Cat 6 Ethernet Cables: What You Need to Know

Cat-6 ETHERNET CABLES Category 6 cable, commonly referred to as Cat 6, is a standardized cable for Gigabit Ethernet and other network physical layers that is backward compatible with the Category 5/5e and Category 3 cable standards. Compared with Cat 5 and Cat 5e, Cat 6 features more stringent specifications for crosstalk and system noise. The cable stan- dard provides performance of up to 250 MHz and is suitable for 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX (Fast Ethernet), 1000BASE-T/1000BASE-TX (Gigabit Ethernet), and 10GBASE-T (10-Gigabit Ethernet). 10BASE-T 100BASE-TX (Fast Ethernet) 1000BASE-T/ 1000BASE-TX (Gigabit Ethernet) 10GBASE-T (10-Gigabit Ethernet) Until recently, most home routers supported speeds of 10 or 100 megabits per second. However, Gigabit Ethernet routers, which Cat 6 cables can work with, have 10-100 MEGABITS/ SECOND become more common. Cat 6 cable is full-on certified to handle CAT-6 IS Gigabit speeds – it's meant to handle it CERTIFIED UP TO 10 and it does it the best. It's also suitable for any 10-Gigabit uses that may come along someday; although at that point, you're pushing the limits of Cat 6. GIGABIT 100 ft = $11 One hundred feet of Cat 6 cable runs a tad more than $11. Cat 6 cables provide the best performance with the ability to support up to 1Gbps @ 250MHZ. Plus, they have improved insulation for even 1Gbps @ 250MHZ more effective crosstalk reduction. If you happen to have a bunch of Cat 5e cable, don't throw it away. It's useful for many more years, and it should serve you well. If you're super cheap and can't stand the two dollar per 100-foot price difference, then sure, Cat 5e will do fine for the next several years. However, if you're starting from scratch and want to be ready for whatever advances come down the line, you'll want to go with Cat 6 cable. You want to be as future-proof as possible. You wouldn't remodel your kitchen to look like 1992, right? Cat 6 SOURCES: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_6_cable cnet.com/how-to/how-to-pick-the-right-cables-for-your-home-network blog.tripplite.com/which-ethernet-cable-should-you-use-cat5-cat5e-or-cat6 cnet.com/how-to/how-to-pick-the-right-cables-for-your-home-network BROUGHT TO YOU BY: 888-212-8295 CableWholesale www.cablewholesale.com