

Cat5e can even handle 10 Gigabit Ethernet at short distances, so within a server room for example as a backbone link, Cat5e cable is rated to handle it. So, unless you think you might need 10 Gigabits across a given link, Cat5e will do the trick just fine. What's important to note here, is that even Cat5e supports Gigabit Ethernet. Here's what each cable type is rated for: if you buy a Gigabit switch, and have Gigabit NIC cards in your PCs, then you'll get Gigbait speeds so long as your cable supports that. If the other end, and the cable can't handle that speed, it will drop down to the next level. A network switch will negotiate the fastest link it can manage, in increments of 10Mbit/s, 100Mbit/s, 1Gbit/s, or even 10Gbit/s.Ī switch or NIC card will start off trying for the best speed it is rated for (usually either 100Mbit/s or 1Gbit/s). The reality is, network speed is defined primarily by the electronic transmission equipment (the network switch, etc). A common misunderstanding is, if you put in a higer grade of cable, you will get faster network performance. These are all electrical differences though, and don't neccessarily translate into faster performance. With each upgrade in cable, there is less signal loss, less cross talk, and a larger frequency bandwidth where performance expectations are defined.

Cat5e bandwidth Patch#
Your system will just perform at the level of the lowest link, in this case the Cat5e patch cable.īetter transmission performance. The parts are interchangeable, so you can use a Cat5e patch cable with Cat6 house cabling. And, they are each limited to a cable length of 100 meters including the length of the patch cables on either end of the link. They use the same style RJ-45 jacks and plugs. They each utilize 4 twisted pairs in a common jacket. What do Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a have in common?Īll three cable types are unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables. Access Control/Door Security Systems in PA
