CAT6 Cable

  • Thread starter Thread starter Clayton
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Clayton

I am looking at replacing my current CAT5 cables with CAT6 is this just a
easy swap over or do I need hardware that supports CAT6?

thanks
 
CAT 5 and CAT 6 will swap, but you won't get any significant
improvement if the CAT 5 is in good condition. CAT 6 just
adds some extra shielding.

If you are in a very (electrically) noisy area CAT 6 might
show some improvement.


| I am looking at replacing my current CAT5 cables with CAT6
is this just a
| easy swap over or do I need hardware that supports CAT6?
|
| thanks
|
|
 
In general Jim's right but if you want ot move to gigabit ethernet in your
home at some point you would want CAT6.

If your cables are all physically damaged jump up now other wise wait until
you have scenarios where you need Gigabit networkign (e.g. home audio/video
streaming)
 
Cat5e marginally supports gigabit, but then so does the standard
32bit pci bus/slot! 64bit is what it takes!
Interesting thougth, since sustained 100base is about 6MB/s, what kind of
computers handle 60MB/s? Not many you buy off the shelf!
Raid stripe 0!
 
Clayton said:
I am looking at replacing my current CAT5 cables with CAT6 is this just a
easy swap over or do I need hardware that supports CAT6?

thanks
Click to expand...
Are you using something that really needs CAT6 cable? If not, you will
not gain anything, and it could be expensive to swap. Just using CAT6
on a regualr 10/100 ethernet network would not help you at all.
 
Now I see CAT7 is out


Daniel L. Belton said:
Are you using something that really needs CAT6 cable? If not, you will
not gain anything, and it could be expensive to swap. Just using CAT6
on a regualr 10/100 ethernet network would not help you at all.
Click to expand...
 
Something newer, better, faster will always be out. But
like a chain, the weakest [slowest] link rules. Other than
wasting money there is usually no harm from going to faster
cable, but you'll have to have all components rated to use
those faster speeds.
If the currently installed CAT3, 4 or 5 cable is damaged or
very old and in need of replacement it makes sense to
replace it with better cable such as CAT6 because CAT5 and
CAT 6 cable are not THAT much different in price and labor
will the same to install/change either. Having CAT (or CAT
7) will allow faster speeds when you update to new NICs.
There may be some RFI improvement due to better shielding
even on a 10/100 LAN. But when you go to 10/100/1000 you
need the faster cable.

If you have a problem with speed and RFI you could consider
fiber, very fast, longer runs and more secure.


| Now I see CAT7 is out
|
|
| | > Clayton wrote:
| >
| > > I am looking at replacing my current CAT5 cables with
CAT6 is this just
| a
| > > easy swap over or do I need hardware that supports
CAT6?
| > >
| > > thanks
| > >
| > >
| > Are you using something that really needs CAT6 cable?
If not, you will
| > not gain anything, and it could be expensive to swap.
Just using CAT6
| > on a regualr 10/100 ethernet network would not help you
at all.
|
|
 
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