For smartphones, laptops, and tablets we prefer WiFi as the go-to option for connecting with local networks. Wired ethernet cables like cat5e ethernet cable still are the fastest and stable way to connect to the internet.

A wide array of cables, adapters, and various keystone jacks like cat6 keystone jack and many more makes for faster connection options.

We all know the number of ethernet cables we use in our everyday lives and its advantages. So, to understand them better, let's dive deep into the ethernet cables.

Brief History of Ethernet Cables:

"Ethernet" means a collection of technologies that are useful to connect computers and other devices together. It forms a connective branch of local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN).

The early standard of ethernet networking originated in the early 1970s, drawing inspiration from early networking tests. It went through a continuous iteration throughout the 70s and then went on to become commercially available and standardized in the early 1980s.

During coaxial cables, the dominant form of connective technology has a bit rate of 10 megabits per second across local networks. In the decades that followed, the cables got higher bit rates and bandwidth as well. A slow transition made with twisted pair and fiber optic hardware, along with a new technology switch. It enables speeds up to 400 gigabits per second.

There are thousands of networking technologies that have come up over the years. Today ethernet networks are the strongest wired network connection in the world and provide better stability and speed by connecting billions of devices, homes, data centers, and many such things.

Going further, let's understand importance of ethernet cables in our homes:

It is widely useful in a variety of industries but best known for its use in general public cables which connect home networks to the wider internet. Cables with RJ45 header or cat6 keystone jack connect desktops and laptops to local routers.

There are various types of cables such as cat 5, cat 5e, cat 6, cat7, and many more. These different types have different importance and play different roles based on their capabilities.

Categories older than Cat 5 provide low speed and fewer features. Whereas, modern ones provide better features and high bandwidth.

Which one to pick, Cat 5e or Cat 6?

The two most famous ethernet cables in current time are Cat5e ethernet cable and Cat 6 twisted pair cable. Picking the right cable is difficult as there are many variations with different features.

So, here we will be discussing some of the specifications of both cables and help you choose the right one. Let's first understand the acronyms i.e. TP stands for Twisted Pair, S and U stands for Shielded and Unshielded, F stands for Foiled.

So, when you see a word UTP, then it stands for unshielded twisted pair, FTP means foiled twisted pair, SFTP is a shielded and foiled twisted pair.

I know understanding tech stuff is very difficult and sometimes investing in them is costly too. But, data integrity is important, and investing wisely can help you get the most of your buck:

2. Cat 5e:

    

4. It's an old but enhanced version of Cat5 specification and overcomes the limitations of Cat5. It provides improved bandwidth capabilities and reduced crosstalk.

   It expands the maximum network speed to 1000 Mbps or one gigabit per second. It has a wire gauge of 24-36 meter and the cable 100 meters long.

6. Cat6:

    

8. Cat6 has overcome the limitations of Cat5e. It uses long cables for better performance and decreases crosstalk. It supports frequencies up to two and half times of Cat5e cables.

    

10. They can deliver up to 10,000 Mbps or 10 gigabits per second over lengths of cable up to 55 meters. It maximizes length of 100 meters with the longest cable length of Cat6 cables.

     

12. Apart from speed, Cat6 cables give less crosstalk and system noise mitigation. To provide these features, manufacturers use spline, a longitudinal separator within the cable to isolate individual wires within ethernet cabling.

     

14. Cat6 wires twist tighter and provide extra protection from external noise sources. This provides an extra benefit by preventing a Cat6 cable from stretching.

Further, there is a variant available of Cat6 like Cat 6a which is an enhanced version of Cat6 in terms of speed and cross talk.

Remember, even if Cat 6 is a new standard and provides improved features over Cat5e, it is backward compatible. It means they are available with the same endpoint connectors.

Thus, you will not run into problems while buying a Cat6 cable. If your network previously uses Cat5e or Cat5 cables and you are thinking to upgrade them then you can do so easily.

Final Words:

Cables or wires are very difficult to understand initially. But, once you know, you can handle them with ease. Today not a single infrastructure can exist without ethernet cables; be it internet or intranet. Hence, it's very important to understand the various types, differences, and uses of each.

Source: https://www.sooperarticles.com/communications-articles/broadband-internet-articles/what-ethernet-cables-1782920.html

Cat5e cable is an upgrade to the cat5 cable. The ‘e’ stands for ‘enhanced’. A cat 5 cable can transfer data at the maximum speed of 100Mbps whereas the cat5e cable can go up to 1000Mbps. However, when we say fast, it is not always obvious that it is reliable. The cat5e cable is the more reliable one out of the two.

Because of its speed and reliability, it should be an obvious choice for any internet intensive usage. Contrary to a popular belief that only enterprises and the IT industry have internet intensive usage, our homes are just as internet intensive. And so are the product companies that run our smart home appliances.

This brings us to the question of what a smart home includes. A smart home is a home that has connected devices for entertainment, convenience, and security. A number of convenience and security-based electronic tasks rely on the concept of IFTTT. The IFTTT protocol works best when there is a seamless and constant connection to the internet. Therefore, all brands that make these products have to have cloud services with sturdy data centers to function. An important part of a data center is bulk Ethernet cables. To ensure the best operation possible, these centers should have organized cabling with cat5e cables.

Here is a look at the flow of smart home system when there is seamless internet:

Door locks:

Gone are the days of a traditional door lock. Now you can simply tell your digital assistant that you are leaving home and one after the other it will perform tasks to ensure that your house is safe. No one can enter it without a specific code or a security key that resides in your smartphone. If the internet fails, you will find that slightly more difficult to enter your own house! However, in the end, a traditional key might just do the trick.

Lights and air conditioning:

Along with locking your door, your IFTTT devices also recognize that you won’t need the lights in your home to be on when you are not there. Therefore, it will turn off all the lights and the air condition units while you are not home. When you come back, your smartphone can ping those devices when you are close enough or you can even remotely switch on the AC units on your way home. This way you can always come back to a comfortable environment and save electricity in the end.

Delivery service:

This is the latest benefit of a house connected to the internet. Delivery services are starting programs that allow dropping off packages in your garage or even inside your house. It works because your house has cameras that enable you to remotely allow temporary and limited access to the courier to drop off the package. This eliminates the need to order parcels at your work-place or missing deliveries because you are on vacation.

The IFTTT protocol is also known as assistant routines or smart routines in lay terms. One action triggers another just as a normal routine follows a certain predetermined pattern or workflow.

When you are setting up these devices in your home, it is not enough that the data center that powers them has a fast connection. It is just as important that you invest in bulk Ethernet cable solutions for in-wall wiring as well as connecting the actual device to Ethernet ports in the house.

The best one to use right now are cat5e cables because a smart home requires fast and reliable connectivity, it does not require its much older brother, the cat8 cables. The enhanced one is just the right fit for your morning coffee to brew after you turn off your alarm.

Smart homes require fast and reliable connectivity to perform IFTTT based tasks. The cat5e cable is the popular choice.

Source: Cat5e Cables: The Unsung Hero of a Connected Smart Home 

If you found these Articles useful, here are some other articles that may be of interest.

Few Aspects of CAT5E Cables You May Be Unaware of

Cat5 And Cat5e How Do They Differ From Each Other?

Selecting The Right Bulk Network Cables - How to Go About It?

Comparative Analysis of CAT Cables: Choosing the Right One!

Buying Ethernet Cables Online? Here’s What You Should Look For!

A CAT5E junction box functions just like an inline coupler and if one needs to join two wires permanently. It provides a level of protection for the wiring connections.

Setting up an Ethernet system is challenging. While different industries have their own set of requirements, it is a vital thing to choose a Network Ethernet Cable that is flexible to confront industrial obstacles. Its uses are different. For example, the cable of your office’s desk would not be able to handle the industrial usage. Considering the latest market scenario, Cat 6A cables are perfectly suitable for industrial use. If you still use cat5e cables, they may not be able to fulfill performance standards.

Let’s look out for some situations wherein a low-quality, not standardize cables fail to provide an expected performance.

Installation

While you install the network ethernet cable in the system, a commercial-grade with excessive force might stretch the cable. According to commercial standards, the maximum pulling tension should be 25-pound. Means, if the cable’s length is 100 feet, you will end up with the cable length of 100 feet and 2 inches. Eventually, it results in signal loss and performance delay. Such type of effects limits the distance that your cable can suffice.

Furthermore, when you settle up the cables, the twisted pair may open up. It causes coupling from pair-to-pair, returns loss and susceptibility to ambient EMI/RFI. Eventually, it becomes high maintenance providing slower speed, crosstalks, and gapping effects.

UV Effects

Temperature plays a vital role when it comes to cable performance. And that too for industrial environments. For example, extreme cold makes your cable stiff and brittle to work with. On the other hand, extremely hot temperatures can affect the plastic used in it. That’s why it’s important to select the bulk network cables which are resistant to ambient temperatures.

Cat5e cable expands at a rate of 0.4% per degree Celsius above 20° C. At 60° C, it may expand by 16%. Therefore, it is critical to select a network ethernet cable that offers industrial-strength, high-temperature performance.

Oil Contacts

When you select a cable for the industrial use, make sure that they are resistant to fluids. The problem with the low-quality cable is that they soak in the petroleum-based fluids.

As a result, it might impact your mechanical strength, leaving the inner core prone to pollution. While choosing cables for industrial use, make sure to check oil-resistant jackets that combat with such challenges.

Rough Usage

Network cables especially used for industries might experience harsh usage on a daily base. The productivity and speed of the cable are depended on data transmission. And to ensure the network performance, check if your cable is qualified for such industrial-grade jackets.

And in the market, there are cables like bulk network cables which provides an extra measure of protection, combining bonded-pair technology with interlocked components to provide the protection against such rough uses.

Grounding

This is the most important step for effective shielding. A proper grounding can degrade the shield effect. Ideally, it is considered to ground the shield at only one point. When there is combined interference on the shield, the current might drain into the ground. That too before the pairs which are already underneath and affected.

This combination of unbonded versus bonded UTP cable reflects the potential gaps that occur within unbonded cables. It might slow down the installation. Therefore, the ground currents passing on the shield can actually make the shield a source of interference on the signal-carrying pairs.

Noise

When you select a balanced cable, it performs stably against loud noise instances. The bonded-pair cables provide the approximation of balance. Even after the installation and daily harsh use! Therefore, the cables with such features can either make or break an Industrial Ethernet application in the presence of any type of noise.

Industry Standards

A standard for every cable is the main benefit when it comes to Ethernet systems. Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) associated with the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) manages the current standard for the commonly used cables.

The TIA/EIA-568B describes the standard for commercial uses.

The TR-42 Committee describes the standard for telecommunications infrastructure.

The TR-42.9 Subcommittee covers industrial telecommunications infrastructure.

In a Nutshell

Environmental uses affect your networking system if your network ethernet cables are not up to industry standards. Although it is critical to render reliable performance to your uses. Therefore, make sure to install cables that provide high-level strength and stability.

This Article is originally posted here; How Strong Your Ethernet Cables Should be?

If you found this article useful, here are some others that may be of interest.

7 Factors to Choose the Right Industrial Ethernet Cable

Selecting the Right Bulk Network Cables: How to Go About It?

Things to Keep in Mind while Installing Network Cables