CAT5e vs CAT6

[stugster]

There was recent discussion about the type of cabling used when installing a new network over on another forum.

What do the techies here use, and why?

I myself will only usually install CAT6 and explain the reasons why to the client.

A couple of people argued that CAT5e was better because it was 10% cheaper, frankly in my books, that's not a good reason in business terms.

 

[PC]

Cat 6 is 'proper' gigabyte network stuff.

Cat 5 & 5E will also do gigabyte stuff and is slightly cheaper.

If you are running data cables through very 'noisy' (electrical) environments then Cat 6 is better but other than that there is very little difference other than bandwidth (100MHz v's 250 MHz) and the IEEE standards are identical. Once your clients start using gigabyte networking through dirty environments then Cat 6 makes sense.

Further info: http://www.articlesbase.com/networks-articles/cat-5e-and-cat-6-differences-and-benefits-185297.html

Personally, I use Cat 5/5e simply because the longest cable run I've had is 100 metres and its an office environment. For the minor benefits gained with Cat 6 it just isn't worth it.

The only place where I've used Cat 6 was over at Rosyth Dockyards. As the building concerned was shielded and the power cables went up the outside of the building I didn't need to worry too much about interference but the installation was to mil spec so I had too.


What reasons for Cat 6 do you give your customers Stuart?

 

[stugster]

Planning for the future CAT6 is actually 10GB and has a much lower attenuation.

It's widely accepted by people in the British Computer Society and a lot of the Microsoft Partners that it should be installed rather than CAT5e nowadays. Purely for the basis of planning for the future