Cat5 Bulk Cable
Cat 5 cables are the popular choice for Ethernet connections in homes as well as in offices. Particularly in offices, where a large number of connections are needed, between several computers in many instances, a lot of Cat 5 cables might be required. This is where the Cat5 bulk cables become both more effective and economical.
Cat5 bulk cables are different from the Cat5 patch cables. While the patch cables could be no more than a few inches to a few feet in length, the bulk cables can go up to a thousand feet also. However, their purposes are also different. The Cat5 patch cables are generally used for making patch connections, i.e. connecting Ethernet devices at a close range, such as devices to the patch panel of the computers, or connecting stacked patch units, etc. But the bulk cables are used for connections over long distances, especially when several computer units are connected with each other. They are ideal for making multi LAN connections.
The specifications of the Cat5 bulk cables are the same as the Cat5 patch cables. They work in the Ethernet and Fast Ethernet premises, and are designated as 10/100Base-T cables. Being Cat5 cables, they are not suitable for a gigabit environment. Cat5 bulk cables are also UTP cables, i.e. Unshielded Twisted Pair cables. They work at frequency ranges over 100 MHz. The Cat5 bulk cables need to be compliant with the specifications set by the ANSI, EIA and TIA.
They contain eight insulated and color coded copper wires that are twisted around each other in pairs, and are covered by an outer jacket. The twisted pairs themselves are not covered by any sheath, and so they are in the category of unshielded twisted pair cables. They have a plastic core within to place the four twisted pairs symmetrically, and for conduction reasons. Based on the type of core, the Cat5 bulk cables can be classified into stranded Cat 5 cables and solid core Cat 5 cables. The solid core cables are better for bulk cabling, but the stranded cables have the advantage of being more flexible, and hence permit for connections over longer distances. If a company is looking out for future proofing their computer network, then they would do better to go in for a Cat6 bulk cable connection in their LAN network. However, the Cat5 bulk cables are cheaper than the Cat 6 ones, and hence they are more popular. In any case, the Cat6 bulk cables are backward compatible, so the Cat5 bulk cables can be replaced with Cat6 bulk cables whenever the occasion arises.
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