sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Cat 6 distance

Is the maximum distance the same for Cat 6 as it is Cat 5e?

Yes, it is.

The main difference between 5 and 6 is you use ALL 4 pairs in cat 6. At least that's my understanding of it. Confirmation?
John C.
ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

The wiring and use is the same as far as I know. The difference is heavier insulation and a dialectic between the pairs. You still use pins 1,2,3 and 6. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct me.

What you need to look at isn't so much the cable type, it's the network type. If you're running anything up to 1gig, either cable will work and the distance limitations are the same. For 10/100 you are using pins 1,2,3,6. For Gig, you use all the conductors. For 10Gig you must use at least Cat6, and the distance limitation will be about 30 to 50m. (I don't know if they've finalized this yet)

Thanks guys

Be careful. If the cable is in an elevated temperature environment, you may have to back off from the 295 ft (90 m). Category 6 insertion loss does not enjoy the same margin against the test limit as Category 5e.

The following may be of interest:

https://www.flukenetworks.com/fnet/...emperature+and+its+affect+on+cabling.htm

and

https://www.flukenetworks.com/fnet/...+I+can+use++-+DSP+4x00+CableAnalyzer.htm

The 10GBASE-T standard has been ratified and you can have runs as far as 100m (including patching) just like C5e.

However, in order to achieve these distances you must use the new "augmented Category 6" cabling and adhere to accepted installation standards for high bandwidth network infrastructure.

Legacy C6 will support 10GBase-T to varying distances depending on the quality of cabling and connectivity components, installation environment, and quality of installation workmanship.

That's the kicker -- "will support . . . to varying distances "

When I did the install at the Hawthorne C.O. I had two locations I neglected to run cat-5 to. In the terminal room I patched a pair of Ethernet connections to the backboard, cross-connected to old 25-pair cat-3 cables, put six-bangers on the floor end, and it's pushing 100baseT just fine. About 100 feet total which surprised me, I didn't think it would work.

Oh ya

We upgraded an entire network recently, they were using 25 pair with amphenols to connect the MDF to the IDF's and out to the locations from the IDF's was the only cat5 cable not cat5e just cat5 and they were all running at true 100 to the MDF. Why... I dont know but it was working.