What is the difference between CAT 5e and CAT 6 cable?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Category 6 cable, commonly referred to as CAT 6, is a cable standard for Gigabit Ethernet<br />and other network protocols that is backward compatible with the CAT 5/5e and CAT 3 cable<br />standards. CAT 6 features more stringent specifications for crosstalk and system noise. The<br />cable standard provides performance of up to 250 MHz and is suitable for 10BASE‐T /<br />100BASE‐TX and 1000BASE‐T / 1000BASE‐TX (Gigabit Ethernet). It is expected to suit the<br />10GBASE‐T (10Gigabit Ethernet) standard, although with limitations on length if unshielded<br />CAT 6 cable is used. CAT 6 cables can be identified by the printing on the side.<br />Currently there is a great deal of confusion among Ethernet cable buyers concerning<br />whether to purchase CAT 5e, or to use CAT 6. Most of this confusion comes from a<br />misunderstanding by the buyer that buying CAT 6 cable will give them an "all gigabit"<br />network. This is not the case. Unless every single component in the network is gigabit rated<br />you will never have a gigabit network, because your network will always run at the speed of<br />your slowest device. CAT 5e cable of good quality can run near or at gigabit speeds, it just<br />cannot be "certified" for this use. By comparison, CAT 6 is designed especially for gigabit use,<br />and is certified to operate at said speed.<br />The CAT 6 cable is terminated in either the T568A scheme or the T568B scheme. As long as<br />both ends of a cable are terminated using the same scheme, it doesn't matter which scheme<br />is used; they are both straight through (pin 1 to 1, pin 2 to 2, etc) and the pairing is the same.<br />Mixing T568A‐terminated patch cords with T568B‐terminated horizontal cables (or the<br />reverse) does not produce problems in a facility. The T568B Scheme is by far the most widely<br />used method of terminating patch cables.</div>

What is the difference between CAT 5e and CAT 6 cable?

Category 6 cable, commonly referred to as CAT 6, is a cable standard for Gigabit Ethernet and other network protocols that is backward compa...

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