If you’re looking for a faster copper alternative to Cat6A, then Category 8 is your answer. Without official IEEE or EIA standardization, any “Category 7” cabling you purchase will be different from manufacturer to manufacturer. It does not use RJ45 connectors, but a proprietary connector. However, Category 7 is not an actual IEEE cabling standard, but a proprietary design that does not have an official blessing from the networking industry. You may have heard of Category 7 cabling and assumed it is the latest and greatest, faster version of Cat5e or Cat6 cabling. This means it has a higher signal-to-noise ratio when compared to CAT5e. It also has a more improved return loss and insertion loss and equal level far-end crosstalk than CAT5e. CAT6 has an thicker gauge and tighter twist, which reduces interference. The main difference between CAT6 and CAT5e is transmission performance. CAT6a is thicker and more expensive than CAT6.ĬAT6 supports a frequency of 250MHz. CAT6a supports data rates of 10 Gigabit for the full 328 feet distance.
The Category 6 Augmented cable, also known as CAT6a, improves the CAT6 Ethernet cables. CAT6 cables can also accommodate 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections for a limited distance of about 55 meters. These cables support Ethernet data rates of up to 1 gigabit per second. CAT6 is backward compatible with CAT5e and CAT5 standards that came before it. CAT6ĬAT6 is the sixth generation of Ethernet cabling used in business and home networks and the current “typical” cabling standard used in modern office buildings. It is the least expensive modern Category cable, but as Cat6 cable continues to decrease in price, the cost savings for Cat5e may not be worth the slower speeds. CAT5e cables are used for telephony and video signal transmission.ĬAT5e cable can transmit 100 Mbps Ethernet at a distance of 100 meters. CAT5e can handle situations like crosstalk and EMI better than the CAT5 standard.ĬAT5e are twisted pair cables that come with a maximum frequency of 100MHz. While both CAT5 and CAT5e cables can transmit data through a series of networks and counter radiation influx, CAT5e has advancements that result in a better communication process. CAT5eĬAT5e is an improvement of the CAT5 standard. Here is a look at the differences between CAT5e, CAT6, CAT7 and CAT8 Ethernet cables. There are different types of Ethernet cables, each with limitations with respect to the distance and speed they can carry signals effectively. This is a cable that links devices within a network. An Ethernet cable is an integral part of a LAN network. Ethernet is one of the most popular internet technology standards.