overview of cat 6 cable
Overview of Cat 6 cable and its applications
Litech offers a variety of high speed and highly reliable LAN cables. Our cables meet ISO/IEC 11801, TIA 568C-2, BS EN/IEC 60332-1-2 standards. All Structured Cabling supplied by Litech Pakistan is tested for electrical and mechanical properties. Cable performance in terms of conductor resistance, construction quality, dimensional consistency, and other parameters are consistently consistent with published standards. RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliance is determined and verified, based on a specific requirement.
Cat 6 cable is an efficient 4-pair cable consisting of two twisted conductors, which provides high bandwidth and makes it suitable for high data transfer rates. Category 6 supports a frequency range of up to 250MHz and is designed for transfer speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gigabit Ethernet). Cat6 provides improved performance and transmission reliability, especially in terms of 1000BaseT and 1000BaseTX.
This article will share an overview of Cat 6 cable and talk about its various communication applications.
What is Cat 6 Cable?
Category 6 cable, more commonly known as Cat 6 Cable, is a type of twisted pair cable used in Ethernet-based computer networks.
In 2002, it was jointly defined and specified by the Electronics Industries Association and the Telecommunication Industries Association (EIA/TIA).
This cable is also fully backwards compatible with previous versions, such as Category 5/5e and Category 3 cable standards.
Used for computer networks that handle data transfer speeds (DTR) of Mbps or Gbps, Cat 6 cables have the following characteristics:
It consists of four pairs of copper wires, each of which is used for data transmission
It offers 250 MHz bandwidth, speeds up to 10 Gbps, and can be extended up to 100 meters in length.
Improved crosstalk and attenuation protection than previous cable versions.
CAT 6 uses a common RJ-45 connector like previous generations of Ethernet cables.
It supports 10BaseT, 100Base-TX, 1000 Base-T, and 10 GBase-T Ethernet networks.
Unshielded vs. Shielded Cables Shielded Cat 6
An open Cat 6 cable (U/UTP or just UTP) where the wires are twisted together to reduce noise and crosstalk.
Shielded Cat 6 cable has two popular variants: F/UTP and S/FTP.
In F/UTP (commonly called FTP) an aluminum foil shield is used together over four pairs, while in S/FTP an aluminum foil shield is used alone over each pair before the braided braid joint shield. The shield(s) are to protect the wires from any electromagnetic interference and the basic comparison is below:
Less Interference- S/FTP provides greater shielding of twisted pairs, resulting in less crosstalk, EMI and electrical interference.
It is very flexible - U/FTP does not have a cross-splitter and the cable diameter can be very small. Thin lines are flexible and easy to move.
Simply put, unshielded Cat 6 can be used for home computers, and shielded Cat 6 cables are ideal for high-interference areas and outdoor equipment.
Solid vs. Stranded Cat 6 Cables
Cat 6 solid cables use a single piece of copper for the electrical conductor, while Cat 6 stranded cables use a series of twisted copper wires.
Stranded Cat 6 cables are flexible, easy to use, and portable. In contrast, while rigid Cat 6 cables are less flexible, they are more durable and suitable for permanent installation.
Due to the high attenuation, Cat 6 cables are used for short distances to reduce the risk of introducing additional attenuation.
These cables are also used to connect interface cards (NICs) in outlets or between concentrators and patch panels, hubs, and other packaged equipment.
Applications of Cat 6 Cables
Cat 6 cables are often the backbone of networks. They are used in conjunction with fiber optics cables as well.
Let's look at some of the most common applications for Cat 6 Cables:
Cat 5e and Cat 6 are good options for gaming with Ethernet connections. However, Cat 6 cables are often preferred for this purpose. The ability of Cat 6 cables to handle interference better than Cat 5e cables is also one of the main reasons for its popularity among gamers.
Cat 6 cables are also preferred for network security homes as they can carry high speed data while producing little or no interference.
Cat 6 cables are widely used in computer networks with up to GB, 1000 Mbps, or Gbps data transfer speed (DTR) or more. They are also used to host sites, e-commerce hosting platforms, etc.
Many social networking businesses or companies use Cat 6 cables to transmit reliable and fast data across their network infrastructure.
Cat 6 cables dominate home and business networks as the cable of choice due to their speed and low crosstalk characteristics.
Cat 6 and Cat 5e cables: Differences
The difference between Cat 6 and Cat5e cables can come down to quality, speed, and cable prices in Pakistan.
Generally, the network will operate at the speed of the slowest device, so if you mix the two, the network will operate at the speed of the device with the lowest specification.
Another notable difference between the two is that Cat 6 can operate up to 250MHz while Cat 5e can only operate at 100MHz.
Although Cat 5e cables are more economical and come in many colors to suit different situations, they are still not as good as Cat 6 cables in terms of transmission speed.
What Litech Pakistan can offer in stock
CAT6 UTP PVC in two outer sheath colors: blue (RAL5015) and gray (RAL7046)
CAT6 F/UTP LSZH Violet
Installation of Local Smoke Zero Halogen in the event of a fire, the release of smoke and toxic fumes creates a potential hazard to life and equipment.
CAT7 S/FTP LSZH Orange
Data cable for high bandwidth, high speed applications. 10 Gigabit Ethernet over 100m. Individual and comprehensive testing to meet the strict requirements of Crosstalk. It is backward compatible with Cat 5e and Cat 6. The main difference between Cat6 and Cat7 is speed and frequency. This is a cable option for ultimate performance and future proofing.