CAT5 & CAT6 Connectors

Know More About Triplett Cat5 & Cat6 Connectors

What is the difference between Cat 5 and Cat 6 connectors?

Cat5 and Cat6 connectors are used in a wide range of applications as network cables. They are used for connecting servers with respective ISPs and modems. However, the main difference between these connectors can be traced across parameters such as bandwidth, speeds, lengths, and so on.

Speed and Bandwidth

• Cat5 connectors are further distinguished into two types – Cat5 and Cat 5E. Cat 5 connectors provide a standard performance of 10/100 Mbps at a bandwidth of 100 MHz. Cat5 connectors are used to carry signals in video and telephony applications. Against this, Cat5e can support speeds up to 1000 Mbps. These connectors are perfect for constrained spaces. Cat 5 cable connectors are replaced by Cat5e connectors nowadays. Cat 6 cable connectors can support speeds up to 10 Gbps at a bandwidth of 250 MHz.

Crosstalk

• Cat5e and Cat6 have twisted pair copper cables that use 8 wires per cable. Earlier, Cat6 cables featured a spline made of nylon. This spline helped isolate the four twisted pairs, and made the cables rigid. However, nowadays, these cables are made flexible and assure reduced system noise and crosstalk. Cat6 connectors provide equal level far-end crosstalk (ELFEXT), insertion loss (IL), and return loss (RL). All these features help reduce system noise, and fewer errors than Cat5e, and better transmission rates. Owing to these features, Cat 6 rj45 cable connectors have become a standard for several industrial applications.

Visual Differences

• Cat5e and Cat6 category is usually printed on the cable; however, if you do not find anything printed, perhaps the wiring pattern will give you better clarity. A Cat5 connector features wires in the straight line, while Cat6 features wires in a zig zag pattern. A plastic guide is also offered in Cat6 connector.

Cat5 and Cat6 cables use the same RJ-45 connector, which can be directly connected to the router or a computer Ethernet jack.

What is the difference between an Ethernet cable and a network cable?

Network cable is a broad term for different types of cables used in a network to connect different network components. These cables help transmit data between computers and a network. Ethernet cables are one of the important types of network cables. These cables are mainly used in Ethernet environments such as MAN, LAN, and WAN to connect devices such as routers, switches, and PCs. Ethernet cables are used as a medium of power supply and data transmission.

Ethernet cables are operated through RJ45 connectors and they are classified by standard categories Cat5 and Cat6. The connectors displayed here are regular RJ45 connectors, which are also referred to as LAN cable connectors or Ethernet cable connectors on a broader level.  

What are the different types of network cables?

The following are a few common types of network cables.

• Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cables: These cables feature a jacket with four wire pairs inside it. Each cable pair features different number of twists in every inch and this helps minimize interference between electrical devices as well as adjacent pairs. Among various other factors, the transmission rate of a UTP depends on the twisting of a cable. These cables use RJ45 connectors.
• Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cables: These cables differ from UTP cables in terms of their construction, transmission distance, and interference minimizing capability. STP cables are designed for extremely sensitive environments where they may be exposed to vibrations, noise, and so on. These cables can be availed in three configurations: each wire pair is individually foil shielded; the jacket features a braid shield or foil, which covers all the wires; and each individual pair of wires is shielded and there is a shield around the group of wires.
• Coaxial Cables: These cables feature a single copper conductor at the center. There is a plastic layer that insulates the conductor in the center, and the braided metal shield. This metal shield blocks any outer interference. Bayonne-Neill-Concelman (BNC) connector is the most common type of cable connector used to connect coaxial cables.
• Fiber Optic Cables: These cables comprise a glass core in the center, which is further surrounded by layers of protective materials. Unlike UTP, STP, or coaxial cables, these cables transmit light than electrical signals. This helps avoid electrical interference to a large extent. This feature makes it ideal for a wide range of applications where it may be exposed to electromagnetic interference. There are two types of network cables –single mode and multimode. Single mode cables can transmit signals to long distances and are quite expensive. Multimode cables feature a large diameter and can transmit signals to multiple directions.

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