Understanding What CAT5e Cables Are
Category 5 or CAT 5 cable as it is better known has been used in the computer industry for many years as a way to interface computers with each other and with associated peripheral equipment. Both CAT 5 and the enhanced CAT5e cables consist of twisted pairs of high signal integrity cables that while most are unshielded provide a high level of noise suppression and a very low level of signal loss over distances of up to 100 m.
The newer CAT5e cables are the ones we now use as structured cables to connect our computers to our routers and switches created our own Ethernet networks. However they are also the cables of choice for such services as basic voice, token ring and many ATMs at speeds of up to 155 Mbit/s over shorter distances.
The use of balanced lines and twisted pairs in CAT5 and CAT5e cables is to help to preserve the high signal to noise ratio even though there may be significant interference from outside sources such as other wires or nearby unshielded computers and peripheral equipment. The CAT 5 cables are used on the older 100 Mbit/s systems such as the old standard 100 BASE-T Ethernet modems and routers.
For the newer and much faster Gigabit Ethernet using the 1000BASE-T systems the CAT5e cables are used as they have been redesigned using much more stringent specifications to ensure better overall performance. One thing to note is that even with this new stricter guideline the recommendations do not change as far as how long the cable should run. It is still recommended that cable length does not exceed 100 m; the maximum run length for optimum performance should not exceed 90 m this leaves 5 m at each for a patch cord to connect to the router or computer as needed.
CAT5e cables come in two different forms; you can buy them with stranded wires or with solid wires depending on your needs. The stranded style of wire is very flexible and lends itself well to easy routing and installation. As a bonus it is much easier to uses with the self piercing style of connecter as compared to the strip back style of connector.
The solid core CAT5e cables are less expensive and work well with the insulation removal type of connectors, but not the self piercing style. When you are building a home or office building you might consider using the solid core version behind the walls where flexibility is not a concern and connecting to a wall plate. You can then use the flexible variety as patch cords to go from the wall to the back of the computer.
If you are in the process of wiring a new building or adding a wired network to an existing building and you are Iooking for CAT5e cables to create your hard wired network, let JEM Electronics be your supplier. Not only do they carry a full complement of cables, but they can custom build any length of cable you need, making installing the network as easy as possible. All cables meet the highest industry standards and all JEM personnel are trained to meet IPC Standard A-620.
Processing your request, Please wait....
