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Molded Style Boot, No Boot, Regular Boot and Snagless Patch Cables
There are many different types of strain relief and
anti-snag options for patch cables. Below is a quick
description of each type:
Infinite Cables offers molded, pre-made patch cables in a variety of lengths and colours. We also custom manufacture any of the above styles. Please visit our links above.
Cat 3 or Category 3 Patch Cables
Cat 3 cables were the standard patch cable in the early
90's. Data could be transmitted at speeds up to 10Mbps.
Today only 2 pair and 3 pair Cat 3 cabling is still
used in the telecommunication industry but seldom used
in the computer industry.
Cat 5 & Cat 5e (Category 5, Category 5 Enhanced)
Patch Cables
The need for more bandwidth and faster networks forced
a new standard in Category cabling in the late 90's.
The Category 5 standard was ratified and the new cable
standard became 100MHz at 100Mbps. Cat 5 was short lived
once Category 5 Enhanced (or Cat 5e) came along. Cat
5e patch cables are tested up to 350MHz at 1 Gbps.
Cat 6 or Category 6 Patch Cables
The official standard for Cat 6 cabling is 200MHz (twice
the bandwidth of Cat 5) but most manufacturers test
their Cat 6 patch cables up
to 550MHz at 1 Gbps. Cat 6 cabling was created to facilitate
the future bandwidth requirements needed for streaming
multimedia applications.
Cat 6 follows very strict rules in both the manufacturing
process and in channel requirements. Wiring must maintain
a tight pair twist as close to the connector/jack as
possible. Category 6 channel requirements specify that
every component in a Cat 6 network must meet minimum
standards to ensure optimal performance. One method
of differentiating a Cat 6 patch cable from Cat 5e patch
cable is by simply looking the connector ends. See below:
Cat 6 Cat
5e
Some Cat 6 cables are constructed with
a plastic spline separating the pairs for better performance.
Other manufacturers have found different ways to achieve
Cat 6 requirements, such as using tighter pair twists.
Either way, the construction of the cable does not matter
as long as Cat 6 standards are met.
568A vs 568B Colour code
There are two standards for ethernet wiring, 568A
& 568B. The only difference between the two are
the colour assignments of certain pairs. Please see
illustration below.
New cable installations are supposed to follow the
568A colour code. Cables manufactured specifically for
the Canadian market typically follow the 568A standard.
Cables found in the United States typically follow the
568B colour code, largely because AT&T uses 568B
as a standard. Both 568A and 568B are functionally identical
and can be used simultaneously in the same network.
Infinite Cables sells both 568A and 568B patch cables,
but typically sells 568B cables unless otherwise specified.
Cat5/6 Cable distance limitations
Horizontal Category cable runs should not exceed a distance of 90m (295ft) plus an additional 10m (33ft) for equipment jumpers. Keep in mind that not all networks (especially small ones) are connected in this exact manner. See diagram below.
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