Introduction to Cat6 Ethernet Cables

The Emergence of Cat6 Cable

Category 6 (CAT6) is an Ethernet cable standard defined by the Electronic Industries Association and Telecommunications Industry Association (commonly known as EIA/TIA). CAT6 is the sixth generation of twisted pair Ethernet cabling. Cat6 increases the bandwidth of the Cat5/5e from 100MHz to 250 MHz and allows for better signal to noise ratio with minimal loss which ensures faster and reliable networks. Cat6 also has many benefits compared to the Cat5/5e such as backwards compatibility, ease of installation, high performance, faster speeds, and higher capacity.

How CAT6 Cable Works

Category 6 was designed to support Gigabit Ethernet data rates (1 gigabit per second - Gbps). It additionally can support 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections over a limited distance (technically, 50 meters or 164 feet for a single cable).

CAT6 cable contains four pairs of copper wire and utilizes all of these pairs for signaling in order to obtain the higher level of performance.

Other basic facts about CAT6 cables

• Ends of a CAT6 cable use the same RJ-45 standard connector as previous generations of Ethernet cables.
• Printing along the length of the cable sheath identifies it as "CAT6".
• An enhanced version of CAT6 called CAT6a supports up to 10 Gbps speeds.

CAT6 vs. CAT6A

The Category 6 Augmented (CAT6A) cable standard was created to further improve on the performance of CAT6 for Ethernet cables. Using CAT6A enables 10 Gigabit Ethernet data rates over a single cable run up to 100 meters (328 feet). twice as far as CAT6, which supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet also, but only over distances up to 50 meters (164 feet). In return for the higher performance, CAT6A cables tend to cost noticeably more than their CAT6 counterparts, and they are slightly thicker (but still use standard RJ-45 connectors).

CAT6 vs. CAT5e

The history of cable design for Ethernet networks resulted in two separate efforts to improve on the previous generation Category 5 (CAT5) cable standard. One eventually became CAT6. The other, called Category 5 enhanced (CAT5e), was standardized earlier. CAT5e lacks some of the technical improvements that went into CAT6 but also supports Gigabit Ethernet installations, and at a lower cost.

Like CAT6, CAT5e utilizes a four wire pair signaling scheme to achieve the necessary data rates. (In contrast, CAT5 cables contain four wire pairs but keep two of the pairs dormant.)

Because it became available in the market sooner and offered "good enough" performance for Gigabit Ethernet at a more affordable price point, CAT5e became a very popular choice for wired Ethernet installations. This plus the relatively slow transition of the industry to 10 Gigabit Ethernet has significantly slowed the adoption of CAT6.

Limitations of CAT6

As with all other types of twisted pair EIA/TIA cabling, individual CAT6 cable runs are limited to a maximum recommended length of 100 meters (328 feet) for their nominal connection speeds (Gigabit Ethernet). As mentioned above, CAT6 supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections also but not at this full distance. Besides, CAT6 cable price is a little higher than that of CAT5e cable. So before choosing it, you’d better measure whether it is worth the extra cost.

UTP Cat5e vs. STP Cat5e Cable

Why use shielded CAT5e cable (STP CAT5e)?

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.

What type of things can cause EMI?

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.

When use shielded CAT5e cable?

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.

What type of shielded CAT5e cable should I use?

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.

Do My RJ45 Heads Also Need Shielding?

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.

Cat7 Ethernet Cable: Is It Worth The Extra Cost?

Nowadays, homes and businesses are operating on either a wired network connection or a wireless connection. Wired connections are usually faster than wireless connections and have lower latency. Both types of network hardware continue to advance, allowing users to benefit from faster speeds.

This might not be a big deal for the home network where the internet connection speed is usually the bottleneck. But businesses need to consider what kind of cables they are using. When using different types of Ethernet cables, the network speeds differ.

Comparing Other Cables To The Cat7 Ethernet Cable

Let’s start with the most standard types of Ethernet cables. Most of the new ones that are purchased in stores or bundled with equipment are probably recent enough that you do not need to worry. Companies that are still using older Ethernet cables they’ve had for a long time more than likely need to upgrade to a newer version.

Cables are not a brand name or generic; they are separated into different standard categories. The most common include Category 5, Category 5e, Category 6 and Category 6a. The newest cable category is 7. Each cable is backward compatible – meaning, you can plug a newer cable into a device created for a slower cable, and you will not have any compatibility problems.

Category Cable Progression

Each newer cable standard allows the user to get higher possible speeds with lower crosstalk. This enables the user to get those fast speeds, even with longer cables. When compared at lengths of 100 meters of cable, the following numbers show the difference in Ethernet cable categories:

• Cat5 ethernet cable is typically too slow for business networks, allowing the user to get up to 100 Mb/second speed at 100 Mhz
• Cat5e network cable allows up to 1 Gb/s internet speed with 100 Mhz
• Cat6 ethernet cable allows up to 1 Gb/s, but cable lengths up to 55 meters can get internet speeds of 10 Gb/s at 250 Mhz
• Cat6a ethernet cable can get speeds up to 10 Gb/s, even at 100 meters of cable length, operating at 500 Mhz
• Cat7 ethernet cable is the newest cable category, operating at speeds of 10 Gb/s at 100 meters of cable and transmitting frequencies up to 600 Mhz.

A Little History

The Cat5 cable was the standard in 1995, Cat5e was standard in 2001 and Cat6 came out in 2002. The Cat6a has been around since 2008. Most businesses still have no need for updating their hardware to Cat7 Ethernet cable, much less the Cat7a or Cat8 cables that were first released in 2010 and 2013.

Cable can only allow the power and speeds of whatever equipment and internet type it is working with. Getting a faster cable will not change the internet speed if the equipment is set for a slower speed or the internet speed package is slower.

Most Cat5 and Cat5e cable should be changed out for a business set up. We believe that upgrading as high as Cat6a ethernet cable will be necessary for quite some time. Until companies need the speed, have the equipment to handle the speed and get an internet package that requires faster channels, the Cat7 ethernet cable’s full potential will simply not be used. This makes it an expensive, unnecessary upgrade. Purchasing and running cable is not a small expense, so companies should try to pick their cable in line with what they need currently and will need in the near future.

Solid or Stranded Ethernet Cables

Another difference in the cables will be the way the wires are used within the cable. The solid cable uses one single piece of copper for an electrical conductor. The stranded cable uses multiple (and thinner) copper cables twisted together for the electrical conductor. This makes the stranded cable more flexible, perfect for navigating a complex space. The solid cable is far less flexible making it ideal for permanent installation in the walls or outdoor.

Be sure to make clear of the features and difference between each type of Ethernet cables before finally selecting the one for your home or business project. Hope the information in this article could be helpful or a guide for you when you are confused about which Ethernet cable to choose.

Modular Patch Panel Solution for Network Upgrade

The increasing demand for faster access to larger volumes of data, emerging high-speed network standards and rapidly advancing technology make it essential to integrate equipment with different network speeds into your network infrastructure. Modular patch panel solutions allow you to seamlessly and conveniently integrate equipment with 10G, 40G and 100/120G speeds to meet your connectivity needs future-proof your networks.

Tendency in Data Centers

When you plan to integrate 10G and 40G equipment in your data center, you’re supposed to make sure that the existing network of 10G servers and other devices can be connected to your higher-speed switches like 40G switches. And connectivity with future network standards should be taken into consideration as well. Although multiple-speed applications coexist in the same data center is not a fresh topic, the parallel optics cabling used for data transmission speeds of 40G and beyond does present a series of connectivity challenges.

What Is Modular Patch Panel Solution

Modular patch panels are comprised of rack-mountable enclosures to house a range of modular and removable fiber cassettes. By supporting various fiber network cabling standards, the cassettes are easy to mix, add and change according to your changeable connectivity needs. Modular patch panels is an ideal way to create a standard-based, flexible, and reliable network platform in data centers.

The key to modular patch panels solution is modular fiber cassettes, which are available in multiple variations. The cassettes allow you to interconnect different fiber speeds simply by plugging standard duplex LC cables into one side of the cassette and one or more standard MPO/MTP cables into the other side.

Benefits of Modular Patch Panel Solution

• Integrating various cabling standards—modular patch panel solutions allow you to connect diverse network cabling standards seamlessly, including 10/10G, 10/40G, 40/40G, 10/100/120G and 40/100/120G, as well as future standards.
• Utilizing standard patch cords—Since connections use standard patch cords that are readily available, you can make changes and repairs without the delays and added expense associated with custom cabling.
• Offering flexibility and scalability—as you integrate new cabling standards to support higher network speeds, you can simply swap existing cassettes with new cassettes that support the new standards. Your network can grow and change conveniently, without the costly, labor-intensive process of replacing channels end-to-end.
• Reducing cable congestion—reduced cable slack means less clutter, less confusion and an easily organized, better-labeled cabling infrastructure. You can also manage cables in any direction, be it horizontal or vertical, front or back.
• Space-saving—you can save valuable rack space to lower data center costs by managing various port densities and speeds in a single high-density patch panel. A single patch panel can manage as many as (168) 10G ports.
• Right-size investments—with a modular solution, you can buy and load only the cassettes you need now, while leaving room for future expansion.

Conclusion

Although modular patch panel solution provides a feasible and optimized way to migrate and upgrade your networks, ensuring users to integrate equipment with different network speeds seamlessly and conveniently. It also faces the challenge when selecting a modular patch panel solution that best fits your demand. So users should choose the right one to satisfy connectivity needs for now and future-proof network for tomorrow which would ensure a maximum return on investment.

Copper Cabling Installation Guideline

As bandwidth demands continue to rise, both copper and fiber cable manufacturers are developing fast to provide greater capacity and flexibility. Copper cabling is still preferred by many network managers because copper cables especially UTP cables (eg. Cat6 UTP Cable), are as inexpensive as optical fibers and easy to install. And the components such as patch panels, wall-plate outlets, connecting blocks are economical. Here are the guidelines for copper cabling installation which would ensure a faster and safer copper network.

Standards

The first step when planing and deploying a telecommunication infrastructure is to make sure you are following the ANSI/TIA-568-C standard. This standard will ensure that your cabling system is interoperable with any networking or voice applications that have been designed to work with that standard.

Cable Distances

ANSI/TIA-568-C standard defines the maximum distance that a horizontal cable should traverse. The tips relating to distance and the installation of copper cabling are listed below.

• Never exceed the 90-meter maximum distance for horizontal cables.
• Horizontal cable rarely goes in a straight line from the patch panel to the wall plate. Remember to account for the fact that horizontal cable may be routed up through walls, around corners, and through conduit.
• Calculate any additional cable distance that may be required as a result of trays, hooks, and cable management.
• Leave some slack in the ceiling above the wiring rack in case re-termination is required or the patch panel must be moved. Some professional cable installers leave the extra cable loop in the ceiling bundled together or looped around a hook, shown as below.

 

Wiring Patterns

The ANSI/TIA-568-C standard releases two wiring patterns for modular jacks and plugs: T568-A and T568-B. The only difference between them is that pin assignments for pairs 2 and 3 are reversed. As for the applications and working principles, these two wiring patterns make no difference. Remember to choose the same wiring configuration on both ends.

The cable pairs are assigned to specific pin numbers. The pins are numbered from left to right if you are looking into the modular jack outlet or down on the top of the modular plug. The following picture shows the pin numbers for the eight-position modular jack (RJ-45) and plug.

Installing Guide

Many factors need to be considered before you start installing copper cabling. Even if you have adequately planned your installation, situations can still arise that will cause problems either immediately or in the long term. Here are some tips to keep in mind for installing copper cabling.

• Do not untwist the twisted pairs at the cable connector or anywhere along the cable length any more than necessary.
• Bridged taps are not allowed.
• Use connectors, patch panels, and wall plates that are compatible with the cable.
• Never splice a data cable if it has a problem at some point through its length; run a new cable instead.
• When terminating, remove as little of the cable’s jacket as possible, preferably less than three inches. When finally terminated, the jacket should be as close as possible to where the conductors are punched down.
• Don’t lay data cables directly across ceiling tiles or grids. Use a cable tray, J hook, horizontal ladder, or other method to support the cables. Avoid any sort of cable-suspension device that appears as if it will crush the cables.
• If you have a cable with damaged pairs, replace it. Don’t use another unused pair from the same cable because other pairs may be damaged to the point where they only cause intermittent problems, which are difficult to solve. Substituting pairs also prevents any future upgrades that require the use of all four pairs in the cable.

With the rapid development and upgrading of Ethernet technology and the surrounding standards, the applications of copper cables also develop like PoE technology, wireless access, digital camera, LED-based power system and sensor networks. Although fiber is very popular in the data center market, the advent of 25G and 40G copper cable standards demonstrate the continuous evolvement of copper cable technology, which still has a strong presence, particularly in the area of server end access.