Understand your Ethernet Cable- A Complete Guide
It is important to understand the
need and use of Ethernet cables before making a decision to buy them. You must
think long-term before investing in them. As this is not a small investment by
any means and there is a lot of hassle you will face in installing them. It cannot
be done after every short period. Therefore, a wise and right decision is
required in this regard. It should be taken after analyzing the network needs completely
and studying the Ethernet cable's features thoroughly.
Once you get a clear idea of your
needs and requirements then you will be able to take the right decision which
would be beneficial for you in long-terms. There are different types of
Ethernet cables are available in the market for your analysis. Each of them
comes with different features and qualities. You much read and understand them
carefully and then match them with your needs and requirements. The one you
think will fulfill your needs in an appropriate way presently and in near
future as well will be the best option for you.
The most demanding Ethernet cable
variants nowadays are the Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a. These three variants are
further classified into different types according to their features and usages
such as plenum, riser, and PVC. Some are compatible with others while some are
not such as plenum can replace any other cable while PVC cannot be used in
place of others. Therefore, the selection of the right cable is a tricky thing.
This article will provide you
enough information about these cables and their variants that makes you able to
select the right cable for your networks. You will be able to understand their
specifications and usage. This will help you in judging them in a better way
and makes you understand which cable suits best with your needs.
Therefore, take out few minutes from your busy schedule and go through this
article carefully. It will benefit you a lot any many ways.
Cat5e
Ethernet Cable
The name of the cable shows its
generation. In Cat5e, “Cat” stands for Category and “5” represents its
generation, whereas, “e” in the name stands for “Enhanced”. It is the enhanced
version of the Cat5 Ethernet cable. There are different variants of Cat5e cable available in the market based on their jacket type.
·
Plenum
·
Riser
·
PVC
Plenum-Rated
or CMP-Rated Variant
It is one of the most demanding
variants of Cat5e cable. They are called plenum-rated or CMP-rated cables. It
is a high-speed and efficient data cable with a safe jacket. The plenum-rated
cables are high in demand due to their safety reasons. They are much more
secure and safe cables to be installed in the plenum spaces of the buildings.
The plenum jacket of the cable is
made from polyvinyl chloride material. This material is exceedingly
flame-retardant and UV resistant. The plenum-rated cable resists the
expansion of fires. Even in the case of fire, they do not produce smoke or any
toxic substance that is dangerous to human health. This quality makes it a
perfect candidate to be installed in the plenum spaces.
Another quality of this cable is
that it can be used as a replacement for other jacket type Cat5e cables but no
other jacket type Cat5e cable can replace this cable. These qualities
definitely increase the worth of these cables a great deal. This is why
they are more expensive in comparison to other jacket-type cables.
Riser-Rated
or CMR-Rated Variant
This variant of the cable is
known as Riser-Rated or CMR-Rated cable. The riser jacket cable is manufactured to be installed at the riser or vertical spaces of the buildings.
They cannot be installed in plenum spaces.
They are also highly efficient
and fast data cables. They come with great data transfer speed. With that, they
are very good against crosstalk and EMI properties as well. The riser jacket
type also comes with the fire-retardant property. It resists the expansion
of fire and does not produce any toxic smoke as well. It can replace PVC jacket
Ethernet cable but it cannot be used as a substitute for plenum-rated cable.
PVC
Jacket Variant
It is a cable designed for
outdoor use. Cat5e PVC-Rated cable comes with some great features. Its outer
jacket is durable and sturdy which makes it very good against environmental
factors like rain, sunlight, heat, and others. The other two jacket type
variants can be used as its substitute but this cable cannot be used as a
substitute for any other jacket type cable.
Conductor
Types
Ethernet cables come with 4
twisted pairs of wires. These are the conductor wires of the cable. Normally,
there are two types of conductor material used in them.
·
Pure Solid Copper
·
Copper Clad Aluminum
These materials come with
different features and qualities. The pure solid copper conductor wires are preferable in comparison to copper-clad aluminum wires because of their
high-performance abilities.
Pure copper wires come with less
DC resistance property. This means they can transfer more
energy into the system rather than wasting it in the environment. This
increases the data transfer ability of the cable. Whereas, copper-clad aluminum
comes with relatively high DC resistance properties thesis properties and more energy into the environment as wastage in comparison to pure copper wires.
STP VS
UTP Variants
Some Cat5e cable variants also
use an extra coating on these twisted pairs of wires. They are known as STP
(Shielded Twisted Pair) cables. In STP cables an aluminum foil shielding is
present on the twisted pair of wires. In some variants, single pair is shielded
separately while in some all four pairs are shielded altogether. This shielding
improves the cable’s performance against interference factors like crosstalk
and EMI. With that, it also increases the cost of the cable in comparison to
UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cables.
Other
Features
Normally, the Cat5e cable comes with
24 AWG wire. AWG (American Wire Gauge) is the diameter of the conductor wire
used in the twisted pair of cables. These conductor wires are especially responsible
for high or low data transfer speeds of the cables. 24 AWG is a thin wire as
compared to 24 AWG used in upper variants of Ethernet cables like in Cat6 and
Cat6a.
Cat5e cable can transfer
data up to 1Gbps over a distance of 100 meters or 328 feet. It is tested up to
a bandwidth of 350MHz. It is one of the fastest Ethernet cables of the fifth
generation. Its performance exceeds the set standards of FCC, CE, CSE, and ISO/IES,
and has complete compliance with RoHS. It is available in the market in 1000ft
length in an EZ-Pull box with a ripcord option.
Cat6
Ethernet Cable
It is a sixth-generation Ethernet
cable of category 6. It provides lightning-fast data transfer speed in
comparison to fifth-generation cables.
Jacket
Types
Just like Cat5e, it is also
available in 3 different jacket types. Plenum, riser, and PVC. All the
functionalities and features of these jackets are explained above. They remain
the same with this variant of the Ethernet cable as well.
Conductor
Types
There are two types of conductor
materials used in these cables as well. The pure solid copper and the copper-clad aluminum. The only difference between Cat6 Plenum Pure Copper cable and Cat5e conductor wires is
that the wires used in Cat6 cables are thicker. You will find 23 AWG wires in
this cable. The increased thickness of the conductor wires allows the cable to
transfer data at a quicker rate of 10Gbps.
STP VS
UTP Cables
Cat6 cable is also available in
both STP and UTP versions. Your needs and demands will make it clear to you which version will suit you the best. Otherwise, their functionalities and
features remain the same as explained for the Cat5e version.
Other Features
The cable is capable of providing a data transfer speed of 10Gbps over a distance of 50 meters or 168 feet. It is
the maximum data transfer speed you can achieve with a Cat6 Ethernet cable. As
the distance increases, its speed comes down to 1Gbps up to a distance of 100
meters or 328 feet. The cable is tested up to a bandwidth of 550MHz. The cable meets
and exceeds all the set standards of its performance.
Cat6a
Ethernet Cable
It is also a sixth-generation cable but it is an upgraded version of the Cat6 cable. The name Cat6a itself
suggests this thing in which “a “stands for augmented. This means an improved version.
Jacket
Type
It is also manufactured in the same
three types of jackets plenum, riser, and PVC. The Functionality and features
of these jackets are explained above and they remain the same with this version
of the cable as well.
Conductor
types
Cat6a Plenum cable also comes with 4
twisted pairs of wires. These wires are manufactured with the same two types of
conductor materials that the previous variants of Ethernet cables use. The
pure solid copper and the copper-clad aluminum. Their qualities and features
are explained above and they remain the same in this variant of the Ethernet cable
as well.
The thickness of the conductor
wires in this variant is 23 AWG. These thick conductor wires enhance the data
transfer speed to a great extent.
STP VS
UTP Cables
Cat6a cable is available in both
STP and UTP versions as well. Select them according to your needs and
requirements. The features of these versions are explained above in this
article. Read them carefully as they remain the same in this variant of
Ethernet cable as well.
Other
Features
The cable is capable of providing a data transfer speed of 10Gbps over a distance of 100 meters or 328 feet. If we
compare Cat6a VS Cat6, this is the main difference we find in them. This
improved version of Ethernet cable is capable of providing the same data transfer
speed up to 100 meters. Cat6 was providing this speed up to only 50 meters.
With that, the bandwidth of this improved version of cable is also enhanced up
to 750MHz. The cable meets and exceeds all the set standards of its
performance.
Book Your
Order Now With Whizcables: -
After reading this article, we
hope most of your ambiguities get resolved. You will be in a much better position
to make a decision about buying an Ethernet cable for your networks. Now the
only problem remains is the access to a reliable and trustworthy supplier of
these cables.
Your problem is resolved. Book
your order now at Whizcables and get guaranteed products of top quality and
features. We are the manufacturers and suppliers of these cables in the US. Our
customer services representatives are waiting for your order booking call 24/7.
Call now! Get great discounts with great services. We are offering free
shipping services to our US customers. Avail of these great offers now and save
your money.
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