longer distance than a passive cable allows.

Adapters and converters are for mismatched ports

Under Audio/Video Adapters / Converters, Cables N More lists VGA Cable Adapters, USB Adapters, and HDMI Gender Changers. These solve a specific problem: the two ends of your run don't physically match, or you need to change the connector gender (for example, joining two male HDMI cables). A gender changer is passive and only changes the physical connector; a converter may change the signal format as well. Check which one you need before buying, because a passive adapter won't convert between incompatible signal types.

Network cables: Cat5e vs Cat6, and where patch panels fit

The Network section separates bulk and patch cabling from the panels and jacks that terminate them.

  • Cat5e and Cat6 patch cables — the store lists both, including a 1FT Cat6 Ethernet Patch Cable with a booted, strain-relief design in nine colors. Cat5e and Cat6 differ in their rated performance category; choose based on the speed and distance your installation calls for and what your other equipment supports.
  • Bulk cable — CAT5e/CAT6 Bulk Cable is sold for custom-length runs that you terminate yourself.
  • Patch panels — F-Type, BNC, CAT5e, and CAT6 Patch Panels are listed separately, so the panel must match the cable category and connector you're terminating.
  • Keystone — Cat5E Jack 110 Style, RJ11 Keystone Jacks, wall plates, blank inserts, and surface biscuit boxes let you build out wall outlets and faceplates.

A practical rule: pick the cable category first, then buy the matching patch panel and keystone jacks so the whole run stays in one standard.

Fiber optic: singlemode vs multimode, and what SFP modules do

Fiber products are grouped by the physical layer they support.

  • Patch cables — Multimode Patch Cables, Singlemode Patch Cables, and Mode Conditioning Patch Cables are separate categories. The store lists multimode examples such as a 4m Multimode Duplex Fiber Optic Patch Cable (50/125) OM3 Aqua, LC to LC, and a 1m OM5 Wideband Multimode Duplex Patch Cable (50/125), LC to LC. Singlemode and multimode are not interchangeable — they differ in core size and the distance/optics they suit.
  • Media converters — Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet Media Converters convert between copper Ethernet and fiber. One listed example is an Open SFP Slot Gigabit Fiber Media Converter for Multimode or Singlemode Fiber, which takes a pluggable module rather than a fixed optic.
  • SFP modules — Multimode SFP Modules, Singlemode SFP Modules, and Copper SFP Modules are sold separately, so the module must match both the fiber type and the converter or switch slot.
  • Fiber accessories — Attenuators, connectors, adapters and couplers, and bulk cable round out the section.

The key distinction: choose singlemode or multimode based on your existing fiber plant and the reach you need, then match the SFP module and media converter to that same choice.

How to decide quickly

  1. Identify the signal: audio/video, network data, or fiber optic.
  2. Identify both connectors (for example, LC to LC, HDMI to HDMI, BNC).
  3. If the connectors don't match, check whether you need a passive adapter/gender changer or an active converter.
  4. For network runs, keep cable category, patch panel, and keystone jacks in the same standard.
  5. For fiber, fix singlemode vs multimode first, then pick the matching SFP module and media converter.

Prices shown in the catalog (for example, the HDMI Port Saver at $6.64, the RG58 Coaxial Patch Cable at $4.34, and the 6 FT Shielded RCA Cable at $0.91) are listed per item, and the site shows account, wishlist, and cart functions, so availability and any account requirements should be confirmed on the product page before ordering.