Cat5e cables are made of 4 pairs of twisted wire (8 total wires) that have a copper core with a colour coded insulation. The cores of Cat5e cable can be solid or stranded wire, solid core cables have a single copper core and are designed for use in permanent and semi-permanent installations over long distances. Stranded core cables have multiple strands of copper conductors twisted together, typically designed for patch cords to connect PC's and internet equipment over shorter distances.