Types of Ethernet cables – straight-through and crossover Ethernet cables can come in two forms when it comes to wiring: 1. Straight-through cable This cable type has identical wiring on both ends (pin 1 on one end of the cable is connected to pin 1 at the other end of the cable, pin 2 is connected to pin 2 etc.): This type of cable is used to connect the following devices: computer to hub computer to switch router to hub router to switch Computers and routers use wires 1 and 2 to transmit data and wires 3 and 6 to receive data. Hubs and switches use wires 1 and 2 to receive data and wires 3 and 6 to send data. That is why, if you want to connect two computers together, you will need a crossover cable. 2. Crossover cable With the crossover cable, the wire pairs are swapped, which means that different pins are connected together – pin 1 on one end of the cable is connected to pin 3 on the other end, pin 2 on one end is connected to pin 6 on the other end (Photo c