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CAT6 cable finalized? Cat6 vs. Cat5e

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oktane

Member

Hello,

I am retrofitting my home with a whole-house ethernet install. I trying to decide if I should use Cat5e or Cat6 cabling. Does anyone know if the final specs for Cat6 cable have been finalized? Or when they might be?

In my endless web searching I have had great difficulty finding an answer to this.

How many years do you think Cat5e will last me? Right now I am on a 100BT switched, but I will probably migrate to GE in the next 2 years.

Thanks.
-oktane
 

I know Cat5e will handle Gigabit, but what about in 5 years when we are on MultiG?

It is not so easy redoing house wiring...even if I do put it in conduit.

 


<< I know Cat5e will handle Gigabit, but what about in 5 years when we are on MultiG? It is not so easy redoing house wiring...even if I do put it in conduit. >>



I really wouldn't worry about the what's gonna be used in 5 years as the standards that they put into force today will be modified by then. Besides, we'll probably mostly be running a gigabit or higher wireless lan by then anyway, and wiring won't matter. But if you are really that concerned with it, the only thing that I could think of that may be set to a standard today and handle future bandwidth is OC networking.
 
speaking of this CAT 6 stuff.. I had never heard of it, until the other day when I was in Best Buy, and I noticed some Belkin packaged CAT 6 segments.

I had to do a double take, and see if my eyes were deceiving me
So, what is the scoop on CAT 6??

Is it just another marketing scheme, or what? 🙂
 
oktane, i was at a data center about three months ago and their network system had cat5 and cat6 installed.
i am thinking of installing cat6 in my home network, i don't care what other people say, it is downward compatible.
also like they say it is not yet, ratified.
 

I agree that the Cat6 should be backwards compatible. One thing I heard though was that since there was no standard, it was difficult to know if you were getting the "right" Cat6 cabling, since no one is quite sure what the specs will be.

So if going with Cat6, it would be important to get the cabling from a very trusted manufacturer. GOK who that would be.

-0ktane
 
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