A Category 5 (Cat5) cable is a type of cable designed with high signal integrity. It consists of unshielded twisted-pair copper wires and an insulating jacket. It is commonly used in structured cabling for computer networks, particularly for Ethernet. It is also used for carrying other signals such as token ring, ATM, and voice services.
The original cat5 specification can handle frequencies of up to 100 MHz. It has four twisted pairs of 24-gauge copper wires in a single cable jacket, with three twists per inch of each twisted pair. The twisting reduces crosstalk caused by electrical radio frequency interference. It is commonly used for 100 Mbps networks.
Category 5e cable
Category 5e cable is an enhanced version of the original cat5. It has added specifications for far end crosstalk. It is defined in the TIA/EIA-568-B standard. It is an excellent choice for use with 1000BASE-T.
Length: Choose only the required length of cat5 cable depending on the type of network you plan to set up, as a longer cable is more susceptible to damage. Cat 5e cable is limited to 90 meters in length and may not be suitable for longer cable distances for Ethernet networks.
ANSI approval: Make sure the Cat5 cable meets quality standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to ensure proper performance.
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