| Belkin packages many cables, including CAT5 patch cables like these... in several different levels. This lower priced model does look a little less polished when compared to its slightly more expensive siblings, but the only real difference is a slightly thicker insulation on the fancier models. Thicker insulation is probably a good thing when you're running a huge LAN in a work environment, but a small patch cable like this for use with your own small network or perhaps for a single computer is truly all you need. I've used a few of these for 3 years and they have no connection breaks and seem to be in top-notch condition. Like cigarettes, it's always cheaper to roll your own... but unless you do network cabling for a living, it's highly unlikely you will be able to justify the expense of buying a 100' spool along with a crimper, stripper and other tools. Belkin makes some dogs, but also some really nice gizmos at a nice value... this is one of them. |
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