sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring CAT6 Certification problems

Our Cat 6 installations tested and certified fine using AMP products. (customer request)
I prefer Avaya Systimax product line.
Allen Tel when the customer wants the least cost product.

Generally to get Cat 6 cert you usually use the same brand inserts and patch panels and THEN the patch cable have to be of a certain make. If you don't dothis you are generally going to have issues. They tell you this straight out in Cat 6 cert class.

The reason you must use the same manufacturer for your cable, jacks, and patch panels is impedance matching. The most likely test to fail if you don't is Return Loss.

We have only done a few CAT6 networks so far, all else are 5e. We use all Hubbell jacks and patch panels and have never had a problem. Pulling CAT6 is nice be cause the heavier duty jacket on the CAT6 is less likely to get damaged during a pull. The down side is that the wire inside is thicker and, marginally, a little more time taking during jack lacing. The nice thing about Hubbell is that they have their own punch tool that works with their jacks that terminates and cuts of all 4 pairs at once, kinda like the Leviton Jack Rapid but is an impact tool not a squeeze type tool. CAT6 is so expensive still, we have been using BerTek Lanmark 1000 Plenum, Graybar get's almost $400 a box for it. Also, the Hubbell jacks are not cheap, about $5 a piece, but well worth it, IMO, in the end.

~Chris

I see little use of Levington on this forum. I'm curious why? I've used Leviton quite a bit and have had good results.
I'm about to do my first cat6 Job and am considering if I should go the more expensive Hubble. What do you think?
Are the Hubble face plates more expensive as well?
An added advantage is, if I stay with one brand, all the parts match up. Thoughts on this?

Stay with Leviton. Not alot different, and like you say stay with one so you always have spares.

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Voice and Data Cabling in DFW, [email protected]
DnR Communications

All vendors will tell you that if you want and expected the performence of any gig network, you have to use the same product from equipment to user. That means if you are using Avaya, you use Avaya patch panels, cable and snap jacks. Each vendor tests and certifies their product only with their product, so if you mismatch products you will not get the same quality.

As far as Cat 6 REQUIRING same manufacturer end-to-end (or at least component), I was under the understanding that the specific requirement was scratched in the final draft of Cat 6. I thought they did that so it wasn't so restrictive and manufacturer-dependent.

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