Reference Guide for Cable / Connector Identification

Summary

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Overview

There are many unique cables and connectors used by computers, monitors, printers and other peripherals. Getting devices connected correctly and troubleshooting devices that are not working correctly involves identifying the correct cables and connectors. This knowledge article will provide descriptions and images of common cables & connectors to aid in identification & troubleshooting. You can expand each category to see the cables / connectors associated with that category.

Due to the widely varying nature of cords, cables, and connections please consider this general information.

Contact the Help Desk for troubleshooting support, assistance or with any questions at 804-287-6400, email helpdesk@richmond.edu or through self service at https://spidertechnet.richmond.edu

Details / Instructions

PowerShow

Power cords vary greatly in size and shape from very tiny barrel connectors to wide grounded plugs. Power cords are generally black in color and appear & feel more durable than other types of cables.

Lenovo Desktop Computers owned by the university utilize a 3-prong plug that plugs into a power outlet, a 3-prong barrel connector that plugs into the power brick and a narrow, flat yellow-colored tip that connects to the rear of the computer.

Lenovo Laptop Computers owned by the university utilize a 2-prong plug that plugs into a power outlet, a 2-prong barrel connector that plugs into the power brick and a USB-C connector to the laptop.

The standard power plug for desktop computers utilizes a 3-prong plug that connects to a power outlet and a 3-hole female socket which connects to the power supply of the computer. The same style of plug is also commonly used for monitors, printers, etc.

Laptops from other manufacturers generally utilize smaller round (barrel jack) power connectors, sometimes they have colored tips.

DisplayShow

There are a few standard display cable types:

University owned computers, monitors and projectors generally are connected with HDMI and DisplayPort cables. If you are using dual monitors you may be using (1) HDMI and (1) DisplayPort port connection. Older monitors may use an adapter converting HDMI to DVI or VGA.

VGA and DVI connections are only able to transmit video signals while HDMI and DisplayPort connections can transmit video & audio signals eliminating the need for extra audio cables with those connections.

Thunderbolt is a relatively new type of connection commonly associated with Apple/Mac products and often confused with USB-C cables & connectors as they are the same shape and size. Thunderbolt is capable of transmitting data, video, and audio. Thunderbolt cables have a small lightning bolt arrow on the connector near the tip and also have a small lightning bolt near the port on the device (computer, monitor, external drive, etc). You can connect a USB-C cable to a Thunderbolt port and you can connect a Thunderbolt cable to a USB-C port however for best performance use the correct cord with the correct port whenever possible.

USB (Universal Serial Bus)Show

USB Cables are commonly used for peripherals such as keyboards, local printers, external storage devices.

The 3 most common USB connectors are USB-A, USB-B, and USB-C.

USB-A with the flat tip connects to the computer while USB-B with the wider tip connects to the peripheral.

USB-A and USB-B plugs are designed so they can only fit in one way, you cannot plug either of these into a device incorrectly nor backwards.

USB-C connectors and ports are symmetrical and it does not matter which way the cord connects to the port nor which end connects to which device, data & power can flow in both directions unlike the other two USB connections. USB cables can be in virtually any color and size and utilize the standard USB symbol generally printed, stamped, imprinted, punched or molded on the cable and on the port of the device.

The image below shows a USB-A, USB-B, and USB-C cable in order.

Ethernet (Wired Network)Show

Computers that are connected to the wired network directly or through a docking station, network printers, and most university owned telephones use ethernet cables. Ethernet cables look similar to standard phone cables and they fasten and release in the same way that telephone cables do however the connector on an ethernet cable is slightly larger. Ethernet cables are available in nearly any color and length.

You may need to disconnect & reconnect an ethernet cable both at the affected device and at the wall to troubleshoot network / connectivity issues.

Most network devices have (2) colored lights near the ethernet connection that reflects the status of the connection. Looking at these lights can help determine the cause of a connectivity issue.

In general, if the network port has these status lights available, one of the lights (Link Light) will turn on and stay on solid when the device detects an ethernet cable is connected and there is a signal from the network to the device while the other light (Activity Light) will flash when data is being transmitted through the network port.

Higher end network devices often have Link Lights that can turn Green or Orange indicating the speed of the connection (10/100/1000 megabits/second) while lower end network devices sometimes only have 1 light (Activity) and no Link Light.

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Article ID: 156141

Created

Thu 4/10/25 9:09 AM

Modified

Tue 4/22/25 8:42 AM

Reference Guide for Cable / Connector Identification

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