CAT5 vs CAT6? What is the difference?
The difference between Cat 5 and Cat 6 is in the bandwidth ratings. Cat 5e has a higher bandwidth than Cat 5. Cat 6 has a higher rating than Cat 5e. Higher bandwidth means you can transfer greater amounts of data at higher rates. Cat 6 achieves higher bandwidth by reducing cross talk between the twisted pairs with the aid of a plastic spleen running through the length of the cable. They all use RJ45 connectors and are usually interchangeable depending on the bandwidth requirements of your devices.
Can Cat6 and Cat6a cables be mixed used together?
Yes, Cat6 and Cat6a can be used together in the same setup, but the bandwidth that cat6a can support can be bottlenecked by using a cable that supports lower bandwidth which will effect your speeds.
Can you use CAT6 connectors on a CAT5 cable or vice versa?
Crossover cables cross the TX (transmission) and RX (Receiving) line on the cables so that two devices can communicate directly with each other without a switch or router in between to make the connection. These cables are commonly used in direct point to point connections between two computers and between two compatible video game consoles
What is a Crossover Cable?
Crossover cables cross the TX (transmission) and RX (Receiving) line on the cables so that two devices can communicate directly with each other without a switch or router in between to make the connection. These cables are commonly used in direct point to point connections between two computers and between two compatible video game consoles.
What is Cat6a?
Cat6 and Cat6a were designed for Gigabit Ethernet and other standard network protocols, so they can both handle 10BASET, 100BASETX, 1000BASETX, and 10GBASET. The differences don't become clear until you start looking at speed and distance.Cat6 cable is rated for 250 MHz, so it has a reduced maximum length (3755
meters) when used for 10GBASET applications. On the other hand, Cat6a doubles that capability by performing
at up to 500 MHz, which allows 10GBASET to be run over longer distances of up to 100 meters. Both Cat6 and Cat6a are backward compatible with Cat3, Cat5, and Cat5e.
What is a Cat 7 cable?
An Ethernet cable standard that is backward compatible with Cat 5/5e and Cat 6 cable; also referred to as Class F cable. With our Cat 7 cables this cable features up to 600MHz of data bandwidth, it uses an ultra-thin, gold plated connector, which is designed for both speed and durability, with the locking clip rated for over 3000 presses. The screened shielded twisted pair (S/FTP) design features foil shielding around each twisted pair and braid shielding on the entire assembly for superior protection from external signal interference.
Here's a link to the Cat 7 cables that we carry: http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=105&cp_id=10525