Difference Between 5 & 6 Ethernet Cable
Consumers and IT professionals can choose between several types of Ethernet cables to create home or business networks. Category 5 and Category 6 are two of the popular cable types.
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Identification
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Category 5 and category 6 Ethernet cables have a similar appearance and may be the same color. However, the insulation (exterior) of the cables usually includes printed text that states the category of the cable. A category 5 cable may read "Category 5," Cat 5," "Cat-5" or a similar variation.
Performance
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Category 6 Ethernet cables are certified to support a transfer speed of at least 1000 Mbps, while category 5 cables can transmit data of speeds between 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps. This difference in performance is due to superior bandwidth (200 MHz versus 100 MHz) that reduces cable noise and data bleeding between cables.
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Misconceptions
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Some people use the term Gigabit network to refer to networks that can achieve speeds of 1000 Mbps or more. However, a network will be as slow as its slowest component, and the usage of category 6 Ethernet cables alone does not ensure a Gigabit network.
Potential
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As of October 2010, both category 5 and 6 Ethernet cables are readily available. Typically, category 6 cables have a higher price range than comparable category 5 cables. However, it is expected that category 6 cables will eventually supersede category 5 cables.
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References
- Photo Credit ethernet cable 2 image by BlueMiniu from Fotolia.com
