Ultimate Guide to Cat6 cable Types and Specifications

 Cat6 cable remains widespread local area network cables and comes in three varieties or variants: Cat6 Plenum Cable, Cat6 Riser Cable, and Cat6 PVC Cable. The three versions disagree slightly in specifications however immensely in their usage. For example, you'll use Cat6 Plenum cable in each plenum and riser areas. However, identical can’t be through with the Cat6 Riser Cable. Why? we'll answer this later.

Ever since its arrival, Cat6 cable has dominated the networking market and managed to stay widespread up to now. Cat6 cable has been standardized by EIA (Electronic Industries Association) and TIA (Telecommunications business Association). because the name suggests, it's the sixth version of local area network cables.

Cat6 Cable: however it works

Cat6 supports an information transfer rate of one Gbps (Gigabits per second) up to a distance of 330 feet. once the gap shrinks to a hundred sixty five feet, it will effectively support an information transfer rate of ten Gbps.

Its three completely different versions support information measure frequency starting from 550MHz to 750MHz. The Cat6 family comes with four pairs of twisted wires and eight copper connectors; you'll utilize all four pairs to get superior-level signal quality. a bit like its predecessors, the Cat6 family uses the RJ-45 commonplace connector.

The Cat6 cables area unit either UTP or standard atmosphere.

UTP stands for unprotected Twisted Cable. During this cable, four color-coded wires are twisted around one another to guard against EMI (electromagnetic interferences). standard atmosphere stands for protected  twisted try. This sort of cable has a further layer of protection against EMI. This extra protection comes within the style of a foil defence.  UTP is principally employed in homes or businesses whereas FTP is typically used for industrial functions.

Now let’s explore the specifications of every of its three varieties.

Cat6 Plenum Cable

Cat6 plenum cable is specially designed for usage in plenum areas. The plenum is that the area within the buildings that area unit accustomed facilitates heating and air con systems. This area homes communication cables as well as your local area network cables.  Cat6 Plenum Cable comes in increased protection with “Communication Utile Cable, Plenum” (CMP) jackets. These cable jackets have a fire-resistive coating that stops fireplace progression and is good for usage in industrial and residential properties.

Also, the Cat6 Plenum Cable meets one among the tight Underwriter Laboratories (UL) security pointers of UL910. thanks to these specifications, the Cat6 plenum is commonly used as another for the Cat6 riser; it can’t be turned.  It supports a maximum information measure of 550MHz and information transfer rates of one Gbps and ten Gbps of up to a distance of one hundred meters and fifty meters severally. due to its superior property speed, you'll use this bulk Cat6 cable for native space network applications.

Plenum cables comprise superior-quality PVC jacket material that has very good compound safe capacities and electrical properties. Plenum cables of the Cat6 family will work swimmingly in warm temperature conditions starting from -25 degrees Celsius|astronomer|uranologist|stargazer} to a hundred twenty-five degrees Celsius.  Also, the Cat6 plenum is ultraviolet radiation-resistant.

Cat6 Riser Cable

Just like plenum cables, Cat6 Riser Cable meets various security pointers. This sort of cable is additionally UL thoroughbred link; it implies that Cat6 Riser Cable includes 100%, sturdy copper.

The UL security certification for the Cat6 riser is UL1666 that is somewhat linear than that of the Cat6 plenum. The CMR jacket material of the Cat6 riser is additionally of excellent quality however not as fine as that of plenum cables. Thanks to this terrible reason, you can’t use riser cables as another for plenum cables.

Cat6 riser supports a maximum information measure of 550MHz and information transfer rates of one Gbps and ten Gbps of up to a distance of one hundred meters and fifty meters severally. This cable is twenty-three AWG wire.

Cat6 PVC cable

The third variant within the Cat6 family is the Cat6 PVC cable.  This variant is ideal for out of doors installations. Cat6 PVC cable includes PVC (polyvinyl chloride) jacket material. a bit like the opposite 2 variants, four pairs of twisted wires, and eight copper connectors. This variant of bulk Cat6 cable conjointly supports an information measure of 550MHz and information transfer rates of one Gbps and ten Gbps of up to a distance of one hundred meters and fifty meters severally. PVC cables also are twenty-three AWG wires.

This cable conjointly provides wonderful protection against EMI, near-end noise, and alien noise. However, a bit like riser cables, you can't use Cat6 PVC Cable as a replacement for plenum cable; the rationale is that its jacket material is vulnerable to fireplace.