The Best Features Of Cat6 Cable That Enhances Its Utility
Which is the most important ingredient of an efficient network? It is the Ethernet cables used in its design. These Ethernet cables are highly responsible for the efficiency of a network. The speed, safety, and cost of a network depend on them. Therefore, their selection should be done with great care and caution. Cat6 cable is one of the best options available in the market in this regard.
It is the upgraded variant of Cat5e Plenum Cable with enhanced data transfer speed and bandwidth. It becomes the choice of many network engineers due to its various qualities and features. Features like their availability in different jackets, easy access, available in many color codes, and many others. Some of its important features are mentioned below for your better understanding of its working and purchasing.
Cat6 with Improved Data Transfer Speed and Enhanced Bandwidth
A fast data transfer speed is the main concern of almost every network. The older versions of Ethernet cables were not as efficient as the cat6 plenum-rated cable. If we do a comparison between an older variant of Ethernet cable Cat5e and Cat6, we find some major differences between them as per their speed and bandwidth limits.
Cat5e cable was able to transfer data at a speed of 1Gbps up to 100 meters at a bandwidth of 100MHz whereas, the cat6 plenum is capable of transferring data at a speed of 10Gpbs up to 50 meters at a bandwidth of 550MHz. Therefore, its data transfer speed is lightning fast as compared to cat5e. It can transfer data at a much faster speed that satisfies the network user’s needs in a better way.
The standard bandwidth capacity for Cat6 CMP cable is defined in TIA/EIA standards as 350MHz but the same cables you purchase from iTechCables come with an augmented bandwidth capacity of 550MHz. This gives you the extra value of your investment.
Availability in Various Jacket Ratings
It is available in the market in 3 different jacket ratings. This provides an extra choice to the network administrators to choose the right cable for their networks.
- Plenum
- Riser
- PVC
Plenum Jacket Rating Cable
It is one of the most effective variants of Cat6 1000ft cable. It is also called CMP rated cable. The main purpose of manufacturing this cable is to install it in the Plenum spaces of the building. The spaces that are left in the building for ventilation and air purpose. These cables get installed in them.
The main feature of the plenum jacket is that it is highly safe and fire-retardant. It resists the fire when burning and does not produce any toxic smoke or substance during the burning procedure. Another, an important feature of plenum-rated cable is its high efficiency against crosstalk and EMI.
Cat6 Plenum is expensive as compared to other outer jacked cables. It can be used in place of them as well but is not recommended due to its high cost. Therefore, it is best to be installed at the plenum spaces only but if someone wants to install them outdoors or riser spaces of the building, they can do it.
Riser Jacket Rating Cable
It is called a CMR-rated cable. The cat6 1000ft riser cable is one of the most utilized variants by the network administrators. It is particularly manufactured to be installed at the riser spaces of the buildings. It also comes with features of excellent crosstalk and EMI resistance.
They are very effective against fires. They resist the burning process and during the process, they do not emit any toxic smoke or substance that can be dangerous for human health. Therefore, it is highly recommended for Ethernet cable for the network administrators. They can also be used in place of PVC Ethernet cables for better results.
PVC Jacket Rating Cable
They are the cheapest variant of this category of cables. The PVC jacket rating cables are manufactured purely to be installed outdoors. It is because of their features like sunlight resistant, waterproof, and UV resistant. They also come with excellent crosstalk and EMI features. The only drawback with these cables is that they can be installed only outdoors.
Pure Copper VS CCA Conductors
The conductors used in the Ethernet cables play an important role in their performance. Usually, Ethernet cables are manufactured with the help of two types of conductors.
- Pure Copper
- Copper-Clad Aluminum (CCA)
The wires with pure copper conductors are more competent in comparison to the cables manufactured with CCA conductors. Therefore, network designers mostly opt to use pure copper Ethernet cables in their network to generate good performance.
Ethernet cables with pure copper conductors provide high-performance against attenuation. They transmit signals constantly without dropping them and the end-users will get the best data transfer speed. Pure copper has another great feature of having less DC resistance. They hold most of the energy without losing it into heat. This feature also enhances the network speed and consequently its performance to a great level.
In contrast to pure copper, the CCA conductors do not possess all these features. Therefore, cat6 1000ft pure copper cables are recommended over CCA conductor cables. They are high-performance cables that are a must need of modern-day networks.
Ethernet Cables with Safety Certifications
Normally Ethernet cables possess two sorts of safety certifications.
- UL
- ETL
Both of these set of standards defines the safety measurements. In the US, UL certification is recognized as more authenticated and reliable in comparison to ETL. Therefore, most of the manufacturers of Ethernet cables working in the US must follow UL certification standards. This keeps their local customers happy and satisfied by all means.
Shielded (STP) VS Unshielded (UTP) Cable
In some Ethernet cables, the internal twisted pairs of wires come with extra shielding. This makes them more reliable and efficient against crosstalk and EMI. In some cables, this extra shielding is done on a single twisted pair separately while in some all four pairs are shielded altogether. These shielded cables are known as STP (Shielded Twisted Pair). It is done through a foiling sheet.
Whereas, some Cat6 Unshielded Plenum Cable 1000 Ft come with no extra shielding and the pair of cables remain uncovered in them. They are called UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair). These cables are less expensive as compared to shielded ones. It depends on the use of network engineers and which one fulfills their needs appropriately.
Cat6 Cable Suppliers
You will find several different Cat 6 Cable Suppliers in the market. Similarly, there are hundreds of listings available on Amazon and eBay. It is difficult to find a trustworthy and reliable supplier out of them. Therefore, customers should take their decision with great care and caution. They should do market research before taking this decision and must check the customer reviews who bought these cables from a specific supplier.
Amazon and eBay are the best platforms where you can check the ratings of a supplier according to the experiences of their previous customers. Once you check their status on these platforms then you can search for their websites or physical offices for a visit.
You can also seek a piece of advice from an IT expert if you are buying these cables for your home network and do not have many ideas about them. They will provide you with the exact information about the cables that you need. This will help you to buy the right cable from the right supplier.
iTechCables is the name of trust and reliability. We provide our customers with superior quality Ethernet cables at market competitive prices. Our Cat6 cable with supreme quality and low price make it a perfect choice for your networks. We provide our customers excellent after-sale services as well to keep them loyal to our brand. Our free shipping and same-day delivery services work as icing on the cake for the customers.