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Not all Ethernet cable is created equally. What's the difference, and how do you know which you should use? Let's look at the technical and physical differences in Ethernet cable categories to help us decide.
Ethernet cables are grouped into sequentially numbered categories (“ cat ”) based on different specifications; sometimes the category is updated with further clarification or testing standards (eg 5e, 6a). These categories are how we can easily know what type of cable we need for a specific application. Manufacturers are required to adhere to the standards, which makes our lives easier.
What are the differences between the categories and how can you know when to use unshielded, shielded, stranded, or solid cable? Keep reading f or “cat”-like enlightenment.
| Cat6 network cable | |
| Category | Cat6, Cat6e |
| Specifications | 4 pairs |
| Conductor | 0.57mm(23AWG), 0.51mm(24AWG), 0.4mm(26AWG) |
| Material | Bare copper, Standard copper, CCA, CCS |
| Shield | UTP(Unshielded Twisted Pair), FTP(Shielded Foil Twisted Pair), SFTP(Shielded Foil Twisted Pair) |
| Jacket | PVC, LSZH |
| Color | Grey, Blue |
| Meters | 305mtr, 1000ft |
| Application | PC, ADSL, network Module Plate, Wall Socket, etc |
Technical differences
As the category number gets higher, so does the speed and Mhz of
the wire. This is not a coincidence, because each category brings
more stringent testing for eliminating crosstalk (XT) and adding
isolation between the wires.
This does not mean your experiences have been the same. Physically you can use Cat-5 cable for 1 Gb speeds, and I have personally used cable longer than 100 meters, but because the standard has not been tested for it, you'll probably have mixed results. Just because you have Cat-6 cable, doesn't mean you have 1 Gb network speeds either. Every connection in your network needs to support the 1 Gb speed and in some cases, the connection will need to be told in software to use the available speed.
Category 5 cable was revised, and mostly replaced with, Category 5 Enhanced (Cat-5e) cable which did not change anything physically in the cable, but instead applied more stringent testing standards for crosstalk.
Category 6 was revised with Augmented Category 6 (Cat-6a) which provided testing for 500 Mhz communication (compared to Cat-6's 250 Mhz). The higher communication frequency eliminated alien crosstalk (AXT) which allows for longer range at 10 Gb/s .
Application
Mainly used in the wiring system betweenwork area correspondence
leading-out terminal and distribution wiring frames connection.As
well as used in the housing synthesis wiring system between user
correspondence leading out terminal and patch pannel.
