CAT 5 VS CAT 6
Cat 5 and Cat 6 are standard pairs of cable wire used to carry signals. They are used for computer networks as structured cabling like the Ethernet. However, it is also known to carry other signals like the video and telephony. Cat 5 was the first cable standard that was made to try to do a 100 Mbps. Cat 6 however, was also the first cable standard that was made to do a 10 Gbps.
Cat 5 cable is commonly connected with the help of modular connectors and punch down blocks. Usually, the cable wires are available as a twisted pair in design and are unshielded. They’re usually dependent on this twisted pair design and differential signaling for reducing the otherwise much audible noise i.e. noise reduction. Cat 5e has superseded the Cat 5 cable by solving the issues with full duplex cross talk that the latter usually gave. Cat 5e does support a higher set point i.e. of 1 Gbps Ethernet. However, one must know that the speed does not increase. Even after supporting 1 Gbps Ethernet, it is not faster.
CAT 5 VS CAT 6
IA/EIA-568-B defines the connecter types, cable types and cabling topologies for the Cat 5 cable. T568A and T568B are the standard schemes which are followed in Australia and United States resp. 8P8C modular connectors are the ones that are used to connect the Cat 5 cables. There are 4 pairs in a Cat 5 cable which help minimize the cross talk between the pairs. The pairs are made out of 24 gauge (AWG) copper wires. The cable is available in solid conductor forms as well as the stranded forms. The solid form makes reliable connections into insulation displacement connectors. It is way less expensive than others too. Although one disadvantage lies that it makes unreliable connections in insulation piercing connectors. The stranded form is however, much more flexible. It withstands more bending without breaking. It is very well suited for reliable connections with insulation piercing connectors. Much like the solid conductor form has its disadvantage; the stranded form makes unreliable connections in insulation-displacement connectors (IDCs). Most of the Cat 5 cables can be easily bent at a radius that is about 4 times the diameter of the cable. The maximum length for the cable segment is 100 meters (328 feet).
Use of active hardware such as the repeater or a switch is necessary if longer runs are required.
Cat 6 is the cable standard for Gb Ethernet as mentioned earlier. It is compatible with Cat 5, Cat 5e and Cat 3 cables as well. It has much better specifications for cross talk and system noise. The Cat 6 cable standard provides a very good performance of as much as 250 MHz which makes it suitable for fast Ethernet. Like the Cat 5 cable, this too has 4 twisted pairs which helps meet the specifications. However, connectors, switches, cables and jacks that are compatible with this are the only ones that help Cat 6 cable meet the standards.