Networking Computers In The Operatories

Besides being mandatory for the use of high-end digital systems like intraoral cameras and digital radiography, they also allow the office to become more decentralized by permitting many functions to be completed chairside, such as scheduling and insurance submissions. The underlying assumption in these scenarios, of course, is that all of the computers are connected together. The challenge is deciding how to accomplish this.

**It’s a Wired, Wired World **

The typical method of connecting computers together is through use of Ethernet cabling, also known as network cables. The industry-standard cabling is known as Category 5, often referred to as Cat 5. The actual cables that have been in use for many years are Cat 5e. What’s the difference? Well, Cat 5 cable will support 10/100 Ethernet—that is, Ethernet (10 MB/s) and Fast Ethernet (100 MB/s). Cat 5e cable will support Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet (1000 MB/s). Cat 5e cable is completely backwards compatible, and can be used in any application for which you would normally use Cat 5 cable.

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