Cable Match
All games220-1201
Study for CompTIA A+ Core 1
Ten-question drills, short study cards and every answer explained, in CertPrep+.
A+ Core 1 cables and connectors
Every connector in the A+ Core 1 (220-1201) objectives with a drawing and what it is used for, plus the cable types and speeds the exam asks about.
Show the full cable list
Core 20 is the connectors and cables in the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) exam objectives (3.2). Ext. 28 adds 8 more you will meet on the job. Specs 23 matches the cable types and adapters in 3.2 to what they are for. The drawings are ours.
| Connector | Name and use |
|---|---|
| Core 20 | |
| RJ45Ethernet on twisted-pair cable (8 pins) | |
| RJ11Phone lines and DSL (smaller than RJ45) | |
| F-typeScrew-on coax for cable TV and cable modems | |
| STRound twist-lock fiber connector | |
| SCSquare push-pull fiber connector | |
| LCSmall latching fiber connector, common on SFPs | |
| Punchdown blockWhere twisted-pair wires are terminated | |
| MicroUSBOlder phones and small devices | |
| MiniUSBOlder cameras and controllers | |
| USB-CReversible port for data, video and power | |
| LightningApple port on older iPhones and iPads | |
| Molex4-pin power for older drives and fans | |
| DB99-pin serial (RS-232) and console cables | |
| VGA15-pin analog video (DE-15) | |
| HDMIDigital video and audio to TVs and monitors | |
| DisplayPortDigital video for monitors, can daisy-chain | |
| DVIDigital video on older monitors (DVI-I adds analog) | |
| SATA7-pin data cable for internal drives | |
| eSATASATA for external drives | |
| USB 3.0Type-A port with a blue insert, 5 Gbps | |
| Added in Ext. 28 | |
| BNCTwist-lock coax for video and test gear | |
| USB-BSquare-ish plug used by printers | |
| PS/2Round 6-pin keyboard and mouse port | |
| 3.5 mm audioHeadphone and microphone plug | |
| 24-pin ATXMain motherboard power | |
| PCIe 6+2Graphics card power | |
| MPOMany fibers in one connector, for data centers | |
| SATA power15-pin power for drives | |
| Specs 23 | |
| Cat 5e | 1 Gbps up to 100 m |
| Cat 6 | 10 Gbps up to 55 m |
| Cat 6a | 10 Gbps up to 100 m |
| Coaxial | Cable internet and TV |
| STP | Foil shielding against interference |
| UTP | Twisted pairs with no shielding |
| Plenum-rated | Fire-safe jacket for air spaces |
| Direct burial | Rated to run underground |
| T568A / T568B | Wire order standards for Ethernet |
| Single-mode | Fiber for long runs, kilometers |
| Multimode | Fiber for short runs in a building |
| USB 2.0 | 480 Mbps |
| USB 3.0 | 5 Gbps |
| Thunderbolt | Up to 40 Gbps (Thunderbolt 3 and 4) |
| Serial | RS-232 over a DB9 port |
| SATA | Connects drives inside a PC |
| eSATA | Plugs external drives into a PC |
| USB-C | Data, video and power in one cable |
| DVI-to-HDMI adapter | Connects a DVI port to an HDMI cable |
| HDMI | Video and audio to TVs |
| DisplayPort | Monitors, with daisy-chaining |
| DVI | Digital video on older monitors |
| VGA | Analog video, 15 pins |