Gigahertz Network - Cat 5e or Cat 6 better?

[Guest Bob Day]

Using latest Windows XP Pro SP3 with all latest updates...

 

If there is a better forum for this question, please advise.

 

For my home network, I have 3 computers peer to peer networked via Gigahertz

speed and everthing works fine at that speed. All current cable is Cat 5e

most running short distances, but some running long distances (i.e. 100 feet).

 

I went to buy a new ethernet cable, and the boxes of the Cat 5e cables said

for a 10/100 network, where as the boxes of the Cat 6 cable said 10/100/1000.

I found this confusing and contrary to my understanding...therein lies the

question.

 

What is the difference between the two (cat 5e and cat6)? Can you use Cat

5e for a gigahertz network (I am doing that currently) or would you get

better performance with a Cat 6 cable?

 

Thanks!

Bob

[Guest JS]

Re: Gigahertz Network - Cat 5e or Cat 6 better?

 

See: http://www.lanshack.com/cat5e-tutorial.aspx

 

JS

 

"Bob Day" <BobDay@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:FCD0B91C-59FF-4447-8199-923390F61153@microsoft.com...

> Using latest Windows XP Pro SP3 with all latest updates...

>

> If there is a better forum for this question, please advise.

>

> For my home network, I have 3 computers peer to peer networked via

> Gigahertz

> speed and everthing works fine at that speed. All current cable is Cat 5e

> most running short distances, but some running long distances (i.e. 100

> feet).

>

> I went to buy a new ethernet cable, and the boxes of the Cat 5e cables

> said

> for a 10/100 network, where as the boxes of the Cat 6 cable said

> 10/100/1000.

> I found this confusing and contrary to my understanding...therein lies the

> question.

>

> What is the difference between the two (cat 5e and cat6)? Can you use Cat

> 5e for a gigahertz network (I am doing that currently) or would you get

> better performance with a Cat 6 cable?

>

> Thanks!

> Bob

>

>

[Guest smlunatick]

Re: Gigahertz Network - Cat 5e or Cat 6 better?

 

Re: Gigahertz Network - Cat 5e or Cat 6 better?

 

On Jul 31, 4:20 pm, Bob Day <Bob...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Using latest Windows XP Pro SP3 with all latest updates...

>

> If there is a better forum for this question, please advise.

>

> For my home network, I have 3 computers peer to peer networked via Gigahertz

> speed and everthing works fine at that speed.  All current cable is Cat 5e

> most running short distances, but some running long distances (i.e. 100 feet).

>

> I went to buy a new ethernet cable, and the boxes of the Cat 5e cables said

> for a 10/100 network, where as the boxes of the Cat 6 cable said 10/100/1000.

>  I found this confusing and contrary to my understanding...therein lies the

> question.

>

> What is the difference between the two (cat 5e and cat6)?  Can you use Cat

> 5e for a gigahertz network (I am doing that currently) or would you get

> better performance with a Cat 6 cable?  

>

> Thanks!

> Bob

 

CAT6 cable have better "tolerance" for the network signals. Unless

the wires are in the walls, I would probably only use CAT 6 wires for

a more stable GIGABIT network (1000.)

[Guest John McGaw]

Re: Gigahertz Network - Cat 5e or Cat 6 better?

 

Bob Day wrote:

> Using latest Windows XP Pro SP3 with all latest updates...

>

> If there is a better forum for this question, please advise.

>

> For my home network, I have 3 computers peer to peer networked via Gigahertz

> speed and everthing works fine at that speed. All current cable is Cat 5e

> most running short distances, but some running long distances (i.e. 100 feet).

>

> I went to buy a new ethernet cable, and the boxes of the Cat 5e cables said

> for a 10/100 network, where as the boxes of the Cat 6 cable said 10/100/1000.

> I found this confusing and contrary to my understanding...therein lies the

> question.

>

> What is the difference between the two (cat 5e and cat6)? Can you use Cat

> 5e for a gigahertz network (I am doing that currently) or would you get

> better performance with a Cat 6 cable?

>

> Thanks!

> Bob

>

>

For "future proofing" it is always wisest to install the best current

technology and for a new installation I would not hesitate to use CAT6

cable. I'm left with legacy CAT5 cable in my home and find that the gigabit

legs never get above 250mbit throughput. I'm not about to re-wire the house

with everything already buried in the walls and will simply have to live

with it but if I were doing it new I'd definitely bite the bullet on price

and use CAT6.

 

CAT6 cable has tighter tolerances than previous versions allowing it to

manage higher data rates due to reduced signal reflections and losses -- at

least as long as it is installed and terminated properly. I've not used any

myself but reading the documents it doesn't look as though terminations are

any more tricky than earlier versions. It appears that the biggest

challenge is keeping the strip short and maintaining the twist up to the

connection point.

 

John McGaw

http://johnmcgaw.com

[Guest Twayne]

Re: Gigahertz Network - Cat 5e or Cat 6 better?

 

1. Research it using search engines.

2. You don't mention what it's going to be used for. Simple 10/100

NICs? You might not even need to do anything; use what's there for now.

Yes, if you have 10/100/1000 NICs 6 is better and quite a bit more

expensive. Don't you expect wireless to come of age and negate the wire

questions anyway?

3. Wireless is best IMO; no cables at all except at setup time to get

some things organized well.

> Using latest Windows XP Pro SP3 with all latest updates...

>

> If there is a better forum for this question, please advise.

>

> For my home network, I have 3 computers peer to peer networked via

> Gigahertz speed and everthing works fine at that speed. All current

> cable is Cat 5e most running short distances, but some running long

> distances (i.e. 100 feet).

>

> I went to buy a new ethernet cable, and the boxes of the Cat 5e

> cables said for a 10/100 network, where as the boxes of the Cat 6

> cable said 10/100/1000. I found this confusing and contrary to my

> understanding...therein lies the question.

 

Well, 1,000 mbps is faster than 100 mbps; right? It depends in the NIC

(Network Interface card).

These questions are basic enough I'd recommend you do more research.

You need it in order to understand it fully, but you have enough right

there to make a decision; are you putting the cable in for YOU or for

posterity? Personally, I'd opt to go wireless in your situation; it

wouldn't cost as much different than a roll of 6 wire, in fact.

>

> What is the difference between the two (cat 5e and cat6)? Can you

> use Cat 5e for a gigahertz network (I am doing that currently) or

> would you get better performance with a Cat 6 cable?

 

If you really mean GHz, then cat6. 1,000 MHz = 1 GHz, right? Or is

gigahertz simply a name somewhere in the system? Questions only you can

answer.

>

> Thanks!

> Bob

[Guest Timothy Daniels]

Re: Gigahertz Network - Cat 5e or Cat 6 better?

 

"Twayne" wrote:

> [..........]

> Well, 1,000 mbps is faster than 100 mbps; right? It depends in the NIC

> (Network Interface card).

> These questions are basic enough I'd recommend you do more research. You

> need it in order to understand it fully, but you have enough right there to

> make a decision; are you putting the cable in for YOU or for posterity?

> Personally, I'd opt to go wireless in your situation; it wouldn't cost as much

> different than a roll of 6 wire, in fact.

 

 

A couple reasons to go with cable is if one is worried about security,

and if one has neighboring wireless networks which would cause slow-

downs due to packet collisions. If one observes good cabling techniques,

5e would probably be good enough for 1GHz over distances up to 100',

but few people know good cabling techniques. At one time, Siemon

offerred a hard copy handbook on good cable installation techniques,

but I haven't been able to find it on their extensive website. There some

pointers, though, and there is a lot of information comparing cat 5e and

cat 6 specifications.

Start here: http://www.siemon.com/us/learning.asp

Links galore: http://www.siemon.com/us/standards/

Cat 5e characteristics: http://www.siemon.com/us/standards/5elimits.asp

Cat 6 characteristics: http://www.siemon.com/us/standards/6limits.asp

Cable specs in general:

http://www.siemon.com/us/white_papers/07-03-01-demystifying.asp

Cabling practices:

http://www.siemon.com/us/white_papers/07-03-01-demystifying.asp,

http://www.siemon.com/us/standards/13-26_twisted-pair_cabling_installation_practices.asp

Basically, don't kink it, stretch it, or put dimples in it - be gentle with it,

and it won't change impedance at a point (which induces signal reflections).

 

*TimDaniels*

[Guest Leythos]

Re: Gigahertz Network - Cat 5e or Cat 6 better?

 

In article <FCD0B91C-59FF-4447-8199-923390F61153@microsoft.com>,

BobDay@discussions.microsoft.com says...

> What is the difference between the two (cat 5e and cat6)? Can you use Cat

> 5e for a gigahertz network (I am doing that currently) or would you get

> better performance with a Cat 6 cable?

>

 

Gig runs over the older CAT5 as well as 5e and 6 and 7, but the higher

the cable rating the better chance you will have of less noise

(performance problems).

 

1000BASE-T (also known as IEEE 802.3ab) is a standard for gigabit

Ethernet over copper wiring. It requires, at a minimum, Category 5 cable

(the same as 100BASE-TX), but Category 5e ("Category 5 enhanced") and

Category 6 cable may also be used and are often recommended. 1000BASE-T

requires all four pairs to be present and is far less tolerant of poorly

installed wiring than 100BASE-TX.

 

 

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