A solid grounding in the electrical properties of UTP is a good way to learn how cable can affect the performance of a network. In this case, a network essentially comprises energy sources, conductors, and loads. The conductors are the wires that the signal travels over to reach its destination, which is usually another network device. The receiving device is known as the load. When an energy source transmits a signal, it is outputting an electric charge onto the conductor by applying voltage to the completed circuit.
Voltage is measured in volts.
The voltage propels the charge across the cable, and the flow of the charge is known as a current, which is expressed in amperes, or amps. In the computer world, the electric signal transmitted by an energy source is a digital signal known as a pulse. Digital pulses form bits, and a series of eight bits creates the almighty byte. The key to a successful signal transmission is that when a load receives an electrical signal, the signal must have a voltage level and configuration consistent with what had been originally transmitted by the energy source. If the signal has undergone too much corruption, the load won't be able to interpret it accurately.