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Installing Ethernet/Data (CAT5 and CAT 6) and Phone Lines

Installing Ethernet/Data (CAT5 and CAT 6) and phone lines

Plan your house with Ethernet and phone lines

Internet and phone are second to none essentials in a house. We will plan and help you do it right for your house.

What is category 5 Ethernet cable

Category 5 cable is an Ethernet communication cable that we use in our day to day working. It is categorized up-to 100MHz bandwidth frequency. There is an improved version of category 5, called category 5e that is categorized up-to 100MHz bandwidth frequency. Category 5 cables actually meet category 5e standards though never claimed.

Want to know more technical? Here is one very interesting article about the category 5 cables on Wikipedia.

What is category 6 Ethernet cable

Category 6 Ethernet cable is an improvement over category 5 and 5e cables. It is also an Ethernet communication cable that we use in our day to day working. Category 6 is categorized up-to 250MHz bandwidth frequency and 10Gb of Ethernet data up-to 55 meters. There is an improved version of category 6, called category 6a that is categorized up-to 500MHz of bandwidth frequency up-to 100 meters

All category 5 and 6 cables can be used to carry phone and video signals for CCTV, home phones, automation controls and more. Both cable types are interchangeable though not recommended.

To understand the sequence of oldest to newest Ethernet cables as they were introduced in the world is;

CAT 3 (oldest)
CAT 5
CAT 5e
CAT 6
CAT 6a (newest)

Want to know more technical? Here is very interesting article about the category 6 cables on Wikipedia.

Which cable to use

Certainly from the above chart, we cannot use CAT 3 now. If possible we suggest to avoid CAT 5 all together. Then classifying your need, we can choose from 5e to 6a.

Ask our trained electricians. They will access your current and future needs and will recommend the right cable. They will also estimate the total Ethernet connections required in your household.

What are other precautions for these cables

Our electricians are trained to use the right type of cables in the required application. Some general precautions that needs to be adhered to are;

Interference or cross-talk
Shielded or un-shielded cable
Twisted or Untwisted
Terminating end and connector type
Stability of the planned network
Any new Ethernet switches to be added

All these cable specs affect the quality of the output such as dropped internet connection, higher noise, higher buffer times, unexpected failures etc., thus making it important to choose the right cable for the right application.

Our electrician will be more than happy to explain the questions you might have and show you the cable difference.

Call us today at 780-476-1413 to find the right type of cable for your home or office

Get an online quote here