Cat5E or Cat 6?
Forum General Networking : Network General Discussions - Cat5E or Cat 6?
Hi,
I'm new to networking and want to set up a new home network with my pc and router to ensure a faster transmission for gaming.
Currently my routers on the end of an extension on a not inconsiderable length of normal telephone extension cable. As I've been having some problems (not necessarily cable related) I've decided to move the router to the main phone point in the house, install a network socket by it and then use network cable to run to the pc where I'll install another network socket and connect via a patch cable. I'm thinking thisa should give a much better connection all round.
The problem is I don't know whch standard of cable to use. I currently have 8mb ADSL although the UK is talking of increasing this 20mb in some areas. What cable do I need for maximum throughput from a single pc?
Cat 5E or Cat 6?
thx.
Al.
Cat 5e.
cat5e, will do gigabit
cheaper and easier to terminate
OK thx,
Thats good news as I have stockist who does a Cat5e kit - £26.99 buys:
50m Cat 5E cable UTP twisted pair cable. 4 x RJ45 twin surface mount boxes. 4 x RJ45 Cat 5E patch leads (red, yellow, green, blue). 1 x combined cable jacket stripper and krone tool. 1 x 90 / 180 Keystone jack fixture. 4 x RJ45 Keystone jack Cat 5E.
The boxes aren't the flush type but given the cost, they're easily replaceable.
I reckon thats a pretty good deal. Cheapest I could find Cat6 cable was £36 without any of the extras.
Al.
The general difference between CAT5E and CAT6 is the transmission performance, and extension of the available bandwidth from 100 MHz to 200 MHz. This includes better insertion loss, NEXT, return loss, ELFEXT. These improvements provide a higher signal-to-noise ratio, allowing higher reliability for current applications and higher data rates for future applications. I, being in the military, am using networking standers that require the higher bandwidth of the CAT6, but there are no readably available routers that can support the traffic that the CAT6 cable can. So you are wasting your money getting CAT6, but in the near future CAT5E will go the way of the cable!
| Quote : but in the near future CAT5E will go the way of the cable! |
I don't believe this.
Cat5e, as already said, can handle the 1000 Mbps ethernet just fine. Cat6 is more expensive, more difficult to deal with, and offers no advantage whatsoever for standard ethernet LANs up to and including gigabit.
That is not to say that there are not niche uses for Cat6, as you have stated.
I predict that it will be Cat6 that will go the way of Cat4 (try to buy any Cat4 cable lately? Or have any need to?), since the 250MHz bandwidth is not high enough to handle the next jump in LAN communications, 10 gigabit.
For that you will need either Cat6e or Cat7 (500 MHz and 650 MHz, respectively).
Cat5e will be around for as long as people continue to put in 100 and 1000 Mbps ethernet. And, the transition from 100 to 1000 is just beginning. It has a long way to go.
Not just to you, to everyone:
Cat 5E is Cat5 enhanced. Its very close to Cat6.
The main difference, in which the military guy noted is the signal return. He could have summed it up if he said...
Cat5E will go roughly 100m (300ft)
Cat6 will go around 700ft. Distance is the key with Cat6.
http://www.broadbandutopia.com/caandcaco.html
That should answer any questions you might have.
Cat5e is the best one and please use this. Also cat6 is expensive for your budget. Please make sure when you are purchasing this cat 5e type of make sure it is branded. Get it from firefold.com in cheaper price.
Cat5E Keystone Jacks
I'm also think Cat 5E is the best.
Reply to alex101
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