Cat 5e vs. Cat 6

[JohnJ0906]

I am doing a job, where I am installing conduit/rings for data and phone. I MAY be running the wire (yet to be determined). The customer mentioned that they were having Cat 6 installed.
I was wondering what the advantages of cat 6 over cat 5e were.

 

[dereckbc]

None Cat 6 cost much more than CAT 5E. There are no applications for Cat 6 or none in the pipe that Cat 5E cannot do now.

 

[tom baker]

Thats correct, today we had a meeting with Amp/Tyco on Cat 6 and 6a, plus did some terminations on both. 6a is 10 gig, a shielded cable, more expensive, a bit tricker to terminate. 6 has no advantage over 5e, but 6a does.
However, Microsoft, in all its buildings nearby uses 5e.

 

[JohnJ0906]

Thank you. :smile:

 

[dbuckley]

Only thing to watch out for is component video over Cat6 or higher; because of the widely different pitch variations used for each pair, the length of cable is different for each pair, and over a few tens of meter this length difference is enough to smear the video image...

 

[LarryFine]

In my opinion, the best cabling for component video is an all-copper RG-59 (and not RG-6).

 

[infinity]

Isn't CAT 6 with it's semi-rigid center filler less likely to be damaged during installation?

And what about terminations? CAT 5e can have RJ-45 connector installed on it can CAT 6?

 

[LV grider]

And what about terminations? CAT 5e can have RJ-45 jacks installed on it can CAT 6?

There is no such thing as an RJ-45 Jack:smile:

 

[infinity]

There is no such thing as an RJ-45 Jack:smile:

Opps, I should have said connnector not jack as in below:

 

[LarryFine]

There is no such thing as an RJ-45 Jack:smile:

Well, RJ does stand for "Registered Jack," Jack.

 

[zbang]

Well, RJ does stand for "Registered Jack," Jack.

Yebut, the "-45" means it has a specific telephone line configuration (t/r on 4/5, programming resistor on 7/8). All of the RJ-30's and 40's use the same 8-position modular plug/jack. If it doesn't have a telephone line on it, it's not an "RJ".

 

[HighWirey]

In my opinion, the best cabling for component video is an all-copper RG-59 (and not RG-6).

Larry,

Why is that? I thought RG-6 superceded RG-59 in most ways, at least as far as loss?

Best Wishes Everyone

 

[gar]

080428-1444 ESt

Discussion on CAT-6:
http://www.belden.com/pdfs/techpprs/What_is_Category_6_Q&A.pdf

.

 

[LV grider]

Yebut, the "-45" means it has a specific telephone line configuration (t/r on 4/5, programming resistor on 7/8). All of the RJ-30's and 40's use the same 8-position modular plug/jack. If it doesn't have a telephone line on it, it's not an "RJ".

Hmmm........... If that is the case then where is the phone line on an RJ-11?

Even though they are no longer popular there is an actual pre-configured "Jack that had 8 pins. The relationship between pin position and the wire code made it an RJ-45 for reference. Thus RJ-45 is a wire code not an actual physical device. The use of RJ-45 in terminology granted is very widespread especially by those in the computer industry and I have even seen architects use the terminology on drawing specs before. If you were to actually install an RJ-45 in every location one was referred to everyone around you would think you were an idiot.

All I'm saying is the technical definition of RJ-45 and the adopted use of the term RJ-45 are 2 different creatures.

It is kinda like saying everything that walks on 2 legs is human and if it walks on 4 legs it is a dog.

Sorry, didn't mean to offend anyone!

 

[LarryFine]

Why is that? I thought RG-6 superceded RG-59 in most ways, at least as far as loss?

RG-6 is designed for RF use and has a 75-ohm impedance. The center conductor is almost always copper-clad steel, which is fine for skin-effect frequencies, but not audio-video, and the shield is aluminum braid and aluminized mylar.

The all-copper RG-59 is designed for audio and video use and has 50-ohm impedance. It has less DC resistance, and it's also thinner and more flexible, and can be soldered, all of which make it easier to terminate.

Yes, RG-6 has a lower loss-per-foot than RG-59, but we're not talking about thousands of feet here. There's always less signal degradation when the impedance of the line matches that of the termination points.

 

[zbang]

Hmmm........... If that is the case then where is the phone line on an RJ-11?

On positions 3 & 4 (often 1 and 6 don't even have contacts in them). FWIW, an RJ-14 has one phone line of 3/4 and another on 2/5. But it's the -same- jack/plug.

snip...

If you were to actually install an RJ-45 in every location one was referred to everyone around you would think you were an idiot.

All I'm saying is the technical definition of RJ-45 and the adopted use of the term RJ-45 are 2 different creatures.

True, I try to use the more correct term when I can, although I also slip into calling it an RJ45 sometimes. (This doesn't bother me much since I know the difference). This is also why I specify Ethernet jacks as 8-position modular wired as TIA-568b, and remove most references to RJ45.

 

[rexowner]

080428-1444 ESt

Discussion on CAT-6:
http://www.belden.com/pdfs/techpprs/What_is_Category_6_Q&A.pdf

.

This is manufacturer BS. (and 6 years old, which is ancient
in high-tech).

Cat-6 has not supplanted Category-5 as predicted 6 years ago
in this document, and it never will. The problem is that it
doesn't do anything sufficiently useful.

Cat-6 is little more than a snow job to get people to buy
more expensive cable.

 

[LarryFine]

Cat-6 is little more than a snow job to get people to buy more expensive cable.

Well, it worked on one customer of mine. He insisted on CAT-6 cable and jacks for his network, and got them. He also paid for the entire 1000' reel.

I've installed about 20 each of coax jacks, ethernet jacks, and phone jacks in various keystone-plate combinations in his home, over three different visits.

The house is three floors, including the unfinished-ceiling (thank goodness!) basement, but no attic. We can fish! Not one inch of cable shows anywhere.

 

[gar]

080429-0950 EST

rexowner:

Have you run comparative tests of bit error rate and thruput on CAT5E and CAT6 at 100 M, 125 M, 150 M lengths, and what were the results?

.

 

[cschmid]

I was going to mention the TIA 568a and the at&t 568b but I was to late must be slow reader..the only thing different is the pairing on 268b 4&5 pair one 1&2 pair two, on 568a 4&5 pair one and 3&6 pair two, 1&2 are pair three and pair four is 7&8 on both..