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gkedrovs
11-21-2003, 08:43 PM
I'm going to be installing a small LAN (probably connections for under 20 nodes) here in the near future. I'm familiar with Cat5 UTP, but my structured cable guy mentioned that I might want to look into Category 6 cable. Is that overkill? Is it compatible? What's the difference and is it worth the price?

Anybody have any experience here?

Thanks.

Greg
Satanic Atheist
11-21-2003, 09:04 PM
That's a damn good question - I don't know!!!

Don't get any cabling rated less than CAT5E. That was a standard for quite a while and will do you perfectly well. Before I knew it, it was CAT5F and then CAT6!

I'm guessing that it's to do with purity, material and conductance against resistance, but I really am not an electrical engineer.

I'd love to know what the difference is. Is it just pure quality?

James

PS - The rating is on the side of the cable. If some salesguy offers you less, tell him to go away and check his files (i.e. fsck off).
Gertrude
11-21-2003, 09:11 PM
Cat6 cable is backwards compatible cat5 so nothing to worry about there. The only reason to get it is if you plan to go with Gigabit Ethernet at some point and want to keep the same cable. If your not going to upgrade I would just save yourself a few bucks and stay with 5.
SleepO
11-21-2003, 09:19 PM
The only difference between cat5e and cat6 is the gauge of the wire. Cat6 is one size larger.
gkedrovs
11-22-2003, 07:13 AM
Originally posted by Gertrude
Cat6 cable is backwards compatible cat5 so nothing to worry about there. The only reason to get it is if you plan to go with Gigabit Ethernet at some point and want to keep the same cable. If your not going to upgrade I would just save yourself a few bucks and stay with 5.

I have no Gigabit program needs at the time, nor do I foresee them. We are going to run fiberoptic wire from my satellite connection to my router/hub, and then leave all the other connections from there on down ready for fiberoptic "just in case" later. I can then use the existing copper stuff to pull the fiberoptic cable through the walls and replace all metal stuff with optic stuff. That's all "just in case." So, maybe Cat6 would be a waste of money right now.

Thanks for the input.

-Greg