Cat 5 Or 6

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

What are the pro's & cons for wiring data points in Cat 6 rather than Cat 5 ?

 

[steptoe]

speed ,

i think cat6 is 10x faster than 5e

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Ta, Does that not depend on your equipment ?

 

[steptoe]

yes, I would imagine so,

your network will only ever be as fast as the slowest component,

personally, I only get 3 or 4 whatever it is, and I can stream video etc no problems,

maybe it works better if you have a few computers all doing stuff at once,

downloading, streaming, playing games etc.

saying that,

Ive only ever used cat6 a handful of times in the past few years, most of the comm/ind/schools etc, places, we put optical in.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

A customer has just sent me an email. A job I am doing on Wednesday for 6 data points in his house. I quoted Cat 5E & he is now asking for Cat 6 fully screened.

It looks like its still standard RJ45 outlets though  ?

 

[steptoe]

then again, thats not practical for domestic, you need specialist tools to terminate fibre optic, and they cost a LOT,

I hired anything I needed.

A customer has just sent me an email. A job I am doing on Wednesday for 6 data points in his house. I quoted Cat 5E & he is now asking for Cat 6 fully screened.

It looks like its still standard RJ45 outlets though  ?

yes, same outlets, you can get screened outlets if you really want,

does he NEED cat6, or is it just because he thinks it will be better?

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

He probably heard it ?  I know he is fed up with poor wifi & wants to network some stuff so  I am not going  to turn down his request. Cat 6 cable costs double, but then its cheaper and easier than the Cat 8 we installed on the last couple of big jobs

 

[steptoe]

what the customer wants, the customer gets, 

more expensive = more mark-up,

NEVER used cat8, or even seen it, so cant comment,  :|

 

[Sidewinder]

Never heard of Cat8 until now.

However, it's just individually twisted shielded pairs with an overall screen.

Been using stuff like this on automation for 20 yrs!

Basic stuff really.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Cat 8 can handle even faster speeds than Cat 6 & also HD video. We use it  in combination with full KNX systems on all of one developers jobs. Any more  goes over my head

 

[Steve3948]

Cat6 FTP is recommended for pushing HDMI.

Always used to 2 X, but now you can push it through 1 X.

If using Cat5 then I think HDMI will need 2 X, especially if you want magic eye.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Anyone ever used the shielded RJ45 sockets, i havent.

It seems sheilded Cat6A cost 5 times more than 5E  :huh:

 

[wozz]

Been quite a few years since I last installed it but when we was the bending radius was huge! Dunno if that would have changed. 

 

[kerching]

Be careful with creating an earth loop with the shield

i always use shilded everything( when specd ) BUT leave the shield on the cable unconnected at the wall port.

screening is continuous from patch to port.......disc at port ....BUT port has shielding connected by virtue of the shielded patch lead from the equipment.

so in effect everything IS shielded BUT the earth loop is broken at the wall port....if you see what i mean

just....too early in the day to be putting stuff into words

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

Got an email this morning reverting back to cat 5e, I wonder if the email I sent telling him the costs would be 3 fold and would not be able to do as a neat job due to the size and bending of the cable had anything to do with it ?

 

[steptoe]

Seems he didnt need it after all then :slap

I often get the feeling some people over spec just to have bragging rights down the golf club.

 

[kerching]

went to look at a Cat 6 job a few months ago.

told bloke it could not be done using his present trunking,  needed all new as not enough space and TOO tight for bend radius

gave him a quote

someon else got the job

went back when job had been finished....'see,they managed to get the cable in the trunking, mind you they had to strip some of the plastic off it to make it fit. I dont think you were really trying' he said.

i asked to see the test results

he produced a continuity test on back of a fag packet and a piece of paper that said ' all tested and working'

i proceded to put on my outdoor clothing

Tucking Fwat

 

[BlueFlashAsh]

basically same stuff cat 6a better for interferance and quicker but cat5 so fast only really interferance could make a difference to 90% of installs and thats a push. main thing is he probably seen that cat6a is so much better and though i want that! plus its not that much more expensive and is future proff so if you fit it today it will still be ok in 10yrs unlike 90% of tech

 

[steptoe]

Ash,

have you seen the price of 6a ? 

compared with 5e its a massive difference.!

 

[BlueFlashAsh]

fair enough just worked it yea about 9times the cost lol i was working off the fact i got cat6a for same price as 5e in the house its about 70p a meter cat 5 is less than 5p lol