| Question: What's
the difference between CAT 5 cable and CAT 5e cable?
 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 use 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 5 Cable will still be sufficient for many
applications. In fact, there are still companies operating today
that have special requirements for CAT 5. These will be the
exceptions of course, because almost all new installations are
being done with CAT 5e. The improved signal carrying capacity of
the cable is the primary reason.
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.
[
Back to FAQ ]
|
