Cat5, 5e, 6, 6e or 7
Posted by: El Guapo on 07 February 2010
I'm going to have some work done on my lounge so I'm thinking of having it wired with ethernet cable. I'm just confused as to which I should go for - 5, 5e, 6, 6e or 7? Probably by the time I get round to it there'll be a 7e and 8. Is there any differences in quality or perhaps more importantly any that are a definite no-no?
Posted on: 07 February 2010 by Jack
Ultimately I guess it depends on what you will be using the network for. I would advise a minimum of cat5e and then see what the price difference is for the higher grade cable. There won't be in difference in audio quality although you may get others differing with that opinion!
Posted on: 08 February 2010 by Cjones
I have three strands of cat5e running through my house, and I wish I had CAT 6. In all fairness, it really has everything to do with what you want to do in the future. Cat 6 passes data faster and at a higher bandwidth. So, you can send more data through less cables. For example, if you wanted to send uncompressed HD video AND uncompressed audio through a cable, you would need at least two cat5e cables vs. one CAT6.
stolen from http://superuser.com/questions...cat6-cable-confusion
Cat 5: Out of the three types of cable we’ll be discussing, Category 5 is the most basic. Cat 5 cable is available in two varieties: Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP), the type widely used in the United States, and Screened Twisted Pair (SCTP), which has shielding to provide a measure of extra protection against interference, but is rarely used outside of Europe. Cables belonging to Category 5 are either solid or stranded: Solid Cat 5 is more rigid, and the better choice if data needs to be transmitted over a long distance, while Stranded Cat 5 is very flexible and most likely to be used as patch cable. Cat 5 cable can support 10 or 100 Mbps Ethernet, and has a capability of up to 100MHz.
Cat 5e: Cat 5e (which stands for Category 5, enhanced) cable goes along the same lines as basic Cat 5, except that it fulfills higher standards of data transmission. While Cat 5 is common in existing cabling systems, Category 5e has almost entirely replaced it in new installations. Cat 5e can handle data transfer at 1000 Mbps, is suitable for Gigabit Ethernet, and experiences much lower levels of near-end crosstalk (NEXT) than Cat 5.
Cat 6: Of the three cable categories we’re discussing, Category 6 is the most advanced and provides the best performance. Just like Cat 5 and Cat 5e, Category 6 cable is typically made up of four twisted pairs of copper wire, but its capabilities far exceed those of other cable types because of one particular structural difference: a longitudinal separator. This separator isolates each of the four pairs of twisted wire from the others, which reduces crosstalk, allows for faster data transfer, and gives Category 6 cable twice the bandwidth of Cat 5! Cat 6 cable is ideal for supporting 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and is able to operate at up to 250 MHz. Since technology and standards are constantly evolving, Cat 6 is the wisest choice of cable when taking any possible future updates to your network into consideration. Not only is Category 6 cable future-safe, it is also backward-compatible with any previously-existing Cat 5 and Cat 5e cabling found in older installations.
stolen from http://superuser.com/questions...cat6-cable-confusion
Cat 5: Out of the three types of cable we’ll be discussing, Category 5 is the most basic. Cat 5 cable is available in two varieties: Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP), the type widely used in the United States, and Screened Twisted Pair (SCTP), which has shielding to provide a measure of extra protection against interference, but is rarely used outside of Europe. Cables belonging to Category 5 are either solid or stranded: Solid Cat 5 is more rigid, and the better choice if data needs to be transmitted over a long distance, while Stranded Cat 5 is very flexible and most likely to be used as patch cable. Cat 5 cable can support 10 or 100 Mbps Ethernet, and has a capability of up to 100MHz.
Cat 5e: Cat 5e (which stands for Category 5, enhanced) cable goes along the same lines as basic Cat 5, except that it fulfills higher standards of data transmission. While Cat 5 is common in existing cabling systems, Category 5e has almost entirely replaced it in new installations. Cat 5e can handle data transfer at 1000 Mbps, is suitable for Gigabit Ethernet, and experiences much lower levels of near-end crosstalk (NEXT) than Cat 5.
Cat 6: Of the three cable categories we’re discussing, Category 6 is the most advanced and provides the best performance. Just like Cat 5 and Cat 5e, Category 6 cable is typically made up of four twisted pairs of copper wire, but its capabilities far exceed those of other cable types because of one particular structural difference: a longitudinal separator. This separator isolates each of the four pairs of twisted wire from the others, which reduces crosstalk, allows for faster data transfer, and gives Category 6 cable twice the bandwidth of Cat 5! Cat 6 cable is ideal for supporting 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and is able to operate at up to 250 MHz. Since technology and standards are constantly evolving, Cat 6 is the wisest choice of cable when taking any possible future updates to your network into consideration. Not only is Category 6 cable future-safe, it is also backward-compatible with any previously-existing Cat 5 and Cat 5e cabling found in older installations.
Posted on: 08 February 2010 by u5227470736789454
I am in the same situation as you and have decided to go for 6a for all the reasons given above. I want to use it for video, audio and data so the bandwidth capabilities makes sense in the medium/ long term and I really do not want to have to upgrade the cables for a good few years.
Posted on: 09 February 2010 by 0rangutan
There will not be *any* sound difference between Cat5 and 6.
Cat6 is a thicker construction with better shielding, allowing it to run to higher bandwidth reliably. This won't improve your audio quality as TCP/IP error correction will resolve any issues and ensure you get identical packets at the end of the line, but will mean you can (eventually) do more over the same line.
Both Cat5e and Cat6 will support Gb ethernet now and are more than adequate for typical needs - you will not own equipment capable of stressing this level of bandwidth in your house. Ie. the network card in your NAS, PC or Mac won't get anywhere near being able to support 1Gbps of traffic, irrespective of it being a Gbps card.
I would however recommend Cat6 in preference to Cat5 as there will be limited difference in price (particularly if you are accustomed to buying Naim cables!) and you will be future proofing for when you may require 10Gb ethernet in the future.
Cat6 causes challenges when deployed in bulk (eg. offices, schools, hospitals) as it requires larger containment than Cat5e which can make it unwieldy and unsightly. For a couple of cables running around a house though, this won't be an issue.
John
Cat6 is a thicker construction with better shielding, allowing it to run to higher bandwidth reliably. This won't improve your audio quality as TCP/IP error correction will resolve any issues and ensure you get identical packets at the end of the line, but will mean you can (eventually) do more over the same line.
Both Cat5e and Cat6 will support Gb ethernet now and are more than adequate for typical needs - you will not own equipment capable of stressing this level of bandwidth in your house. Ie. the network card in your NAS, PC or Mac won't get anywhere near being able to support 1Gbps of traffic, irrespective of it being a Gbps card.
I would however recommend Cat6 in preference to Cat5 as there will be limited difference in price (particularly if you are accustomed to buying Naim cables!) and you will be future proofing for when you may require 10Gb ethernet in the future.
Cat6 causes challenges when deployed in bulk (eg. offices, schools, hospitals) as it requires larger containment than Cat5e which can make it unwieldy and unsightly. For a couple of cables running around a house though, this won't be an issue.
John
Posted on: 12 February 2010 by rich46
constuction of cat6 looks better,if alittle bulkier. difference in cost is smallquote:Originally posted by John Bleasdale:
There will not be *any* sound difference between Cat5 and 6.
Cat6 is a thicker construction with better shielding, allowing it to run to higher bandwidth reliably. This won't improve your audio quality as TCP/IP error correction will resolve any issues and ensure you get identical packets at the end of the line, but will mean you can (eventually) do more over the same line.
Both Cat5e and Cat6 will support Gb ethernet now and are more than adequate for typical needs - you will not own equipment capable of stressing this level of bandwidth in your house. Ie. the network card in your NAS, PC or Mac won't get anywhere near being able to support 1Gbps of traffic, irrespective of it being a Gbps card.
I would however recommend Cat6 in preference to Cat5 as there will be limited difference in price (particularly if you are accustomed to buying Naim cables!) and you will be future proofing for when you may require 10Gb ethernet in the future.
Cat6 causes challenges when deployed in bulk (eg. offices, schools, hospitals) as it requires larger containment than Cat5e which can make it unwieldy and unsightly. For a couple of cables running around a house though, this won't be an issue.
John