Existing cable is CAT5e - New runs CAT6?

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I have about 15 runs (3ft to 25ft) using CAT5e to RJ-45 ends and punch down wall outlets in my house today. Using this for streaming movies, music and data backups. I have about 200ft of the CAT5e cable left to use.

Should I continue my runs using this cable?

Can I use CAT6a in a mixed environment?

Does Cat6a require special rj45 ends or punch down for outlets?

 

[Fardringle]

Properly installed CAT5e is perfectly adequate for gigabit networking. If you need to replace old runs, then it makes sense to use CAT6/6a, but there's no real reason to pull out working cable to just to have "new" stuff. Unless you just want to have the new stuff...

Edit: Yes, you need to use ends and outlets that are specifically designed for CAT6/6a. The cable is significantly thicker than 5e and usually won't fit into 5e fixtures.

 

[imagoon]

It will work fine for gig going forward. Be aware that attaching the RJ45 ends to the cable is doing it wrong anyway. Cat6 and Cat6a is by far less tolerant of incorrect installation. It should all be on a patch panel or terminated to a jack and from there using patch cables.

 

[azazel1024]

Not that the work is any different, but it does save money to use Cat6 ends on the jacks/punch downs at least. Most will work fine with 5e (all mine do) and wouldn't have to be replaced if you pulled cat6/6a later.

As for running new wire, just use the 5e you have. 5e is rated to 100m for 1000base-T just like cat6 is.

The only real differences in "rating" is that cat6 is rated to 55m for 10GbE and 5e will only do 45m. Not really much of a difference there. That said, cat6 is likely to support 10GbE in a much harsher EMI environment than 5e ever would. However, in a residential setting, that isn't likely to matter unless all of your runs follow the residental power wiring, loop around some CFLs and you've trunked half a dozen cables together.

Cat5e = 100m 1GbE and 45m 10GbE
Cat6 = 100m 1GbE and 55m 10GbE
Cat6a = 100m 1GbE and 100m 10GbE

I would deffinitely never run cat6a unless or until 40/100GbE is "the thing" and mandates cat6a to work with it by the time it trickles down (if it ever does). IIRC 6a is rated for 10m for 100GbE, top of the rack type deal. It probably can do longer, but whatever the standards body is on this stuff wanted to keep it super conservative instead of actually putting real time and effort in to certification of the length that could ACTUALLY be carried on 100GbE to max length.

Sort of the same kind of deal on the 5e/6 10GbE deal. Neither is officially certified for 10GbE, but those are the unofficial lengths published by the standards body.

Also...same deal with 1GbE and cat5e/6/6a. 5e can carry 1GbE to 100m with no repeaters and is basically guaranteed to do this, same with 6/6a. However, odds are excellent you could get at least a little beyond that with low noise cabling and good NICs/switches on both ends. Cat6 is even better than that as it suffers less from noise and is almost always a size bigger in wire gauge than 5e (generally 23/24 gauge versus 24/26 gauge), which would translate in to roughly 30% farther distance simply based on the lower ompacity of the wiring.

6a only ups things by thicker sheathing, even tighter twists and is basically shielded versus the general UTPness of cat6 (of course you can get shielded cat6).

Oh, and for the official ratings, that is 100m of solid core cabling with a 10m stranded patch cable at the end (I think just one end, not both). So if you went solid to solid, you might be looking at more like 115-125m.

Really this is a very long way of saying, with the short runs you are talking about in your house, just use up your 5e. Or if you really care that much, but cat6 and use the remainder of the 5e for making patch cables. Do not buy/use cat6a. Frankly, no point and it is significantly more expensive and harder to work with than cat6.

The prices I've seen are around ~$60 for good 5e per 500ft, about ~$110 for cat6 and around ~$200-250 for 6a.

 

[imagoon]

Not that the work is any different, but it does save money to use Cat6 ends on the jacks/punch downs at least.

I'd argue that with you. If you are using the proper tool that installs to the spec pressure etc, it normally costs more to put the ends on that it costs to buy a proper patch panel and patches.

If you are using the cheap home depot crimper then yeah it is "cheaper." I personally consider mod ends on the in wall cable the tell tail sign of shoddy work. Back when I did cable, I made so much money off the people that "saved a ton" doing it that way.

 

[azazel1024]

I think you may (may) have confused what I meant. I meant using cat6 keystone jacks with punch downs over 5e. The cat6 keystone jacks can be used with 23-26AWG wire, which means 5e and 6. They are also reusable if you wanted to (though generally cheap enough in bulk, you just might not want to bother).

That said, yes, I don't use a patch panel and patch cables on the "server room" end. Yes, to save money. Other than the occasional time were I bork a crimp and have to redo the end, I don't have any issues with my wires. I haven't tested them under 10GbE yet, but I don't have any issues even on very long 1GbE runs. Full speed, full duplex, no issues in testing the lines either.

For cost, it depends. Between all of my runs, plus all of the patch cables I've made at end devices, I am probably up to around $100 in cabling and a patch panel (on the low end), that I've spent around $5 on ends for and $20 in cat5e to make the patches with. Also convenience. Too many times where I realized I needed a longer/new patch cable, and unless I just decided to buy a ton of extra, that means I'd need to buy another and twiddle my thumbs waiting for it to show up, or drive somewhere and buy one.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I would continue to use the cat5e since you have it on hand, but once you run out, buy cat6. Chances are you'll probably not notice the difference other than benchmarks.

 

[imagoon]

I think you may (may) have confused what I meant. I meant using cat6 keystone jacks with punch downs over 5e. The cat6 keystone jacks can be used with 23-26AWG wire, which means 5e and 6. They are also reusable if you wanted to (though generally cheap enough in bulk, you just might not want to bother).

That said, yes, I don't use a patch panel and patch cables on the "server room" end. Yes, to save money. Other than the occasional time were I bork a crimp and have to redo the end, I don't have any issues with my wires. I haven't tested them under 10GbE yet, but I don't have any issues even on very long 1GbE runs. Full speed, full duplex, no issues in testing the lines either.

For cost, it depends. Between all of my runs, plus all of the patch cables I've made at end devices, I am probably up to around $100 in cabling and a patch panel (on the low end), that I've spent around $5 on ends for and $20 in cat5e to make the patches with. Also convenience. Too many times where I realized I needed a longer/new patch cable, and unless I just decided to buy a ton of extra, that means I'd need to buy another and twiddle my thumbs waiting for it to show up, or drive somewhere and buy one.

I guess if it works for you fine, but it is still not to spec. Patch cables and the like are so cheap that I just buy them in packs of 5 or 10 when I need to order. When they vary from less than $1 for 1ft to about $3.50 for 15 footers it is cheap insurance. I can't even build the 1 foots for as cheap as I can buy them once I account for time doing it. On the switch side I prefer a patch panel or keystones. Since I can get 8 port cat5e patch panels for $8, it just doesn't seem to be worth effort.

 

[sep]

Thanks for all the information. For now I'll use up my Cat5e cable and ends. I'm only running three more runs (bedroom 1 & 2 est. 15ft - 25ft) and kitchen (25ft).

 

[azazel1024]

I guess if it works for you fine, but it is still not to spec. Patch cables and the like are so cheap that I just buy them in packs of 5 or 10 when I need to order. When they vary from less than $1 for 1ft to about $3.50 for 15 footers it is cheap insurance. I can't even build the 1 foots for as cheap as I can buy them once I account for time doing it. On the switch side I prefer a patch panel or keystones. Since I can get 8 port cat5e patch panels for $8, it just doesn't seem to be worth effort.

For itty bitty ones, sure. For me I am relatively time insensitive. At least to the extent that I really enjoy making cables and I generally don't have to make them all that often.