Cat5e Cable and cabling Frequently Asked Questions

Answer: CAT 5 cable and CAT 5e cable have several differences, the most important are as follows:

• Network support - CAT 5 cable will support 10/100 Ethernet. That is, Ethernet and Fast Ethernet. CAT 5e cable will support Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet. CAT 5e Cable is completely backwards compatible, and can be used in any application in which you would normally use CAT 5 cable.
• Less cross talk - Cross talk is the electrical interference that results when one wire's signal effects another wire's signal. CAT 5e cable has been improved over CAT 5 cable in this respect, and cross talk has been greatly reduced.
• Bandwidth - This is directly related to network support, in the sense that the bandwidth is the information-carrying capacity of a system. The greater the bandwidth, the greater the information-carrying capacity in a given period of time. CAT 5e cable is rated at 350 megahertz, and it is this increased bandwidth (compared to CAT 5 cable) that allows it to support Gigabit Ethernet.

If you are unsure whether to order CAT 5 OR CAT 5e, we recommend ordering CAT 5e. CAT 5e is completely backwards compatible. The improvements made in CAT 5e over the original CAT 5 Cable are astonishing, so it will always be the right choice between the two.

CAT 5e Cable also has improved durability, due to improvements in the quality and thickness of the PVC protective jacket. It is more than suitable for most data cabling requirements.

CAT 5e Cable	CAT 6 Cable

Answer: The difference has to do with the wiring of the cable and the situation in which you will use the cable.

On a CAT 5e patch cable, the wiring configuration is identical on both ends of the cable.

On a CAT 5e crossover cable, the wiring of pins 1, 2, 3, and 6 are "crossed-over" to pins 3, 6, 1, and 2.

CAT 5e crossover cables are used in situations where two devices have the same interface, for example, connecting a hub to a hub, or a switch to a switch, or even when patching a hub or switch into a wallplate.

The most common use is to connect two PCs directly to each other, without the use of any kind of router, hub, or switch. This is called a peer-to-peer network, and is a low-cost solution to allow file and Internet sharing between two computers.

Answer: The maximum length (maximum certifiable length) for CAT 5 patch or crossover cables is 328 feet (100 meters).

Beyond that, you run the risk of signal loss and other complications.

Answer: Currently there is a great deal of confusion among cable buyers concerning whether to purchase Cat5e, or to use Cat6. Most of this confusion comes from a misunderstanding by the buyer that buying Cat6 cable will give them an "all gigabit" network. This is not the case. Unless every single component in the network is gigabit rated, then you will never have a gigabit network, because your network will always run at the speed of your slowest device. Cat5e cable of good quality can run near or at gigabit speeds, it just cannot be "certified" for this use. By comparison, Cat6 is designed especially for gigabit use, and is certified to operate at said speed. It becomes a matter of whether or not you want to pay all that extra money, for little or no noticeable improvement in the performance of you network. In most cases, it makes more sense to go with Cat5e. It is for this reason that most of your new installations in the private sector are going with Cat5e. It is more economical, performs well, and is readily available in many colors. Many IT professionals when asked about why they specified Cat6 for a specific job, often responded stated that they "wanted the best they could get." This is the line of thought behind many purchases of cable.

Answer: The performance of Cat5e cable can be affected by several things, not the least of which is quality of material. Some installers, in an effort to save money will use the cheapest Cat5e cable they can buy, burdening you with problems while increasing their profits. Some cable makers also use the cheapest Cat5e cable they can buy for the construction of Cat5e patch cables, and Cat5e crossover cables, in order to maximize their profits and offer the consumer a "bargain" cable. This is no bargain when you consider that the cheaper grades of cable in many cases run at less than half the speed of high quality cable.

Network equipment can also have a profound effect on the performance of Cat5e cable. If you have devices in your network that are all rated for Cat5e, but you have one device either defective or not properly rated, then your entire network can slow down as a result. A network will typically operate at the speed of the slowest device in it.

Answer: There can be. The introduction of CAT 6 cable was done to meet the specific needs of "Gigabit Ethernet". A whole generation of new networking components has been introduced for the purpose of having a Gigabit network. Network Interface Cards, Routers, Switches, Patch panels, Hubs, and many other components have been developed in order to create a network that can be "certified" as a full gigabit network.

It is important to remember that in order to achieve this goal, EVERY single component in the network must be Gigabit certified. If a single component in the network is rated at a speed below that, it is possible and very likely that the network will operate at a much slower speed.

Many IT professionals and installers have realized that very good network performance can be achieved using CAT 5e Ethernet cable and other networking components. A good quality CAT 5e cable can deliver near or at gigabit speeds, and will do so at a much lower cost that Cat 6 cables.

The most important thing to remember is this: Buy what you need, and no more. It is not necessary to spend the money for CAT 6 if you do not have to.

Answer: Plenum rated cable generally has the same data transmission performance specifications as regular CAT5e, but there are some differences in the wire pair coating, and the outer jacket of the cable itself.

Plenum rated CAT5e cable has a jacket that meets specific ANSI requirements to be flame retardant and have low smoke production. The idea being that if the building is involved in a fire, the Cat5e Plenum cable will not burn as easy as a standard PVC jacket, and will produce less smoke than a typical Cat5e cable if it does catch fire. The only drawback to this theory has to do with the fact that if Plenum rated CAT5e cable actually does catch fire, it has been reported that it can actually burn at hotter temperatures than PVC jacketed Cat5e cable.

Deciding if you need plenum typically will come down to specific requirements of the code dictating certain aspects of the job. For example, if you were making an office that was HIPPA compliant, Plenum rated cable would most likely be required to meet the code specifications for that building. Most users and installers will never have a need for this type of cable. Also, Plenum rated cable is about three times the cost of regular PVC jacketed CAT5e cable.

Answer: Without question, the first and most important precaution would be the selection of the actual cable itself. There are a ton of cheap brands of cable on the market, and an uneducated salesperson would be quick to tell you that all cables are the same. Even the big retail electronic stores will carry cheap cable in fancy packaging that is not worth buying, so choose wisely.

The next thing to consider is the location where you will be running the cable:

• On or along the floor in a manner that will leave the cable exposed to foot traffic or wheels rolling over it.
• Behind any "permanent" fixture, preventing access to the cable in the event it requires upgrading or repair in the future.
• In close proximity to electrical conduit or other high-voltage electrical sources. This is not only a performance issue, but a major safety consideration for any install. A general rule of thumb calls for at least 18 inches of separation between electrical and data lines, but you will need to check local codes and other applicable regulations.
• Any area that is likely to see temperatures lower than -4 degrees Fahrenheit, or higher than 150 degrees Fahrenheit are referred to as sustained temperatures, not a single occurrence. Most of the high-quality CAT 5 material will operate within the temperature range previously mentioned.
• Any location that will violate local, state, or federal regulations regarding the installation of cable in your specific situation, will be considered unsafe or illegal for any reason. An example of this would be running a cable from your house over to a neighbouring residence so that they can share your high-speed Internet connection through a router. In many cases, this is illegal because the DSL or Cable service is sold to a specific client at a single residence.

Last, a few things to consider during the actual install:

• Mark junction box locations carefully, and do not drop the cable into the desired location until after the hole is cut. You can damage the cable otherwise.
• When pulling cable through drop-in ceilings, you must be sure to prevent the cable from scraping along sharp edges. To prevent this, you should have a partner help guide the cable from the roll or spool, keeping it clear of the ceiling framework at all times. If you are forced to do this work alone, there are commercially available "edge-guards" that you can place over the edges of ceiling framework to protect the cable as it passes over it. These will usually have some type of roller system to allow for smooth cable movement without snagging.
• Plan ahead. Look at the installation location and try to imagine changes in the future. Make sure that you allow for movement of furniture, installation of new equipment or appliances, and of course, expansion of the network.
• Take your time. Every rushed install will most likely have something wrong with it. Get it right the first time.

Answer: In most cases, a solid connection (hard line), will always be faster than a wireless network. The fastest common wireless equipment on the market will operate at 54 Megabits per second (54 Mbps), which pales by comparison to CAT 5 cable, which is able to operate at 100 Mbps. A high quality CAT5e will operate at 1000 Mbps, also known as gigabit. Obviously, wireless technology has a way to go before it can become competitive to a hard line connection.

CAT 5 Cable has other advantages, not the least of which is better security. Although wireless networking is equipped with features that allow you to have special encryption guarding access to the network, it is unused by a great percentage of wireless users because they do not understand how to set it up. Even when set up correctly it is possible to hack into the wireless network. If you have a wireless network in your home that is not protected well enough, someone in a passing vehicle with a laptop could invade your private network, gaining access to your private information. At the very least, they could use your internet access without your consent.

If your building has any limitations for example physical limitations of the building preventing running the cable to your equipment, there is no need to assume that wireless is the answer. To keep signal speeds as fast as a CAT 5e cable and maintain the same highly secure connection without signal loss from a limited connection point, we recommend Ethernet Powerline Adapters.

If there are multiple connections in the network then the cost-effective option is to go wireless.

Answer: Ethernet Powerline Adapters use the mains wires inside the buildings walls to carry transmitted signals between each other. 2 Ethernet Powerline Adapters are the minimum requirement for this method to work.

You simply connect a CAT 5e cable from your router or media streamer in to one of the Ethernet Powerline Adapters and plug the adapter in to a mains plug socket. This then becomes the signal source. Plug another CAT 5e cable from the second Ethernet Powerline Adapter to your recieving equipments ethernet port (IE a PC) and plug the adapter in to the mains socket and the adapter should connected with the other adapter within seconds.

The security feature of Ethernet Powerline Adapters is the signal never reaches past the electric meter so people can not connect to the network from the outside even with their own adapter of the same make and model.

Another advantage of Powerline Ethernet Adapters is that they give the same advantages of a wireless router( connecting your PC to the internet from another room) without losing signal or speed. Ethernet Powerline Adapters come in two speeds either 85Mbps or 200Mbps.

Powerline Adapters range from around £40 for two at 85Mbps up to £150 for two at 200Mbps. For businesses we recommend using 85Mbps as this is still faster than wireless and is more cost effective

Answer: Placement of patch cables and crossover cables near equipment is usually not an issue, but there are some special circumstances that have to be considered. Most computer equipment is designed in such a manner to minimize the interference generated by their operation, so your server room and various work stations are most likely never going to be an issue.

Certain types of machinery, mainly generators and large motors have the ability to generate large amounts of Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI). Also, many extremely high wattage lighting systems have the ability to generate this type of energy, resulting in similar issues. The problems experienced will be signal loss, and in severe cases complete signal blockage. In mild cases, intermittent signal strength drop may be experienced without interrupting data transfer.

If you have an installation that is going to create a EMI problem for you, it would be a good idea to consider the use of shielded cable. Shielded cable can solve many, but not all signal problems resulting from EMI.

If you are uncertain if your installation will create this type of issue for you, feel free to give us a call, or contact your local network installation professional.

Answer: Any time you are considering an application for CAT 5 Cable, performance must always come first. Many applications demand a large amount of bandwidth to run smoothly.

Some of the more popular high-bandwidth applications are internet gaming, file sharing services, VPN network support, and of course, Voice-Over-IP.

The only major complaint most VOIP users wage is that during times of high bandwidth demand from other applications, the quality of the voice communications begins to deteriorate.

Many people have found that using the highest quality hardware and cabling will prevent signal loss, and make it less likely that problems will be experienced due to a great demand being placed on their broadband internet.

While there is no way to prevent signal loss when sharing a single broadband connection with multiple computers and applications, you can maximize the signal strength and lessen these effects by using high quality patch cables in your network. Many people fail to realize that every time you create a connection on your network, you create an opportunity to slow it down. Remember, your network will always operate at the speed of the slowest device.

Answer: CAT5e Cable has many other low-voltage applications besides transmission of computer data. There are many new devices being made now that are taking advantage of some of the flexible application characteristics of this cable.

Many residential and commercial alarm systems are made these days, both wired and wireless. Hard wired systems are always considered the most reliable, and many companies are now designing systems that can utilize CAT 5 Network Cable to connect the various sensors to the main control panel.

There are even a few newer systems that are specifically designed to be assembled similar to a computer network, and utilize CAT5e Patch Cables to make all the connections in the system in the same manner.

Answer: Depending on the application, you may have only simple testing requirements to ensure you have a good cable; however, there are many situations that require very specific data about the cable and how it performs.

One of the main concerns when testing a CAT 5 Cable will be to verify a correct wire map. If you have a patch cable that is not working, you need to start with the basics - was it made right to begin with?

A wire map test will show how the cable is terminated into the RJ45 plug, and you will instantly see if you have any basic connectivity issues. Even the most basic test meters you can buy are able to distinguish if you have a faulty wire, split pair or any other common cable issue.

Answer: The colour coding of twisted pair cabling uses a colour pattern that identifies what conductors make up a pair, and what sequence the pair is relative to the total number of pairs.

This is also used to determine which conductor is the tip (positive), and which conductor is the ring (negative).

Because there are many cable types other than CAT 5, we will focus on its colour code system rather than trying to cover every colour code for every cable type. The EIA colour code for CAT 5 Cable is as follows:

• Pair 1 - White/Blue and Blue
• Pair 2 - White/Orange and Orange
• Pair 3 - White/Green and Green
• Pair 4 - White/Brown and Brown

The individual pairs have a different tightness/angle of twist, known as the twist ratio. The twist ratio of each pair is slightly different from the other pairs by design to prevent one pairs signal from affecting another, a phenomenon known as cross talk.

The standards EIA/TIA 568A and 568B discuss the placement of these pairs in the proper order for CAT 5 networking applications.