A while ago, as we began putting more and more computers on the home network, I wondered why there were all these different types of network cable: i.e. Cat 5, Cat 6 etc.

So I had to go and look it up. I was mainly concerned that there was a limit on how long a cable could be and still be reliable. We have a long house and six computers on the network.

Which reminds me of another thing: 25 years ago, when I was just starting a family, nobody told me that part of being a father was being a network administrator.

And they didn’t teach me anything about it at school. I thought school was supposed to prepare us for life.

Anyway it seems that most cable at the local store is Cat6 these days, and I have no complaints. Last time I bought a new computer (in late 2007) I transferred a LOT of data across my network and I have no complaints about the speed.

I tried making up my own cables for a while - with a packet of connectors and the expensive crimping tool. The problem with making my own was that it is easy to waste connectors by making bad joints.

The answer to that problem is to buy yet another device - a tool to check the cables electrically. But at some point it gets cheaper to just buy quality cable (with connectors) off the shelf.

Anyway, in case anybody is wondering about Cat6, here are some details.

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There’s a New Cable in Town: CAT-6 Ethernet Cables

By Roberto Bell

CAT-6 is an Ethernet cable standard which was defined by the Electronic Industries Association and Telecommunications Industry Association (known as EIA/TIA).

Category 6 cable, which is commonly called ‘Cat-6′, is a cable standard for Gigabit Ethernet and other network protocols that is backward compatible with the Category 5/5e and Category 3 cable standards.

Cat-6 features more strict standards for network crosstalk and system noise. The Cat-E cable standard provides performance of up to 250 MHz and is suitable for 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX and 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet). It is likely to suit the 10GBASE-T (10Gigabit Ethernet) standard also. CAT-6 is the sixth generation of Ethernet cabling standards.

CAT-6 cable contains four twisted copper wire pairs, similar to earlier network cable standards. Although Cat-6 is sometimes made with 23 gauge wires, it is not a requirement. The ANSI/TIA-568-B.2-1 specification states the cable may be made with 22 to 24 AWG gauge wire, as long as the cable meets the specified testing standards.

Attenuation and Crosstalk are significantly lower in Cat-6 cables compared to the Cat-5/5e standard. CAT-6 standard supports Gigabit (1000 Mbps) Ethernet and network communications at more than twice the speed of CAT5e. As with all cables defined by ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B, the maximum acceptable length of the Cat-6 cable is 100 meters (330 ft) in length.

CAT-6 cables come in two main varieties, solid and stranded. Solid CAT-6 cable supports longer distance and works best where fixed wiring configurations are used, like office buildings. Stranded CAT-6 cable, on the other hand, is more flexible and better suited for short distance, movable cabling such as temporary cables.

CAT-6 standard cables are significantly costlier than the CAT5 or CAT5e cables and today’s applications can’t take advantage of CAT6’s better performance. However, if you are wiring a home or building for long term use, you may consider using the CAT-6 cables.
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Article Source: http://www.orbitaloc.com/

See Articles about Cat 6, Cat 5 and Cat 3 in The Tech FAQ.
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By the way, I think that last paragraph is rapidly getting out-of-date: where I shop, Cat 6 cable is NOT a lot more expensive. As for ‘today’s applications’ - I don’t know what the software issues might be but as of 2008 even cheap Ethernet cards CAN take advantage of the high data-transfer rates available over a Cat 6 cable.