Twisted-pair cable
A
cable made by intertwining two separate insulated wires together. There are two
twisted pair types: shielded and unshielded. Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) has a fine wire mesh surrounding the wires to protect the transmission; Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) does not. Shielded cable is used in older telephone networks, network, and data communications to reduce outside interference.
In the picture to the right, is an example of what these cables look like inside.
Also see: STP Cable, Network definitions, UTP Cable