This is part 1 of a series devoted to the most asked questions about Ethernet cabling and accessories. If you have a question that you would like answered or addressed, please leave a comment below or feel free to contact one of our Awesome CK team members either by Live Chat or Email. Now on to the FAQ’s!
- What are the differences between Cat5E, Cat6 and Cat6A?
- What is the difference between stranded, solid cable, and plenum rated cables?
- What is the difference between crossover and straight through cables?
- What is the definition of AWG? What is the AWG of Cat5E, Cat6 and Cat6A cables?
- What are the differences between the connectors & couplers for Cat5E, Cat6, Cat6A?
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What are the differences between Cat5E, Cat6 and Cat6A Cables?
While a Cat5E Ethernet Cable is currently sufficient for most needs, it is predicted that Cat6 and Cat6A will take over in the future. Cat6 cables simply offer better performance.
Cat5E gives an available bandwidth of up to 350MHz, whereas Cat6 almost doubles that – with an available bandwidth of up to 550MHz. Cat6 is designed specifically for Gigabit Ethernet specifications. While most systems are not capable of running such speeds, many organizations are choosing to prepare for future needs by going with Cat6 cables.
Cat6 can run much faster speeds than Cat5E, and Cat6A only improves upon those abilities. Cat6 also benefits from improved insertion loss, return loss and several other improvements over the older Cat5E design.
Cat5E, Cat6 and Cat6A Ethernet Cables can all run about 300 feet reliably.
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What is the difference between stranded, solid cable, and plenum rated cables?
Cat 5E, 6 and 6a can all be purchased in stranded or [Read more…] about CAT5E, CAT6 and CAT6A Cables | FAQs