Free CompTIA Network+ N10-008 Practice Question

The correct practice when using a cable stripper on Category 6 UTP cable is to remove only the amount of the cable's outer jacket that is necessary to properly terminate the conductors without exposing excessive lengths of the untwisted pairs. This preserves the signal integrity by maintaining the twisted pair structure, which is critical in reducing crosstalk and maintaining the performance specifications of Category 6 cabling. A small, precise amount of exposed wire ensures proper contact with RJ-45 connector pins while mitigating potential interference. Stripping too much of the jacket would increase the untwisted wire length, which could degrade signal quality, whereas only scoring the jacket may not remove enough insulation, potentially hindering proper connector termination. A visual inspection may result in inconsistent stripping lengths and does not provide the precision required for high-frequency Category 6 transmissions.