Just imagine a world without the internet and all these wired cables that help maintain the speed and networking for your business or at home, streaming videos, or communication purposes. Yeah, we can’t imagine this because we are so used to the internet or “Ethernet Cable”. The next upgrade besides ethernet cable is wireless technology. But still old is gold. Bulk Cat5e Ethernet Cable has cast an impression with its gigabit speed at a short length.
In this blog, come along to the world of networking and the definition of Cat5e Ethernet Cable, its existence, the ultimate specs, STP and UTP variants, and the internal conductor. Adoption is very important and for that stick to this blog for your understanding and buying guide. So let's start.
From Dial-Up to Downloading: The Rise of Cat5e
In 1980, scientists and a group of engineers felt the need for wired cables with high specs that could transfer quality data without intrusion. So they started to develop twisted pair cables like Cat1 up to Cat5 with 100Mbps speed. But that was not enough so in 1999, they introduced Cat 5E ethernet cable with improved specs and quality. The “E” in the cable refers to the “Enhanced” which means it has maximum power and shows better capabilities than its predecessors (Cat5).
The cable has 8 wires (Conductors) made of either Copper (For Performance) or (Copper-Clad Aluminum). Both have different reasons for performance statistics. There are two possible locations where you can install wired cables — horizontal and vertical.
Each of the ethernet cables comes with a spec for installation. This is for the user to install the cable properly so that the cable performs well with maximum lifespan. What makes a Cat5e bulk cable so good for your network, here you will know all the information.
Specs that Matter: What Makes Cat5e Tick?
The attributes of ethernet cables will define the need or want of a particular buyer. If the cable is going to be used for high applications the choice would be different or if it's used for SMEs and offices or at setting up a home network then Cat5e Ethernet Cable is the best choice here is why.
Enhanced category 5 cable comes in different length sizes 250ft, 500ft, and 1000ft in bulk to eliminate the need for length shortage. The internal structure of the cable is composed of 8 conductor wires and these wires are then later used to terminate the cable by using an RJ45 connector following two wiring schemes — T568A and T568B, which are then used to plug into devices like routers, modems, and computers.
There are two length limitations for Cat5e ethernet cables — shorter (50 meters) and longer (100 meters). Make sure not to exceed ethernet cable length beyond 100 meters it is suggested that you use cable 90 meters or 95 meters of total cable length including patch cable.
There is still more copper cable and CCA cable shows the same speed specs as that of 1 Gbps over shorter lengths whereas at 328ft it delivers 100 Mbps. The bandwidth is of great importance as the cat5e cable diameter is 24 AWG so the maximum bandwidth is 350 MHz. This will support high-end applications of ethernet. So far so good the discussion is not over yet, there are still some features that you should know to buy the right cable.
Unshielded vs. Shielded: Choosing the Right Cat5e for Your Needs
Just name an intricate structure that does not need wired cabling for networking purposes, for this reason, the Cat5e cable 1000ft comes in two variants – Cat 5E Shielded and Cat 5E Unshielded.
Shielded Cat5e cables are not the simple ones but there are some of the factors that define the shielded cables.
Complex wiring structures
Artificial interference
Bulk power lines
Industrial equipments
High voltage cables
Well, if you see such wiring clusters in the same area then there is no use for unshielded cat5e go with the safest choice. There are two types of shield present in the cable — Aluminum foil or braided shielded. It is mostly covering the entire length of the cable. Here “F” refers to the Foil and “S” refers to the Braid one. The shielded cat5e cable shows better performance regarding speed and restricts the entry of outside interference. So, it leads to the perfect signal quality.
In the market, you can often see F/UTP, S/UTP, U/FTP, and SF/FTP (Ultimate protection from EMI and RFI). Due to the addition of an insulation layer in shielded cables the cable cost increases. If you need shielded cables then investing in this high ethernet cable is worth it.
Besides Shielded cables, there are unshielded Cat5e ethernet cables that are known as general ethernet cables. These cables lack internal insulation and can be used in stationary spaces of buildings. They are more in demand due to their flexibility, ease of installation, less weight, and rigid nature. But one thing you need to make sure of while selecting the cable is that your location (Office or House) should not be active with EMI or RFI. In that case, all your signals will drop down or you might get frequent networking errors.
Ethernet cable selection is one of the core parts of networking. The right selection will have a positive impact or else make up your mind to bear frequent errors. Cat5e shielded or unshielded cables both show the best performance but the STP version will restrict the outside signals that are the best part of the shielded cables.
Future-Proof or Past Prime? Cat5e in the Age of Gigabit Speed
If you know that ethernet cables will increase the speed of your network here let me clear your mind that this a myth and this statement is the opposite for networking cables. LAN cable is a protocol that you use to streamline your network performance or speed potentially.
Do you know about future-proofing? Like Cat5e some other cables like Cat6 and Cat6a show even better performance and quality regarding the speed and bandwidth. Future-proofing explains to opt for the high-speed cables, if you want to upgrade your internet speed provided by ISP (Internet Service Provider) you will not upgrade your cabling structure.
Well, cat5e also secures future-proofing at a shorter length, but if the scenario is changed to install the cables in the industry then cat5e might fail due to its 100 Mbps speed.
Beyond the Wires: Connecting Devices and Building Networks
You are surely familiar with the ethernet cable outer jackets that make them more suitable for the specific locations of the buildings. As quoted earlier in the context, there are two possible spaces where you can install cables — Horizontal and Vertical. Which jacket can be used in horizontal space or vertical space?
Do you know CMP and CMR? Here CMP — Communication Multipurpose Plenum and CMR — Communication Multipurpose Riser. These are the names of the two jackets Plenum is more sophisticated and premium, showing maximum protection of the cable from the flames due to its FEP material and also (LSZH) to emit non-toxic smoke.
Both plenum and riser are indoor cables that show maximum lifespan when used within the buildings, here riser is a PVC used for horizontal spaces and shows fire-resistant properties, but it emits less toxic smoke upon burning the cable.
Cat5e bulk cable can be used in commercial buildings and residential setups. So it means that they are frequently used in house networking for catering to different applications. Cat5e ethernet cable with copper cable will allow you to run fast ethernet applications like PoE (Surveillance, IP cameras) and 10/100/1000BASE-T, meanwhile there is also demand for audio/video streaming.
Final Thought
There is a lot to understand about networking technology – ethernet cables that have some disguised properties and are only visible when you learn about Cat5e ethernet cable. Therefore, this blog explains the first gigabit cable, and upon that is named as enhanced cat5 cable.
I hope this information will help you understand the cat5e bulk cable. If you have any questions do ask and I will answer them ASAP. Good Luck.
