Ever since its initial inception, the category 5 cable has been the preferred carrier for most Ethernet cabling solutions. It is a twisted pair cable that is unshielded, however considering twisted pair cabling cancels out EMI from most external sources this doesn't really matter. The category 5e (enhanced) is the next logical step for the cable as it can carry up to 1000 Mpbs high-speed broadband (as apposes to the cat 5's 100). The 5e can support not only high-speed broadband but also high definition analogue video signals and is currently the most powerful commercially available twisted pair cable.
A basic category 5e cable will be constructed from 4 twisted pairs. These pairs will all have a different number of twists per metre to avoid interference. Though a standard Ethernet patch cable might have only 4 pairs, some cables can support as many as 100, though this would not be a necessity for commercial applications. A category 5e cable is designed to work with a 1000BASE-T network card but it is backwards compatible with older models. The specifics of how network cards relate to the cat 5e will be discussed in detail later.
The category 5e is manufactured in stranded and solid conductor iterations and whilst the stranded cable might be more flexible and durable it has been known to make reliable connections with IPCs (insulation piercing connectors) and unreliable connections in IDCs (insulation-displacement connectors), unlike the solid conductor cable, which is cheaper and more reliable with IDCs but is also far less flexible. Taking these factors into account, you will generally find long-term category 5e installations (like building wire inside a wall) using solid core whilst standard, more easily moveable patch cables will use the more flexible stranded format. Most Ethernet connections are made via patch cables, which often only run about 10 metres in length.
When discussing the network cards that can accept the category 5e you need to first understand the differences between network cards. The 10BASE can accept up to 10 Mbps, the 100BASE 100 and the 1000BASE (the standard used by the 5e) 1000 Mbps or 1 gigabit. Broadband in this country is not yet available at those speeds but it is a future-proof technology.
Although there are newer technologies now available like category 6 and category 7 cables, these technologies are still far too expensive for the commercial market and so category 5e remains the most popular choice for most wired local area networks due to it's affordable price and the fact that it supports the highest possible broadband speed currently commercially available in the U.K.
A basic category 5e cable will be constructed from 4 twisted pairs. These pairs will all have a different number of twists per metre to avoid interference. Though a standard Ethernet patch cable might have only 4 pairs, some cables can support as many as 100, though this would not be a necessity for commercial applications. A category 5e cable is designed to work with a 1000BASE-T network card but it is backwards compatible with older models. The specifics of how network cards relate to the cat 5e will be discussed in detail later.
The category 5e is manufactured in stranded and solid conductor iterations and whilst the stranded cable might be more flexible and durable it has been known to make reliable connections with IPCs (insulation piercing connectors) and unreliable connections in IDCs (insulation-displacement connectors), unlike the solid conductor cable, which is cheaper and more reliable with IDCs but is also far less flexible. Taking these factors into account, you will generally find long-term category 5e installations (like building wire inside a wall) using solid core whilst standard, more easily moveable patch cables will use the more flexible stranded format. Most Ethernet connections are made via patch cables, which often only run about 10 metres in length.
When discussing the network cards that can accept the category 5e you need to first understand the differences between network cards. The 10BASE can accept up to 10 Mbps, the 100BASE 100 and the 1000BASE (the standard used by the 5e) 1000 Mbps or 1 gigabit. Broadband in this country is not yet available at those speeds but it is a future-proof technology.
Although there are newer technologies now available like category 6 and category 7 cables, these technologies are still far too expensive for the commercial market and so category 5e remains the most popular choice for most wired local area networks due to it's affordable price and the fact that it supports the highest possible broadband speed currently commercially available in the U.K.
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Visit www.excel-networking.com to discover more about category 5e cables and how they can benefit you.
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