100Mhz Cat5 vs 100Mhz Cat5e vs 100 Mhz Enhanced Cat5 ? 2

[fs483]

Hello,

I've been reading and have come upon different ways of calling UTP cables. Can someone please clarify. The e after Cat5e means enhanced right ? If so, if the writing on the cable is as follow : enhanced cat5e, does this mean it's a cat5e cable or just a cable which is slightly superior specs than a standard Cat5 cable ? I'm asking because I have come upon before for different products that switching words around are meant to trick people done by the marketing people. Also the cable that I have in front of me has the indication 350Mhz enhanced Cat5. Is this equivalent to Cat5e ? What would be the difference between this and a 100Mhz cable. I only paid 0.09$/foot canadian for a box of 1000feet at a place I used to work for (this is the cost price I think). This reseller usually sells it at 0.45$ a foot by the foot. Nice little profit.

Thanks
anthony

 

[daronwilson]

OK, here we go again. Disclaimer - this is off the top of my head with 1/2 a cup of coffee, don't have my books at home. There is a difference between what manufacturers market their cable as, and a what the standards committee sets standards for with regard to UTP cabling. Also the standard deals with wire and components to provide a complete 'channel' or 'link' at a specified bandwidth. So, you must also consider components not just wire.

Cat 5 is a 100 MHz channel, when you get all the components in you test it to 100 MHZ under various paramters to make it pass.

Cat5e is also a 100 MHz channel, when you get it all installed and test it at 100 MHz you have a Cat5e system. Now, Cat5e is better quality components, and to make it pass the specifications are tighter. Also as I remember, new tests were added for Cat5e which tested each pair against the other three. In Cat5 certification, you 'listened' on one pair while generating a noise on one other. In Cat5e you listen on one, while generating a noise on all the others. This gave us new tests that had to be done (PSNEXT, ELFEXT, PSELFEXT). The overall bandwidth of the cable was generally increased (250-350 MHz) in anticipation for the move to Cat6.

Cat6, newely ratified, provides a channel bandwidth of 250 Mhz. To show you how much better, here are the increases in performance of the following paramters as we move from Cat5e to Cat6:

NEXT - 33% better on Cat6
PSNEXT - 216% better on Cat6
ELFEXT - 104% better on Cat6
PSELFEXT - 95% better on Cat6
Return Loss - 58% better on Cat6

Hope that is enough to get you started, I think I explained it more on previous posts with the same question.

Good Luck.

It is only my opinion, based on my experience and education...I am always willing to learn, educate me!
Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
daron.wilson@lhmorris.com

 

[fs483]

Well can I safely say at 100% that enhanced cat5 = cat5e ? Having the word enhanced placed before cat5 means the same as having it after ? Is there any way I can physically inspect the wire (ie coun the number of twists over 1inch or something) other than using a sophisticated meter ?

anthony

 

[daronwilson]

Well I just went out and looked in my truck, three different brands and colors of wire in there (different customers, different colors) and two said 5e, one said enhanced Cat5. I would be willing to bed that yes, if it says enhanced you should be dealing with Cat5e. How do you know for sure? You check with the manufacturer of the cable for a spec sheet. The major players (Belden, Commscope, Berktek, General, Mohawk, etc.) have web sites and catalogs that show the specs on the cable. I personally stick with the major players, and usually after selecting the termination hardware manufacturer, THEY will tell you what brands of wire are recommended (which ones they have tested successfully).

No way to count twists that I know of, and as far as testing with a meter, about all you could do is install and terminate the wire, then test. I think the best bet is to check with the manufacturer of the wire.

Good Luck!
It is only my opinion, based on my experience and education...I am always willing to learn, educate me!
Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
daron.wilson@lhmorris.com