Here we can see, “cat5e vs cat6”
Ethernet cables are upgraded continuously to extend bandwidth speeds and reduce noise, so knowing which to select is often tricky. During this article, we’ll break down the differences between CAT5e and CAT6, so you’ll make an informed decision and find the simplest solution for your application.
What is CAT5e Cable?
CAT5e, also called Category 5e or Category 5 Enhanced, maybe a network cable standard ratified in 1999. CAT5e offers significantly improved performance over the old CAT5 standard, including up to 10 times faster speeds and a significantly greater ability to traverse distances without being impacted by crosstalk. CAT5e cables are typically 24-gauge twisted pair wires, which may support Gigabit networks at segment distances up to 100 m.
What is CAT6 Cable?
CAT6, derived from Category 6, came out only a couple of years after CAT5e. CAT6 may be a standardized twisted pair cable for Ethernet that’s backward compatible with CAT5/5e and CAT3 cable standards.
Like CAT5e, CAT6 cables support Gigabit Ethernet segments up to 100 m, but they also leave use in 10-Gigabit networks over a limited distance. At the start of this century, CAT5e typically ran to the workstations, whereas CAT6 was used because of the backbone infrastructure from router to switches.
CAT5e vs. CAT6 Bandwidth
Both CAT5e and CAT6 can handle speeds of up to 1000 Mbps or a Gigabit per second. this is often quite sufficient for the speed of far and away from the foremost internet connections. the prospect is little that you currently have an online reference to achieve up to 500 Mbps speed.
The main difference between CAT5e and CAT6 cable lies within the bandwidth; the cable can support data transfer. CAT6 cables are designed for operating frequencies up to 250 MHz, compared to 100 Mhz for CAT5e. This suggests that a CAT6 cable can process more data at an equivalent time. Consider it because of the difference between a 2- and a 4-lane highway. On both, you’ll drive an equivalent speed, but a 4-lane highway can handle far more traffic at an equivalent time.
CAT5e vs. CAT6 Speed
Because CAT6 cables perform up to 250 MHz, which is twice that of CAT5e cables (100 Mhz), they provide accelerates to 10GBASE-T or 10-Gigabit Ethernet, whereas CAT5e cables can support up to 1GBASE-T or 1-Gigabit Ethernet.
CAT5e vs. CAT6 Crosstalk
CAT5e and CAT6 are both twisted-pair cables. Both use copper wires, with typically 4 twisted pairs (8 wires) per cable. In the past, the 250 MHz performance provided by CAT6 was often achieved by employing a nylon spline within the wiring, which isolated each of the four twisted pairs, making the cable rigid. Nowadays, CAT6 cables are more flexible, using other methods to scale back noise.
Regardless of whether a spline is employed, CAT6 features more stringent specifications for crosstalk and system noise. As a result, not only does CAT6 provide significantly lower interference or Near-End Crosstalk (NEXT) within the transmission compared to CAT5e, it also improves Equal-Level Far-End Crosstalk (ELFEXT), Return Loss (RL), and Insertion Loss (IL). The result’s less system noise, fewer errors, and better data transmission rates.
CAT5e vs. CAT6 Maximum Length
Both CAT5e and CAT6 offer lengths of up to 100 m per network segment. the utmost achievable speeds will never be met beyond this length. This will end in a slow or failing connection, or maybe no connection in the least. If it’s required to hide distances longer than 100 m, the signal is often amplified with repeaters or switches.
When used for 10GBASE-T, the utmost length of a CAT6 cable reduces to 55 m. After this distance, the speed drops to 1GBASE-T. To be ready to run 10GBASE-T over the complete 100 m, it’s advised to use CAT6A, also called Augmented Category 6 cable.
CAT5e vs. CAT6 Cost
Multiple characteristics influence the value of Ethernet cables, the most elements being length, quality, copper content, and manufacturer. Generally, you’ll find that CAT6 cables are priced 10-20% above CAT5e cables.
CAT5e vs. CAT6 Comparison Table
| Category 5e / cat5e | Category 6 / cat6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Applicable for Phone | YES | YES |
| Applicable for Office Network | YES | YES |
| Applcable for Home Network | YES | YES |
| Applicable for Data Center | NO | NO |
| Networks Supported | 1000BASE-T | 1000BASE-TX |
| Bandwidth | 100 MHZ | 250 MHZ |
| Transmission Speed | 10 to 100 Mbps | 1 Gbps |
| Shielding | unshielded | unshielded or shielded |
| Transmission Distance | up to 100 meter | 37-55 meters or less |
| Impedance | 100 ohms = 15% | 100 ohms = 15% |
| NEXT (Min. @ 100 MHZ) | 35.3 dB | 44.3 dB |
| Attenuation (Min. @100 MHZ) | 22 dB | 19.8 dB |
| EL-FEXT (Min. @ 100 MHZ) | 23.8 dB | 27.8 dB |
| PS-ELFEXT (Min. @ 100 MHZ) | 20.8 dB | 24.8 dB |
| PS-NEXT (Min. @ 100 MHZ) | 32.3 dB | 42.3 dB |
| PS-ANEXT (Min. @ 500 MHz) | —- | —- |
| PS-AELFEXT (Min. @ 500 MHz) | 20.1 dB | 20.1 dB |
| Return Loss (Min. @ 100 MHz) | 20.1 dB | 20.1 dB |
| Delay Skew (Max. per 100m) | 45 ns | 45 ns |
| Cost | Less | Expense compared to cat5e |
Conclusion: CAT5e vs. CAT6 Cable
There are numerous considerations when choosing the proper cable. First, what’s the specified network speed: 100 Mbps, 1000 Mbps, or 10 Gbps? Next, what’s the quantity of users? With an outsized amount of users, the frequency of the cable (MHz) becomes important. is that the cable for indoor or outdoor use? Does the cable need to be rigid or flexible? Are there possible sources of interference? Then on. Within the end, the selection comes right down to your application.
It is often argued that it’s not worth investing in cables with better performance, like CAT6, since the present hardware within the network infrastructure doesn’t require 10 Gbps speeds. But hardware gets upgraded over time; it’s much easier to upgrade hardware than to get in new cables. the worth difference between CAT5e and CAT6 isn’t high, and it’s usually an honest idea to choose the higher quality cable, thus preparing the network infrastructure and performance for the near future.
However, the most important consideration, no matter your choice for CAT5e or CAT6, is that you always choose a 100% copper quality cable. The facts show that an inferior cabling system can cause up to 70 percent network downtime, albeit it always represents only 5 percent of initial network investment. So don’t risk widespread failure by skimping on a cabling system that doesn’t offer guaranteed performance.
User Questions:
1.How fast is Cat 5e vs. Cat 6?
For much of the 2000s, Cat 5e was run to the workstations, and Cat 6 was run as a backbone from router to switches. However, the ten Gigabit network on Cat 6 cables is restricted to 164 ft., including patch cables. So then distance, its ultimate speed is the same as cat 5e, i.e., 1 Gigabit.
2.Is Cat 6 faster than Cat 5e?
Cat6 is pricier and faster than Cat5e but also limited by distance. Cat6 supports data transfer accelerates to 10 Gbps at 250 MHz with even less (or no) crosstalk interference, thanks to the cable’s improved insulation. However, its 10 Gbps speed is effective only up to 164 feet.
3.Can I connect Cat5e to Cat6?
Although Cat6 solid conductor cables usually contain 23 AWG wire, Cat5e cables with 24 AWG conductors should seat and connect properly within the Cat6 connector.
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