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Category 6 cable (Cat 6) is a standardized
twisted pair Twisted pair cabling is a type of communications cable in which two conductors of a single circuit are twisted together for the purposes of improving electromagnetic compatibility. Compared to a single conductor or an untwisted balanced ...
cable for
Ethernet Ethernet ( ) is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 198 ...
and other network
physical layer In the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking, the physical layer or layer 1 is the first and lowest layer: the layer most closely associated with the physical connection between devices. The physical layer provides an electrical, mechani ...
s that is
backward compatible In telecommunications and computing, backward compatibility (or backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, software, real-world product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with inpu ...
with the Category 5/5e and
Category 3 cable Category 3 cable, commonly known as or station wire, and less commonly known as VG or voice-grade (as, for example, in 100BaseVG), is an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable used in telephone wiring. It is part of a family of standards defin ...
standards. Cat 6 must meet more stringent specifications for
crosstalk In electronics, crosstalk (XT) is a phenomenon by which a signal transmitted on one circuit or channel of a transmission system creates an undesired effect in another circuit or channel. Crosstalk is usually caused by undesired capacitive, ...
and system noise than Cat 5 and Cat 5e. The cable standard specifies performance of up to 250 MHz, compared to 100 MHz for Cat 5 and Cat 5e. Whereas Category 6 cable has a reduced maximum length of when used for
10GBASE-T 10 Gigabit Ethernet (abbreviated 10GE, 10GbE, or 10 GigE) is a group of computer networking technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of 10  gigabits per second. It was first defined by the IEEE 802.3ae-2002 standard. Unli ...
, Category 6A cable is specified for 500 MHz and has improved alien crosstalk characteristics, allowing 10GBASE-T to be run for the same maximum distance as previous
Ethernet over twisted pair Ethernet over twisted-pair technologies use twisted-pair cables for the physical layer of an Ethernet computer network. They are a subset of all Ethernet physical layers. Early Ethernet used various grades of coaxial cable, but in 1984, Star ...
variants.


History

Cat 6, an unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) design, emerged as an advancement of the UTP Cat 5e and was formalised in 2001. The design of Cat 6 required more stringent precision in manufacturing, which enabled reduced noise and crosstalk, thereby improving performance. The
Telecommunications Industry Association The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop voluntary, consensus-based industry standards for a wide variety of information and communication technology (Informat ...
(TIA) published Cat 6 in June 2002.


Description

Cat 6 cable can be identified by the printing on the side of the cable sheath. Cable types, connector types and cabling topologies are defined by
ANSI/TIA-568 ANSI/TIA-568 is a technical standard for commercial building cabling for telecommunications products and services. The title of the standard is ''Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard'' and is published by the Telecommunications I ...
. Cat 6 patch cables are normally terminated in
8P8C A modular connector is a type of electrical connector for cords and cables of electronic devices and appliances, such as in computer networking, telecommunication equipment, and audio headsets. Modular connectors were originally developed for ...
modular connectors, using either T568A or T568B pin assignments; performance is comparable provided both ends of a cable are terminated identically. If Cat-6–rated patch cables, jacks and connectors are not used with Cat 6 wiring, overall performance is degraded and may not meet Cat 6 performance specifications. The Cat 6 specification requires conductors to be pure copper. The industry has seen a rise in non-compliant or counterfeit cables, especially of the copper-clad aluminium wire (CCA) variety. This has exposed the manufacturers or installers of such fake cable to legal liabilities. The diameter of the wires in Cat 6 cables ranges from 22 to 26 AWG.


Category 6A

The standard for Category 6A (augmented Category 6) is ANSI/TIA-568.2-D (replaces 568-C.2), defined by TIA for enhanced performance standards for twisted pair cable systems. It was defined in 2009. Cat 6A performance is defined for frequencies up to 500 MHz—twice that of Cat 6. Cat 6A also has an improved alien crosstalk specification as compared to Cat 6, which picks up high levels of alien noise at high frequencies. The global cabling standard ISO/IEC 11801 has been extended by the addition of amendment 2. This amendment defines new specifications for Cat 6A components and Class EA permanent links. These new global Cat 6A/Class EA specifications require a new generation of connecting hardware offering far superior performance compared to the existing products that are based on the American TIA standard. The most important point is a performance difference between ISO/IEC and EIA/TIA component specifications for the NEXT transmission parameter. At a frequency of 500 MHz, an ISO/IEC Cat 6A connector performs 3 dB better than a Cat 6A connector that conforms with the EIA/TIA specification (3 dB equals 50% reduction of near-end crosstalk noise signal power; see half-power point). Confusion therefore arises because of the naming conventions and performance benchmarks laid down by the International ISO/IEC and American TIA/EIA standards, which in turn are different from the regional European standard, EN 50173–1. In general, the ISO standard for Cat 6A is the most stringent, followed by the European standard, and the American one (1 on 1 matching capability).


Category 6e

''Cat 6e'' is not a recognized standard and has no agreed meaning. After the ratification of Category 6, manufacturers began offering cabling systems and solutions labeled as '. This is a marketing claim from manufacturers and typically refers to a claim of headroom performance above the defined TIA Category 6 standard. The name resembles the name of the (legitimate) Category 5e standard.


Maximum length

When used for
10/100/1000 Ethernet over twisted-pair technologies use twisted-pair cables for the physical layer of an Ethernet computer network. They are a subset of all Ethernet physical layers. Early Ethernet used various grades of coaxial cable, but in 1984, StarLA ...
BASE-T, the maximum allowed length of a Cat 6 cable is . This consists of permanent link, which is typically solid ''horizontal'' cabling between two connectors, often the patch panel and the wall jack, plus total of stranded patch cordage. Manufacturers have begun offering claims of supporting distances beyond which would fall outside of the TIA 568–2.D standard.


Installation requirements

Category 6 and 6A cable must be properly installed and terminated to meet specifications. The cable must not be kinked or bent too tightly; the bend radius should be larger than four times the outer diameter of the cable. The wire pairs must not be untwisted, and the outer jacket must not be stripped back, more than . Cable shielding may be required in order to avoid data corruption in high electromagnetic interference (EMI) environments. Shielding is typically maintained from one cable end to the other using a drain wire that runs through the cable alongside the twisted pairs. The shield's electrical connection to the chassis on each end is made through the jacks. The requirement for ground connections at both cable ends creates the possibility of creating a ground loop. This undesirable situation may compel currents to flow in the network cable shield and these currents may in turn induce detrimental noise in the signal being carried by the cable.


References


External links

* Information on cable construction and alien crosstalk mitigation. * Information on TIA TSB-155 37m versus
IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines. The IEEE ...
55m limitations. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Category 6 Cable Ethernet cables