Cat 6 Cable Difference To Cat 5

[BangTidy]

Anybody give me some information please on Cat 6 data cable please?
Have used Cat 5 plenty of times before so have a good understanding of it but not really touched Cat 6. Had a client request this to be installed, and only thing ive read up about it is on wikipedia:-

Category 6 cable - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Has 3 different types of colour coding, wondering which one is the usual standard?
Anybody have any input please?

Cheers

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I think the difference is something like the twisted pairs are not so twisted, or that the air gap around the twisted pairs is greater.
Not that it makes much difference once the cable's been stood on, or kinked.

 

[Guest123]

Cat 6 is a great deal thicker than cat 5, it has a plastic spacer inside to keep the cores seperated whereas cat 5 doesn't.

Overall it performs better than cat 5 as the signal carried is stronger and doesn't suffer from cross talk interference as much so is better for high speed networks.

 

[telectrix]

and some IT geek has probably told the client that he must use cat6 as cat5e is crap and obsolete.

 

[BangTidy]

Cheers for the replys. Is it simple and stright forward like cat 5 with the colour coding on the modules?

 

[topquark]

Cheers for the replys. Is it simple and stright forward like cat 5 with the colour coding on the modules?

If you're just using it for ethernet, then yes, just use one of the two standards as normal.

 

[needasparks]

I think the difference is something like the twisted pairs are not so twisted, or that the air gap around the twisted pairs is greater.
Not that it makes much difference once the cable's been stood on, or kinked.

I remember cat5 and cat 5E was the cores had and extra twist to stop cross-talk but i think cat6 is just the spacer

 

[Rockingit]

I got a set of architects plans the other day that spec'd CAT6 just on a domestic. The QS and I both decided straight away it wasn't worth the extra dosh and once the CAT5 is buried and terminated the client won't have a clue!

 

[topquark]

I got a set of architects plans the other day that spec'd CAT6 just on a domestic. The QS and I both decided straight away it wasn't worth the extra dosh and once the CAT5 is buried and terminated the client won't have a clue!

Cat5E will handle gigabit ethernet, but not normally without errors, whereas CAT6 is normally fairly error free (baring protocol errors). The consequences are a degredation in total throughput and hence apparent speed, due to the retransmission of packets needed.

The errors normally occur frequently when ethernet and other signaling is used over the same cable (phone/TV etc). If it's purely single channel ethernet, it should be fine.

 

[mydigitalhome]

Cat6 is far better if using it for home automation and sending HD signals around the house or commercial installation using longer runs. Topquark is correct with his comments however I would say that if installing a dedicated system in a house use CAT 6 unless money really is an issue as new tech is coming out all the time and having that extra capacity is worth while with the advent of HD over single wire CAT5/6 becoming more popular. We only spec CAT 6 on our systems.

 

[jumpin jax]

cat 6 can handle higher freqeuncies so the specifier is only future proofing the system as this data cable could be in use for the next ten years plus in which time who knows what speed computers are running at.

 

[joehusky]

and some IT geek has probably told the client that he must use cat6 as cat5e is crap and obsolete.

Cat 6 wiring is entirely different and much superior than cat 5. Category 5 network wire is the most basic network wires as far as cat 6 is much better.