Category 6 Cabling System and Application Questions
1. Why do I need all the bandwidth of Category 6? As far as I know, there is no application today that requires 200 MHz of bandwidth.
Bandwidth precedes data rates just as highways come before traffic. Doubling the bandwidth is like adding twice the number of lanes on a highway. The trends of the past and the predictions for the future indicate that data rates have been doubling every 18 months. Current applications running at 1 Gb/s are really pushing the limits of Category 5e cabling. As streaming media applications such as video and multi-media become commonplace, the demands for faster data rates will increase and spawn new applications that will benefit from the higher bandwidth offered by Category 6. This is exactly what happened in the early ’90s when the higher bandwidth of Category 5 cabling compared to Category 3 caused most local area network (LAN) applications to choose the better media to allow simpler, cost effective, higher speed LAN applications, such as 100BASE-TX. It is also important to note that cabling infrastructure is generally considered a 10 year investment as opposed to two or three years for electronics. Work has already started on 10G BASE-T, and Category 5e cabling is not being considered. With additional throughput requirements right around the corner, it makes sense to plan ahead. Note: Bandwidth is defined as the highest frequency up to which positive power sum ACR (attenuation-to-crosstalk ratio) is greater than zero.
2. What is the general difference between Category 5e and Category 6?
The general difference between Category 5e and Category 6 is in the transmission performance and extension of the available bandwidth from 100 MHz for Category 5e to 200 MHz for Category 6. This includes better insertion loss, near end crosstalk (NEXT), return loss and equal level far end crosstalk (ELFEXT). These improvements provide a higher signal-to-noise ratio, allowing higher reliability for current applications and higher data rates for future applications. The additional performance parameters provide a sort of "forgiveness factor" for things that happen within a cabling infrastructure over its lifetime assuring that bandwidth remains available for applications. Please note that the bandwidth referred to above is the bandwidth to achieve a positive signal to noise ratio between insertion loss and power sum near end crosstalk (PSACR is greater than 0). CAT 6 cabling performance is specified to 250 MHz, or 25 percent beyond the 0 dB PSACR frequency of 200 MHz.
3. Will Category 6 supersede Category 5e?
Yes, analyst predictions and independent polls indicate that 80 to 90 percent of all new installations will be cabled with Category 6. The fact that Category 6 link and channel requirements are backward compatible to Category 5e makes it very easy for customers to choose Category 6 and supersede Category 5e in their networks. Applications that worked over Category 5e will work over Category 6.
4. What does Category 6 do for my current network vs. Category 5e?
Because of its improved transmission performance and superior immunity from external noise, systems operating over Category 6 cabling will have fewer errors vs. Category 5e for current applications. This means fewer re-transmissions of lost or corrupted data packets under certain conditions, which translates into higher reliability for Category 6 networks compared to Category 5e networks.
5. I understand that a Cat 5e connector is an RJ45. Is a CAT 6 connector also an RJ45 and will it fit into our Cat 5e socket?
The standard connector is defined in IEC 603-7 and FCC part 68 as an "8 position modular interface." This is commonly referred to as an RJ-45 in the United States. The interface is required by the standard at the telecommunications outlet, but may be used at any connection point in the channel. The physical dimensions of the CAT 6 connector interface are identical to Cat 3, Cat 5, and Cat 5e modular connectors and are fully backward compatible.
6. When should I recommend or install Category 6 vs. Category 5e?
From a future proofing perspective, it is always better to install the best cabling available. This is because it is so difficult to replace cabling inside walls, in ducts under floors and other difficult places to access. The rationale is that cabling will last at least 10 years and will support at least four to five generations of equipment during that time. If future equipment running at much higher data rates requires better cabling, it will be very expensive to pull out Category 5e cabling at a later time to install Category 6 cabling. So why not do it for a premium of about 20 percent over Category 5e on an installed basis?
7. What is the shortest link that the standard will allow?
There is no short length limit. The standard is intended to work for all lengths up to 100 meters. There is a guideline in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.1 that says the consolidation point should be located at least 15 meters away from the telecommunications room to reduce the effect of connectors in close proximity. This recommendation is based upon worst-case performance calculations for short links with four mated connections in the channel.
8. What is a “tuned” system between cable and hardware? Is this really needed if product meets the standard?
The word "tuned" has been used by several manufacturers to describe products that deliver headroom to the Category 6 standard. This is outside the scope of the Category 6 standard. The component requirements of the standard have been carefully designed and analyzed to assure channel compliance and electrical/mechanical interoperability.
9. What is impedance matching between cable and hardware? Is this really needed if product meets the standard?
The impedance matching requirements of the standard are addressed by having return loss requirements for cables, connectors and patch cords.
10. Is there a use for Category 6 in the residential market?
Yes, Category 6 will be very effective in the residential market to support higher Internet access speeds while facilitating the more stringent Class B EMC requirements. The better balance of Category 6 will make it easier to meet the residential EMC requirements compared to Category 5e cabling. Also, the growth of streaming media applications to the home will increase the need for higher data rates which are supported more easily and efficiently by Category 6 cabling.
11. Why wouldn’t I skip Category 6 and go straight to optical fiber?
You can certainly do that, but you will find that a fiber system is still very expensive. Ultimately, economics drive customer decisions, and today optical fiber together with optical transceivers is about twice as expensive as an equivalent system built using Category 6 and associated copper electronics. Installation of copper cabling is more craft-friendly and can be accomplished with simple tools and techniques. Additionally, copper cabling supports the data terminal equipment (DTE) power standard developed by IEEE(802.3af). PCs ship with copper network interfaces included, in fact, recent announcements indicate that the major PC vendors are shipping 10/100/1000 with all new systems. Moving to fiber would mean buying a fiber-based network card to replace equipment already included in the PC.
12. We have a Category 6 installation in a campus dormitory environment and recently discovered that several horizontal runs exceed 295 feet.
The application is 10/100 access from the dormitory room to the Internet. For those locations beyond the 295 feet, we found the only workable solution is for the PCs to run 10Mbps 1/2 duplex.
13. What is meant by the term "electrically balanced"?
A simple open wire circuit consisting of two wires is considered to be a uniform, balanced transmission line. A uniform transmission line is one that has substantially identical electrical properties throughout its length, while a balanced transmission line is one whose two conductors are electrically alike and symmetrical with respect to ground and other nearby conductors.
* "Electrically balanced" relates to the physical geometry and the dielectric properties of a twisted pair of conductors. If two insulated conductors are physically identical to one another in diameter, concentricity, dielectric material and are uniformly twisted with equal length of conductor, then the pair is electrically balanced with respect to its surroundings. The degree of electrical balance depends on the design and manufacturing process. Category 6 cable requires a greater degree of precision in the manufacturing process. Likewise, a Category 6 connector requires a more balanced circuit design. For balanced transmission, an equal voltage of opposite polarity is applied on each conductor of a pair. The electromagnetic fields created by one conductor cancel out the electromagnetic fields created by its "balanced" companion conductor, leading to very little radiation from the balanced twisted pair transmission line. The same concept applies to external noise that is induced on each conductor of a twisted pair. A noise signal from an external source, such as radiation from a radio transmitter antenna generates an equal voltage of the same polarity, or "common mode voltage," on each conductor of a pair. The difference in voltage between conductors of a pair from this radiated signal, the "differential voltage," is effectively zero. Since the desired signal on the pair is the differential signal, the interference does not affect balanced transmission. The degree of electrical balance is determined by measuring the "differential voltage" and comparing it to the "common mode voltage" expressed in decibels (dB). This measurement is called longitudinal conversion loss "LCL" in the Category 6 standard. * The ABCs of the Telephone, Vol. 7
14. I was under the impression that CAT 6 could run 1000 Mbps out to 295 feet. That being the case, why can't we run 100 Mbps beyond 295 feet if the CAT 6 specifications provide for better performance? Is there a distance matrix for Cat?
100 Mbps will have the same constraints as 1000 Mbps or even worse due to the quality of the electronics. The 2 volt nominal signal for both drops away due to signal strength past 295 feet in the link, which then allows for a further 33 feet for patching and cross connecting. 10BaseT uses a 5-volt nominal signal that can support further distances more frequently, but it still comes down to the quality of the transceivers. For example, just because port 1 in a switch can support a 110% of the recommended length for a particular protocol doesn't mean that port 2 will. You can have great noise reduction, but if your signal strength isn't sufficient any extended length support is lost. The problem network administrators face is that they don't know which ports have the best signal strength to support longer than standard runs. Cycling back to 10BaseT half duplex is the safest bet for such circumstances, but then not only slows the speed, but introduces localized collisions and in many cases CRC/FCS errors.
The use of a repeater/hub/switch can be implemented to support extended runs at the end of the link. This will then allow for further extension, but add an additional hop and latency. As extended runs are typically the exception rather than the rule, this solution will ensure full speed is supported, but will limit the amount of network management on the drops extended, without SNMP at the repeater.
It is also important to check the full length of the cable run to be sure that there is not interference being introduced such as a cable sitting on top of a fluorescent light or having sheaths cut. Consult the manufacturer for specific warranty provisions that may be applicable.
