Cat5e And Cat6 Ethernet Network Cables

Use black box connect solid bulk ethernet cable when you need general purpose cat5e cable and cat6 cable for everyday network connections and temporary networks.

Cat5e and cat6 ethernet network cables.

The main types of ethernet cables are cat5 cat5e and cat6 which are categorized based on a cable s performance and the network speed and frequency they can support. Network support cat 5 cable will support 10base t and 100base t network standards that is it supports networks running at 10 mbps or 100 mbps. Cat5e and cat6 cables are both backwards. The cost is about 20 35 higher than cat6 but the maximum cable length is 100 meters across all systems and conditions for gigabit ethernet.

Cat5e cable is completely backwards compatible with cat5 and can be used in any application in which you would normally use cat5 cable. The cat5e is the standard ethernet cable for high speed internet connections. Network cables have a maximum length depending on which type is being used. Cat 6 cabling is backward compatible with the cat 5 and cat 5e standards that preceded it.

Category 6 is an ethernet cable standard defined by the electronic industries association and telecommunications industry association. Many cat 6 cables also include a nylon spline which helps eliminate crosstalk. Cat 5e is an enhanced version of cat5 that adds specifications for crosstalk see below. In cat 6 cable the spline is not required either as long as the cable tests according to the standard.

Cat5 cat5e and cat6 all use twisted pair cables made of copper wire. Typically you find eight individual wires that have twisted together to form four pairs. As technology advances cat5e and cat6 cable that extends past 300m is available both of which can support a maximum of 1000 mbps with 100 mhz bandwidth. The bulk network backbone cable comes in 1 000 foot pull boxes and is available in six colors.

Cat 5e has been defined by the tia eia 568 b and is recognized by the same. Be sure to include an extra 2 inches on either end of the wire for the data plug. Cat 6 ethernet cable. Cat5 vs cat5e.

Cat 6 is the sixth generation of twisted pair ethernet cabling that is used in home and business networks. Although maximum length varies by manufacturer a common rule of thumb is 650 feet for a cat6 cable and 250 feet for a cat5e cable. Using the coil of wire pull the necessary amount of wire for the connection you need to make. Cat 5e was already handling gigabit speed cat 6 was further improved to offer a bandwidth of 250 mhz.

Cat 6 was developed with advancement in technology and the need to transfer more data at faster speeds. As a means of future proofing your network cat6 is generally a better choice and worth the small premium in price. In the picture above the cat 5e cable is the only one with a spline. It s theoretical top speed is 10 gbps over 100 meters.