A Guide to Computer Cords

My grandfather recently bought a computer. He got the thing home, pulled it out of its box, panicked, and called me. “This thing has so many cords!” he said. “I can’t figure out what plugs into what!” I came over, and in short order we had the thing running. His question got me thinking, though, that if you are not in the small percentage of the population endowed with computer nerdiness, things like computer cords can be confusing. I decided to write this article for the benefit of such people. So, if cords confuse you, read on!

The most common type of computer cord is the USB. USB (which stands for Universal Serial Bus, for the record) cords have small rectangular connectors on one end, (without pins) any of a number of connectors on the other end, and are commonly used on all kinds of computers. These are commonly used these days to connect computers to all manner of devices, ranging from printers to mice to mp3 players. Your computer will likely have a number of USB ports, maybe half a dozen, likely with a few of them on the front. Be aware that many peripherals will not come with USB cords and will require you to get one. Fortunately, they are cheap and universal, at least for the most part. Just make sure that connecter on the device end is the right size.

The next kind of cord that you will have to worry about is the VGA. These are monitor cords, and fortunately for you, they are only used for monitors. VGA cords are characterized by a rectangular plug (trapezoidal, technically) with three rows of pins. Two thumb screws, one on either side, ensure that the plug stays put. If you have a new computer that you are setting up, you will need to connect the monitor’s built-in VGA cord to your computer. Otherwise, you will only have to deal with these beasts if you are plugging your computer into a projector, as for a presentation. If this is the case, you will also have to press the appropriate button on your computer to inform it that it is connected. This varies computer to computer.

Ethernet cables are something else you will need to deal with. They look like phone cords, only a little bit wider. They have eight connectors. They run from your computer to your DSL or cable modem, or in the office, strait to the wall. (Ethernet jacks on the wall will be labeled “Data” to distinguish them from phone jacks.) Ethernet cords are used to connect your computer to the internet.

PS2 cables are the only other ones that are still in common use. They are circular, and the have a number of pins. They are used to connect keyboards and mice to computers, although an increasing number of new keyboards and mice now use USB instead. Just make sure the arrow lines up and plug ’em in. Your computer will likely have two PS2 ports, one for the keyboard and one for the mouse. If you have a laptop, it will probably have one. If you want to plug in both at the same time, find devices that use USB instead. Adapters are also available.

These are the only computer cables still in common use. Two others you might encounter are Serial cables, which are a sort of predecessor to the USB cable, and which have short rectangular connectors, (which have two rows of pins, unlike the VGA’s three) and Parallel cables, whose’ connectors look like wide versions of serial connectors, and which used to be used to connect computers to printers.

There! You are done. Go forth and happily hook everything up.