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.

Molded, Booted, Molded Booted, Snagless & no Boot 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:

Patch Cable without a boot or molding	Patch Cable with a snagless boot attached
Patch Cable with a boot attached, but no cover over the tab	Molded Patch Cable with no cover over the tab
Standard Molded Patch Cable with a cover over the tab	One style of a Molded Snagless Patch Cable
Another style of a Molded Snagless Patch Cable

Infinite Cables typically sells the standard molded patch cable as seen above. We also have access to all of the other patch cable styles shown above. Please feel free to contact us with your specific requirements.