Cat 5 a utp cable was the first ethernet cable that also supported video and telephone signals.
Ethernet cable cat 5 vs cat 6.
In the picture above the cat 5e cable is the only one with a spline.
When it comes to cat5 and cat6 ethernet cables there s no right or wrong choice.
Although the spline is not required in cat 5 cable some manufactures include it anyway.
Cat6 is an upgraded version of cat5 cables.
Technically both ethernet cable cat 5e and cat 6 twisted with a different colour of pair cables that used to copper.
It has almost been abandoned by the market now.
The end that all the cables have in common is known as rj 45 and it is capable of plugging into any ethernet jack on a computer router or another similar device.
Here we look at the difference between cat5 cat6 and cat7 kinds of ethernet cables.
In cat 6 cable the spline is not required either as long as the cable tests according to the standard.
You ll still find cat 5 cables in use but you should avoid them altogether.
This is the slowest cable that anyone should use for a new ethernet.
Cat 5 ethernet cable.
Cat5 is a twisted pair cable that is used in structured cabling for ethernet.
For each cable cat stands for category.
It is the oldest and the slowest of all cables.
Although the spline is not required in cat 5 cable some manufacturers include it anyway so cat5 or cat6.
Cat 5 cables support 10 100 mbps which translates into data transfer speed of either 10 or 100 mbps.
Many cat 6 cables also include a nylon spline which helps eliminate crosstalk says how to geek.
Nobody in the industry expects this to change anytime soon.
Cat 5e vs cat 6.
Cat6 cable cat6 cables have been around for only a few years less than cat5e cables.
Cat 5 ethernet cable succeeded cat 3 and 4 and was designed to satisfy the need for a cable that could support higher speeds.
Both cat 3 and cat 5 ethernet cables are at this point obsolete.
Many cat 6 cables also include a nylon spline which helps eliminate crosstalk.