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cat 5e vs. cat 6?

To: shop-talk@autox.team.net
Subject: cat 5e vs. cat 6?
From: scott.hall@comcast.net
Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:36:46 +0000
so in response to my earlier question, someone said run cat 6 instead of cat 5e 
when I pull wire.

I figure I'm not too far in and that might be a good idea.  I google, and it 
says cat 6 is just cat 5e made to a higher standard, on site said it had better 
shielding.  the kid at comp usa (who seemed very knowledgeable) repeated the 
thing about the better shielding (but that's it).   said it used rj45 jacks and 
the same as cat 5e termination blocks.

but the older gentleman at his electronics shop (who you'd think would know) 
said cat6 actually carries data faster than 5e and uses all different blocks.

now, this is contradicted by everything else, but I've started to trust 
curmedgeonly old people, and why else would I want cat 6 if it's only 
better/more stringently made and/or better shielded?  actually I get the 
shielding, but it's a house in the woods, not an office building.

I've been here:

http://www.lanshack.com/cat5e-tutorial.asp#Chart

and here:

http://www.generalcable.com/North_America/NA_Assets/TechPapers/LookCat6.pdf

and it seems the kid's closer to right.  to top it all off, the cat 5e the old 
guy had had 320 mhz on the box, which the guy said was good, and seems to be 
higher than what cat 5e is rated for.

so what's the real truth?

scott






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