C
Category Cat 5 / Cat 5e / Cat 6 / Cat 6a / Cat 7 / Cat 7a / Cat 8.1 / Cat 8.2
Definition
(Context: Hardware)
A standard twisted pair cable for computer networks.
Cat5e provides performance of up to 100 MHz and is suitable for most varieties of Ethernet over twisted pair up to 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet). It is also used to carry other signals such as telephony and video.
| Name | Typical construction | Bandwidth | Applications | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 400 kHz | Telephone and modem lines | Not described in EIA/TIA recommendations. Unsuitable for modern systems.[17] | |
| Level 2 | 4 MHz | Older terminal systems, e.g. IBM 3270 | Not described in EIA/TIA recommendations. Unsuitable for modern systems.[17] | |
| Cat 3 | UTP[18] | 16 MHz[18] | 10BASE-T, 100BASE-T4[18] | Described in EIA/TIA-568. Unsuitable for speeds above 16 Mbit/s. Now mainly for telephone cables.[18] |
| Cat 4 | UTP[18] | 20 MHz[18] | 16 Mbit/s Token Ring[18] | Not commonly used[18] |
| Cat 5 | UTP[18] | 100 MHz[18] | 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T[18] | Common for current LANs. Superseded by Cat 5e, but most Cat 5 cables meet Cat 5e standards.[18] Limited to 100 m between equipment. |
| Cat 5e | UTP,[18] F/UTP, U/FTP[19] | 100 MHz[18] | 1000BASE-T, 2.5GBASE-T[18] | Enhanced Cat 5. Common for current LANs. Same construction as Cat 5, but with better testing standards.[18] Limited to 100m between equipment. |
| Cat 6 | UTP,[18] F/UTP, U/FTP[20] | 250 MHz[18] | 5GBASE-T, 10GBASE-T | ISO/IEC 11801 2nd Ed. (2002), ANSI/TIA 568-B.2-1. Limited to 55 m distance at 10GBASE-T |
| Cat 6A | UTP, F/UTP, U/FTP, S/FTP | 500 MHz | 5GBASE-T, 10GBASE-T | Improved standards, tested to 500 MHz. Full 100 m distance at 10GBASE-T ISO/IEC 11801 2nd Ed. Am. 2. (2008), ANSI/TIA-568-C.1 (2009) |
| Cat 7 | S/FTP, F/FTP | 600 MHz[21] | ? | ISO/IEC 11801 2nd Ed. (2002). Only with GG45 or TERA connectors. It is not recognized by the EIA/TIA. |
| Cat 7A | S/FTP, F/FTP | 1 GHz[21] | ? | ISO/IEC 11801 2nd Ed. Am. 2. (2008). Only with GG45 or TERA connectors. It is not recognized by the EIA/TIA. |
| Cat 8.1 | F/UTP, U/FTP | 2 GHz[21] | 25GBASE-T, 40GBASE-T | ANSI/TIA-568-C.2-1, ISO/IEC 11801-1:2017 |
| Cat 8.2 | S/FTP, F/FTP | 2 GHz | 25GBASE-T, 40GBASE-T | ISO/IEC 11801-1:2017 |
Reference:
See Also: