How many cords do I honestly need running through my home and what do they all do? This seems to be a growing concern for many people these days as we begin to plug in more and more electronics each and every day. So what are the cords we use for electronics and what do they all do?

An ethernet network is a special cord used for connecting computer devices together on a network. Ethernet cables are specifically designed for easy communication between disparate electronic equipment. Ethernet cables connect devices to an area network, like PCs, routers, and switches. There are many different types of ethernet network cables available and each one has its pros and cons and can support more or less speed. There are cat5e network cables, cat6 ethernet network cables, and each one gets the job done. Cat5e is a slower cable then the cat6 but still lasts for years and provides a decent connection for any network. A CAT 6 cable has four pairs of copper wire and uses each pair for signaling to obtain the highest level of performance.

USB cables can be found all over your home and have become one of the most universal cables used for charging gadgets, headphones, tablets, and even some cellphones. USB cables are used for printers, cameras, external hard drives and much more. They are now beginning to make a more universal USB cord selection so that you can mix and match your gadgets with their chargers instead of having one charger for each gadget. It can be a pain to search high and low for one specific charger when they are all USB connections.

HDMI cables are one of the newer cords on the market and many are used to hook up televisions to consoles of some sort where they send picture from it. No matter how much you pay for your HDMI cable they are all pretty much the same. It is only a good idea to pay more if you are paying for a longer cord so it can reach your TV set. Don’t believe everything you hear when a salesperson tries to sell you a high quality HDMI cord, they all do the same thing and cannot provide better audio or picture.

With all these cables running through your home it is always a good idea to invest in a decent surge protector to protect your devices and ensure there is never a risk of fire. A high quality surge protector can protect you in case there is a voltage spike for any reason.