Comparison of Cat6 & Cat6a Pure Copper Ethernet Cables
There are different types of Ethernet cables are manufactured by the manufacturers. It depends on the needs of the users or their budget lines and which cable will best suit them. Some are very expensive but come with great quality and features. Whereas, some are available in lower price ranges but their features are limited to some extent.
Therefore, the selection of an appropriate Ethernet cable for your network is a complex task. You need to do it with great caution and care. One wrong step will ruin your whole investment in network designing. Cat6 plenum pure copper cable is highly recommended by network engineers due to its great efficiency and effectiveness.
These cables come with multiple uses as they can be used both at plenum places of the buildings and in the outdoors as well. They are not like Cat6 riser cables that can be used only in the outdoors. This is why most network engineers prefer to use cat6 plenum cables during their network designing. The only issue with them is that they are very expensive as compared to Ethernet riser cables. Pure Copper Cat6 Ethernet Cable almost costs you double in comparison to other Ethernet cat cables.
Types of Category-6 Pure Copper Ethernet Cables: –
There are two types of Pure Copper Category 6 Ethernet Cables available in the market.
- Cat6 Pure Copper Cable
- Cat6a Pure Copper Cable
The difference between these two cables is defined below.
Cat6 Pure Copper Cable: –
It is one of the most utilized Ethernet cables in the networking industry due to its features and qualities. It is available in both plenum and riser jackets. Network engineers can select from them according to their network needs and requirements. They are fire-retardant and emit no toxic smoke.
Cat6 bare copper cable is much more superior in performance if we compare it with the performance of Cat5e bare copper networking cable. It is more efficient in data transfer rates which are the main concern in designing an efficient network. Their data transfer rates are 10 times higher in comparison to Cat5e cables. This makes them the first choice of most network engineers.
Cat6 pure copper Ethernet cable transfers a minimum of 1 GBPS data up to a distance of 328 feet or you can say 100 meters. It is the minimum capacity of data transfer of this cable. It can be enhanced up to 10GBPS up to a distance of 165 feet or 50 meters. Whereas, Cat5e is not able to transmit that much amount of data.
Another major difference between cat6 and cat5e is the gauge. Cat6 is manufactured in 23AWG whereas cat5e is manufactured in 24AWG. AWG (American Wire Gauge) measures the thickness of the cables. 23AWG cable is thicker than 24AWG. It is the same as using a water pipe. A thicker pipe supplies more water than a thinner one. The same is the case with Ethernet cables. A thicker cable with 23AWG transmits more data in comparison to a thinner cable of 24AWG.
Cat6a Pure Copper Cable: –
It is the upgraded version of the Cat6 cable. It is used by network engineers to give their users a lightning-fast data transfer speed. They are available to them in both plenum and riser jackets. The cat6a plenum Ethernet cables can be used both at plenum places of the buildings and in open spaces as well. Whereas, Cat6a riser cables are designed to be installed in open places only.
The main feature of Cat6a cables is that they are very fast for data transmission at long distances. They can transmit data at the speed of 10GBPS up to a distance of 100meters or 328 feet. They are manufactured with a bandwidth capacity of 750 MHz as compared to 550 MHz of cat6 cable. It is much better bandwidth capacity in comparison to cat6 and cat5 bare copper Ethernet cables.
Network engineers can select this cable according to their use. If they are going to install it in the plenum spaces of the room then its plenum version should be used. In other cases, they can use either plenum or riser jacket Cat6a cable. It is preferred to use riser jacket cat6a cable at outdoor places because it is less expensive in comparison to plenum cables. This will reduce the network design cost to a significant extent.
These cables are highly efficient against crosstalk and EMI. Therefore, designers prefer to use this cable when they are planning to design large networks and its main concern is crosstalk and EMI. They come with 4 pair of twisted pairs of wires that supports reducing the interference in the networks.
Features of Cat6 Plenum Pure Copper Cables: –
Less Attenuation: –
These bare copper cat6 cables keep the network signals constant with no attenuation. Attenuation is the term used in networking for loss of signal strength.
Cat6 plenum cables with bare copper conductors keep the networks running without dropping their signals. This makes the network very efficient and helpful for its user. They can perform their task without getting interrupted by low network speed or low signal issues.
These bare copper networking cables are good enough to deliver the signals to longer distances in the networks without dropping signals. They deliver more data packets proficiently from one device to another which enhances the productivity of the networks.
Low DC Resistance: –
Low DC resistance is one of the great features of pure copper cables. Cat6 Plenum Pure Copper comes with the same great feature. The bare copper conductors used in the manufacturing of cat6 cables are low resistant. This helps the cable in transmitting more data to the other ends of the network.
In other words, we can say that bare copper Cat6 cables transfer more energy into the signals rather than wasting it. Their great feature of putting more energy into the signals does not let them drop. This enhances the performance of the network a great deal.
Resistance against Crosstalk and EMI: –
One of the most important features of Cat6 bare copper Ethernet cables is that they are highly resistive against crosstalk and EMI. Therefore, they do not let the signals mess up and users enjoy optimum connectivity.
In large networks where the number of users is high, network engineers prefer to use these cat6 pure copper networking cables because it allows them better signal strength with no interruption. They also give them better results against crosstalk and EMI which is a far bigger concern in bigger networks as compared to small networks.
Cat6 Plenum Pure Copper Cables for Better Connectivity: –
The conductor used in the Ethernet cables defines their performance and quality. A cable with a pure copper conductor is much better than those having copper-clad aluminum conductors. Therefore, pure copper cables are highly preferable to be used in the networks for better connectivity.
An Ethernet cable containing a pure copper conductor is also known as bare copper cable or solid copper cable. Manufacturers of Ethernet cables are producing these bare copper networking cables in several different types. These types are classified as different categories of Ethernet cables like cat5, cat6, and further on.
Cat6 plenum cables with pure copper conductors are very popular among network designers to generate better results and enhanced efficiency. These cables support all types of networking designs proficiently and competently.
Features of Cat6a Plenum Pure Copper Cables: –
High Data Transfer Speed: –
The Cat6a plenum pure copper cable has a high data transfer speed in comparison to the Cat6 plenum pure copper cable. If we do a speed test comparison of Cat6 VS Cat6a. We come to know both the cables have the same speed of 10Gbps up to the distance of 50 meters or 165 feet.
Further on, when the distance is increased to 100meters or 328 feet the data transfer speed of the Cat6 plenum cable starts decreasing to 1Gbps whereas, the data transfer speed of the Cat6a plenum cable remains the same as 10Gbps.
Therefore, we can say that Cat6a Plenum is the best option to install where the distances between the network switches and workstations are above 50 meters. It mostly happens in big commercial networks like hospitals and schools. Hence, the Cat6a plenum cable is the best option to install in these networks to get the best speed.
Shielded Conductor Wires: –
The Ethernet cables come with 4 pairs of twisted conductor wires. The speed of the cable is highly dependent on the quality of these cables. Therefore, manufacturers try to use pure copper wires for this purpose. Pure copper is known as the best signal carrier conductor material. To further enhance the performance of the conductor wires manufacturers cover them in foil shielding.
This extra foil shielding improves the performance of the conductor wires against the interference factors to a great extent. Hence, it is a good option to install in the networks that are located in high interference areas.
Cat6a plenum pure copper cable normally comes with this extra protective shielding. This is why they are called Cat6a STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) cables. Cat6 cable does come with this shielding as well but you will also find some variants of this cable in the market without this shielding.
Cat6a Plenum Best for Commercial Usage: –
The price comparison between Cat6 VS Cat6a tells us that the Cat6a Plenum cable is expensive. Therefore, if you are installing a network cable in a small home network then you do need to invest a lot in it. You can achieve good results by installing less expensive Cat6 Plenum cable as well.
Generally, in small home networks or small commercial networks, the distances between the workstations from the switches or routers is not too big. It is mostly within the range of 50 meters. So, within this distance, both Cat6 and Cat6a plenum cables deliver the same speed and results.
On the other hand, if you are planning to structure a big commercial network for a school or a hospital then you can go with Cat6a plenum 1000ft cable. As the distances in those networks between the workstations and the switches increases from 50 meters.
Above 50 meters the speed of Cat6 cable reduces to 1Gbps whereas the speed of Cat6a plenum cable remains 10Gbps. Therefore, to get good results and better performance from the network, it is recommended to use Cat6a Plenum 1000ft cable in large commercial networks.
Pros and Cons of Using Cat6 Bare Copper Cables VS Cat6a Cables: –
Every product has some pros and cons. Similarly, the usage of Cat6 Plenum Pure Copper cable in networks has some pros and cons.
Pros: –
- The main advantage of using Cat6 bare copper cable is that it provides lightning-fast speed to the networks.
- It is available in both riser and plenum jackets, therefore network engineers can select one according to their network design needs and requirements.
- The bandwidth of the Cat6 plenum and Cat6 Riser cable is much better than the Cat5 Ethernet cable which enhances the efficiency of the networks.
- They are very good against crosstalk and EMI reduction.
- Cat6 Cables are cost-effective in comparison to cat6a cables. Therefore, if you are designing a home network or small office network then it is better to use Cat6 cable to reduce the installation cost.
Cons: –
- If you are low on budgets then cat6a cable is not for you. It is quite expensive in comparison to cat6 and cat5e Ethernet cables.
- Cat6a is quite a sensitive wire and can be damaged easily. Therefore, its installation can be a risk at times.
- Initially, the size and weight of the cat6a cable was its biggest drawback. With time, advancements in technology allow its manufacturers to reduce them by 20%.
- Cat6a Ethernet cable is not very flexible by nature and can be difficult to install at the bends.
Why Choosing iTechCables: –
Every buyer wants to buy quality products at the best cheapest prices. Here at iTechCables, you will get your desired products at your desired prices. We are the manufacturers of top-quality Ethernet cables. We are producing different categories of Ethernet cables like cat5, cat6, and others.
Our Cat6 pure copper cable is highly in demand from the network designers due to its quality and low price. We are offering special prices to its bulk buyers as well. Our free shipping services work as icing on the cake for the buyers. This saves them huge amounts that they can invest in other features of their network design.
Our customers buy from us with confidence as they know they will get great after-sale services from us. We will never leave our customers helpless at any stage of their order. Our trained and professional staff guides you with their best knowledge at every stage. This makes it easier for you to make the right decisions at the right time
Related Tags: Cat6 Plenum Bare Copper, Cat6 Solid Copper, Cat6 Bare Copper, Pure Copper Cat6 Ethernet Cable