What type of cable is commonly used for wired networking?

Twisted pair cable is the most common type of cabling used for wired networking primarily due to its balance of performance, cost, and ease of installation. This cable consists of pairs of wires twisted together to reduce electromagnetic interference and crosstalk, which enhances signal integrity over longer distances when compared to other types of cabling. It supports various Ethernet standards, making it highly suitable for local area networks (LANs).

While coaxial cable is also used in networking, particularly for cable television and some broadband internet contexts, it is not as prevalent in modern LAN setups primarily due to its bulkiness and the rise of twisted pair cabling as a standard. Fiber optic cable offers higher speeds and bandwidth capabilities and is used in more specialized scenarios, like backbone connections in larger networks or environments needing high data transfer rates. However, it tends to be more expensive and complex to install than twisted pair cable.

Audio cable, on the other hand, is designed specifically for transmitting audio signals and is not intended for networking applications. This makes twisted pair cable the most practical and widely adopted choice for wired networking in most commercial and residential applications.