rate on higher categories, as well. The biggest problems organizations face with cabling systems are that they are not always properly installed and tested to meet standards. This results in either lower-than-expected data rates or inconsistent reliability. Each of the standards specifies not only the cable itself, but all of the connections including jacks (outlets), plugs, and cross-connects in wiring closets. Cross-connects provide outlets on each floor where cabling from individual devices is connected. The floor cabling, also referred to as the horizontal plant, is connected to the riser plant, which is the cabling between floors. It is also connected in the building's main wiring closet connected to other buildings within a campus. Standards also specify the network interface card (NIC) in printers and comput- ers to which a cable connects the device to the jack (outlet). The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) rates twisted-pair cabling and connection components used inside buildings. Unshielded Twisted-Pair Copper Cabling Standards Category 3 UTP cabling-often referred to as simply "CAT 3"-is rated as suitable for voice transmission, but because it is only suited for older type phone systems, it is rarely used in new installations. Categories 5, 5e, 6, and 6a are the commonly deployed structured cabling system standards for UTP. Organizations often use Category 6a to support 10Gbps speeds in their data centers, and Category 6 for the rest of their facility. Moreover, this same cabling plant is generally used for both voice and data. Category 7 cabling is based on a standard ratified in Europe but not by standards organizations Network Cabling based in the United States. As a result, it is not yet widely installed. The following is a synopsis of the major UTP categories. Category 5 Supports speeds of up to 100Mbps for 100 meters (328 feet) over UTP. It was the first ratified standard for megabit Ethernet transmis- sions. It consists of four pairs of eight unshielded copper wires. Category 5 has b