Difference between Cat5E and Cat6

Difference between Cat5E and Cat6

Difference between Cat5E and Cat6 cables are that Cat6 cables, also known as Category 6 or Cat 6, offer lower crosstalk, higher signal-to-noise ratio, and are compatible for 10GBASE-T (10-Gigabit Ethernet).  Cat5e cables support only up to 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet). Cat6 cables are usually a better choice than Cat5e, in that technologically moving forward they are more suited to handle faster connection speeds and are worth their slight difference in price.  Both cat5E and Cat6 cables are backwards compatible, meaning cat6 cables can be used in conjunction with Cat5, Cat5E, and even older Cat3 cables and equipment.

Cat5E and Cat6 cables both typically use 4 twisted pairs in each cable, and incorporate copper wires.  Cat6 cables have more stringent specifications for reduced crosstalk and system noise.  Cat6 cables provide performance speeds up to 250MHz.  Cat5 cables in contrast, only provide speeds up to 100 MHz.  A longitudinal separator (or spline) was incorporated into the Cat6 design, isolating each of the four pairs of twisted wire.  This made Cat6 cables more rigid.

Cables that adhere to cat6 specifications offer significantly lower levels of interference and near-end crosstalk, or NEXT.  Equal level far end crosstalk, or ELFEXT return loss or insertion loss as compared to a Cat5E cable.  This results in a quieter operating system with reduced errors and higher data rates in signal transmission.

The price of these cables can vary by manufacturer and seller, and also will vary depending upon the length of cable needed.  Cat6 cables generally run around 10 to 20% more expensive than their Cat5E counterparts, but both are relatively inexpensive in general.  The boost in speed provided by Cat6 cables over Cat5E cables usually justifies the higher price, and offers an significant level of speed and performance, in industrialized settings as well as home computer network settings.

If you want to discuss the difference between cat5E and cat6 cables, and how they can improve your workflow in your recording studio, drop us a line at +1 (818) 500-8142 or email us at marketing@bittree.com

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