Ethernet represents the plumbing pipes of the Internet. Many network installers are familiar with Cat5e and Cat6 cables with RJ45 connectors. But the term "Ethernet”, co-invented by Robert Metcalfe, encompasses an entire range of twisted pair and fiber cables that are constantly being upgraded and standardized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers known as IEEE. Each new iteration of Ethernet, or category, supports increasingly faster bandwidth speeds.

Cat3 cable is an earlier generation of Ethernet but can still be seen in older deployments. With the ability to support a maximum frequency of 16 MHz, this type of Ethernet can still be used for two-line telephone systems and 10BASE-T networks. CAT3 cable can also be used for alarm system installation or similar applications. CAT3 cable can have 2, 3, or 4 copper pairs (though uncommon). Category 5e cable however, has become the default Ethernet category of choice with the ability to support faster speeds and frequencies.

Cat5 Ethernet, introduced 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, also known as Fast Ethernet. Even though some older deployments still use CAT5 cable, it is now considered obsolete and has since been replaced by Cat5e.

Although Cat5 and Cat5e cables are physically similar, Category 5e Ethernet adheres to more stringent IEEE standards. Cat5e is the most common type of cabling used for deployments due to its ability to support Gigabit speeds at a cost-effective price. Even though both Cat5 and Cat5e support a maximum frequency of up to 100MHz, Cat5e has completely replaced its predecessor. Gigabit Ethernet utilizes 4 data pairs in comparison to Fast Ethernet which utilizes 2 data pairs.

Cat 5e is perfectly fine. Many companies are placing more and more servers on the cloud. This means that if everything you do is on the cloud, and you require very little internal networking, your limiting factor will not be the type of cable, but the speed of your Internet. Quite likely, Cat 5e will achieve faster connections than your Internet speed, making Cat 5e the choice of most users.

Cat6 network cables have been around for only a few years less than Cat5E cables. However, they have primarily been used as the backbone to networks, instead of being run to workstations themselves. The reason for this (beyond cost) is the fact that, while Cat6 cables can handle up to 10 Gigabits of data, that bandwidth is limited to 164 feet — anything beyond that will rapidly decay to only 1 Gigabit (the same as Cat5E).

Cat6 wiring can support up to 10 Gbps and frequencies of up to 250 MHz. While Cat5e cable features 1.5-2 twists per cm, Cat6 cables are more tightly wound and feature 2 or more twists per cm. Cat6 cables also sport thicker sheaths compared to Cat5e. Though standard Ethernet supports distances of up to 100 meters, CAT6 cable only supports 55 meters when transmitting 10Gbps speeds. Even though Cat6 and Cat6a cabling offers higher performance rates, many LANs still opt for CAT5e due to its cost-effectiveness and ability to support Gigabit speeds. When transmitting at 10Gbps speeds, Cat6 cables only support a maximum distance of 37 meters.

Cat6a can support bandwidth frequencies of up to 500 MHz, twice the amount of Cat6 cable, and can also support 10Gbps like its predecessor. However, unlike Cat6 cabling, Cat6a can support 10 Gigabit Ethernet at 100 meters. Cat6a cabling on the other hand, can transmit the same speeds at up to 37 meters. Cat6a also features more robust sheathing which eliminates alien crosstalk (AXT) and improves upon the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The stronger sheathing makes Cat6a cabling considerable thicker than Cat6.

Cat7 can also support 10 Gbps, but laboratory testing has successfully shown its ability to transmit up to 40 Gb at 50 meters and even 100 Gb at 15 meters. The cabling can support frequencies of up to 600 Mhz. Cat7 offers extensive shielding to reduce signal attenuation and is relatively stiff in comparison to previous generations of cabling. The shielding needs to be grounded and Cat7 also requires special GigaGate45 (CG45) connectors.

Which type of Ethernet cable you should choose depends on your specific applications and requirements. When you plan to purchase Ethernet cables, you need to consider their differences like transmission distance, cost, durability, etc. Hope this post would help you choose the suitable cable and build a high-performing and future-proofing network.

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Shielded CAT5e cable is generally referred to as STP CAT5e or Shielded Twisted Pair CAT5e. It is designed to defend against electromagnetic interference or EMI. EMI is also sometimes called radio frequency interference or RFI. EMI is simply the enemy of electrical communication. This interference radiates from electrical components and prevents electrical current from flowing properly. In the case of CAT5e cable this can often result in a partial or complete loss in communication. A partial loss will often be seen by a user as a very slow connection. This is because if some of the data is not transmitted properly the sending equipment must resend it until it is correct, making the time required to transfer data increased. The equipment may not be able to establish a connection or if they do, it may get dropped part way through the data transfer.

Other times the interference may be too much, resulting in a near complete loss of signal where no data can be transmitted correctly. In this case the equipment generally will not be able to even establish a connection to begin communication.

There are a lot of things around us all the time that can and do cause varying degrees of EMI like power lines, electric motors, fluorescent lights, thermostats, and electrical circuits which are found in just about everything these days. Even things as common as elevators, air conditioners, and microwaves cause electromagnetic interference. These days so many appliances, motors, common devices found around the house, and much more in the office or industrial setting cause EMI, that it is often very difficult to narrow down what could slow down your network.The amount of EMI from these devices can vary due to many factors, but they can be a problem for your ethernet connections if not properly protected.

An installation of unshielded CAT5e cable run over fluorescent lights can result in a complete loss of signal in your cable. Running it past electric motors or near high power equipment can result in problems whenever those things are being used.

If you're in any situation where you want to make sure that you get the most speed and efficiency out of your network, you'll probably want to use shielded CAT5e cable. It's hard to know when and where you'll run into enough EMI to cause a problem, but if you use shielded CAT5e cable in the first place you won't have to worry about tearing the cable from the wall to replace it if you do run into that problem.

Making sure your network operates properly is especially important in your business or office building, but can also be just as important to you on your home network.

Shielded CAT5e cable is generally referred to as STP CAT5e or Shielded Twisted Pair CAT5e. This term, however, is used to refer to many different styles of shielding. The most common type of shielding uses what is called a screen. This screen is a metal covering that goes around the entire set of 8 wires found in CAT5e cable. This can be done by a single solid foil wrap around the wires, braided strands of cable wrapped around all the wires, or a combination of the two. This type of cabling is very effective at blocking any EMI that could cause problems in most installations.

If you want to ensure the proper operation of your network, we would recommend using STP cable like this for all in wall and other critical runs of cable. This way you can rest easy knowing you’re getting the most speed that you can out of your network.

You do, in fact, need to use shielded RJ45 connectors to get the full benefit of STP cable since EMI can effect any and every square millimeter of your cable.

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When it comes to Ethernet cables, we often hear people ask what’s the difference between Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a cable? The most obvious similarity is that all of them use RJ-45 connector to plug into Ethernet jackets with their respective specifications. But what’s the difference between them? The following part will focus on this point.

Cat5e Ethernet cable is an enhanced version of Cat5 cable. It was made to support 1000 Mbps "gigabit" speeds up to 328 feet, so in theory, it's faster than Cat5. Cat 5e is measured and rated at 100MHz. It it also cut down on crosstalk and the interference you can sometimes get between wires inside the cable. It means that you're more likely to get fast, reliable speed out of Cat5e cabling compared with Cat5 cabling.

Cat 6 cables have been the standard in cabling for a while now for high-speed gigabit Ethernet networks. They support the high speeds required by the 10G Ethernet standard. However, that support is limited to approximately 164 ft, after that the ultimate speed is the same as Cat5e. The frequency in the Cat6 cables jumps up to 250 MHz making it far superior to the 100 MHz in the Cat5e.

In addition to the increased speed, Cat6 cables have a tighter twist in the cables allowing for two-way communication. The higher standard support has also been known to eliminate some or all crosstalk with other cables.

This is the most recent and one of the most advanced of the Ethernet Cables, which provides the same 10Gbps speed but for a total of 330 feet. Cat 6A cables are an improvement to first generation Category 6 cables, the "A” standing for augmented. These cables deliver lightning fast speeds making them suitable for 10G networks and high bandwidth needs. They also have double the amount of frequency of Cat 6A to a total of up to 500 MHz.

It's worth noticing that your network speed is different to your internet speed. Chances are upgrading your cables isn't going to make a difference in how fast you load the web page — your internet speeds are still much slower than speeds on your network. However, if you're transferring files between computers with gigabit-compatible hardware can make things move along faster. Remember, you'll need more than just cables — to get gigabit speeds, you'll also need a gigabit-compatible router and gigabit-capable network cards in your computers. Most modern routers and cards are already capable of these fast speeds, but if you have any older PCs or routers, they might not be. Google your hardware's model number to find out.

If you're happy with the current speeds on your network, then there's no need to go through the trouble of upgrading everything. However, if you have gigabit-capable hardware already, then upgrading the cables is very cheap. If you're looking to get the best possible speeds out of your network, upgrading the old Cat5 cables to Cat5e could help. Like what was mentioned above, some Cat5 cables can reach gigabit speeds, but unless you want to run speed tests and find out — which sounds horribly tedious to me — you might as well just spend a few bucks and get all Cat5e or Cat6. If you're running these cables through your walls instead of just through your office, though, it's going to get more costly (and less worth the trouble).

Lastly, remember that when we talk about the speeds of these cables, those are all theoretical. Even if everything on your network supports gigabit ethernet, you'll probably never see speeds of 1Gb/s. But, your data transfers will be a lot faster than they would on non-gigabit hardware. Also, if you're running cable throughout your house, you may notice a decrease in speeds if you are using cables longer than 100m.

In general, most of the time Cat5e is fine for most networks but keep in mind your network is as strong as your weakest link. If you do need faster performance or see yourself needing it in the future your best bet is to invest in Cat 6 to help future-proof your network.

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