Top Ten Reasons For Using Cat 6 Cable Over Cat 5 Cable
The category 6 cables are almost unanimously considered to be superior to the category 5 cables. The Cat 6 cables came later on, and they improved on much of the features that the Cat 5 cables had to offer, including the speed of transfer and the efficiency of the data that is transmitted. It is interesting to see what has caused many professional technicians today to switch over their loyalties from the Cat 5 to the Cat 6 cables. Here are the top ten reasons for using Cat 6 cable over Cat 5 cable:-
1. Better Speed
The Cat 6 cables are workhorses compared to the Cat 5 cables. While the Cat 5 cables can mostly be effective up to a speed of 100 Mbps, the Cat 6 cables can work very precisely up to transfer rates of 1000 Mbps, i.e. 1 Gbps. That makes the Cat 6 cables ten times more efficient than the Cat 5 cables.
2. Greater Efficiency
The Cat 6 cables are specified to be made of a gauge of 22 to 24 by the standards set by the ANSI/TIA-568-B.2-1 specification. Most of the Cat 6 cables are made with 23 gauge, which allows these cables to conduct better and hence are more efficient than the Cat 5 cables.
3. Better Bandwidth
The Cat 6 cables have a better bandwidth than the Cat 5 cables. Cat 6 cables have a maximum allowed bandwidth of 200 MHz which is double of even the superseding version of Cat 5, i.e. the Cat 5e cables. 4. Less Interference
The Cat 5 cables will not be able to transmit information between the computers on the network if there are interfering objects in the vicinity like electric lights, power lines, heavy magnetic fields, manufacturing equipments, etc. But it has been clearly tested and observed that the transmission through Cat 6 cables is unimpeded by these interferences. 5. Longer Range of Transmission
The Cat 6 cables also win when it comes to the range of transmission. They can carry information to much longer distances than the Cat 5 cables. With Cat 6 cables, an excellent connection of up to 90 meters is not uncommon, whereas Cat 5 cables will maintain their efficiency at no more than a few meters. However, it must be said that Cat 5 cables are cheaper and provide excellent transmission over short distances. 6. Better Concealed Cabling
Cat 5 cables will not give good transmissions if they are run through walls. There will be a lot of interference observed in the data that is transmitted. This problem does not exist with Cat 6 cables. 7. Better for Patch Cabling
Cat 6 cables are superior to the Cat 5 ones when patch cabling is required. This is true for both instances, i.e. when the computer is connected to the wall jack, or when the patch panel is connected to the switch. 8. More Compatible with Modern Solutions
Many manufacturers are making computer equipment that needs high transmission rates. As a result, the Cat 5 cables are slowly becoming redundant. The Cat 5e cables are still very popular, and are considered as an intermediate level between Cat 5 and Cat 6. However, it is a fact that the Cat 6 cables are much more suitable for the higher configuration computer ware that is being released in the market. 9. Better Choice for Users with Foresight
It makes a better choice to get cabling done with the Cat 6 cables rather than the Cat 5 cables, because the Cat 6 cables have better transmission rates and are better designed for future technology. People who choose Cat 5 cables are in fact warned that they might have to change the whole cabling if they upgrade their hardware of their Internet connection. The augmented Category 6 cables have been supposed to work efficiently up to speeds of 10 Gbps, which makes them 100 times more efficient than the Cat 5 cables. 10. Better Value for Money
It is true that the Cat 6 cables are significantly costlier than the Cat 5 cables, but when you make a comparison of the efficiency, that is ten times that of Cat 5, the price sounds quite reasonable. The price is higher, but at the same time, the work output becomes much higher in terms of speed and efficiency. Thus, it can be seen from several angles that the Cat 6 cables are proving to be much better than the Cat 5 cables. These top ten reasons for using Cat 6 cable over Cat 5 cable make that amply clear. The Cat 6 cables are more expensive though, but they are better choices for the future, keeping in mind the pace at which technology is advancing.
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