cat5 cat5e cat6 cat6e cat7!! What on earth! what do i use! 3

[nerrrad]

Hi people,

I'm about to rewire my home and i need some advice on what cabling to use.

There is going to be a central server which has films music etc and a device in each room that allows someone to stream content from the server.

Could some body please explain to me the difference between each cable type the advantages / disadvantages whether to get:

- Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)

- Shielded Twisted Pair (STP)

- Screened Shielded Twisted Pair (S/STP)

- Screened Unshielded Twisted Pair (S/UTP)

and if you can even have those on certain types of cable!

Thanks for your time

regards


Darren

 

[skip555]

utp cat5e will be more than adequate

 

[jimbopalmer]

Cat 5 is not offered for sale, it has been obsolete since 2001, so any box of Cat 5 you find it at least 5 years old.

Cat5e is suitable for 10/100/1000baseT ethernet for 100 meters, when properly installed.

Cat 6 is also good for 10 gig ethernet for 37 meters, but that is pretty short, unless just in a server room.

There is no Cat 6e, but Cat 6A will be good for 10/100/1000/10GbaseT ethernet for 100 meters.

Unshielded Twisted Pair has no ground shield around the wires. It is the standard in the US, where most network standards were defined. There are extensions to the standards to allow for the more common in Europe, Shielded Twisted Pair.



I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.

 

[oldtimerbob]

Not too long ago I put up some information on our company website that may assist you.

http://www.globusinc.net/aboutcabling.html

There is also another link there comparing cat5e to cat6.

The only thing I did not mention was 'screened'(looks like the shielding on coax )cable,tho all it is actually is another layer of sheilding,sorta like quad shield coax.

then you have a variation of the 'screen' only not with the shield ( a foil )

Hope this assist you,
Bob


Has been in the cabling business for about twenty years and is now the Sr PM for a cabling company located in the Los Angeles area.

http://www.globusinc.net

Also a General Class Amatuer Radio Operator.

 

[PhoneGuy2000]

Make sure when you wire your home that you make good use of the pain and suffering of climbing in the attic and fishing walls. Add enough cables to do what you need today and a spare for the futture. You can even leave the spare cable coiled in the wall. The price of cable for your home (plenum is not required) is cheap enough to make this a no brainer. Also, remember that when you wire, you will have devices on one side of the room, but you will be sitting on the other side. IE, bedrooms, living room... Also, make sure you have data wiring to the outside of your home for the demark. I recently had fiber to the home installed, and they mounted a mux and battery box outside. I had to run Cat5e to it to bring my broadband into the house. Do a google search on "smart house" wiring and do some reading. You may save yourself some headaches later.
Also, remember that in the home, you wire the data jacks using EIA/TIA T568A wiring scheme. This is per the EIA/TIA 570 residential wiring standard. They do this to support telecom and data functionality. There is no functional difference in the T568A and T568B wiring for data, but it is common on a phone jack to wire the 1st pair, usually your White/Blue pair as line 1 and the 2nd pair, usually the White/Orange pair, as line 2. The pinout for T568B requires you to skip the Orange Pair and use the Green Pair. So stick to the T568A for residential.
Also, make sure as you are running the wires, that you do not place them tight up against the attic roof. Heat can increase impedence in the wire and affect your signal. Avoid Electrical wires if at all possible. WHen you must run by Electrical wires, try to cross them at 90 degress. Do not tie wrap or lay next to an electrical wire going the same direction you are. Select another path at least a foot away. Use a separate hole to go trhough the top plate into the wall if you can. Stay to the opposite stud or better yet, install in the next wall space over. Most studs are 16 inches on center, some are 24 inches on center. Always drill the hole in the toplate and try to fish the wall before you cut a hole in the wall. Most exterior walls and some interior walls have blocking called "fire breaks". THese will be at different heights. You can purchase a drill bit long enough to get through the fire breaks, but knowing in advance is a good thing. If you do buy a long drill bit to drill the fire breaks, make sure it has a small hole in the drill bit end. After you drill down, do not pull the drill up yet. Attach a piece of string long enough to reach from the floor to the attic to the hole in the bit and then pull up. You will have a hard time hitting that hole again once the drill bit is pulled up. If you are going to add a wiring panel, always size it larger than you think you need. Run the electrical for the in-panel outlet before you permanently mount the panel. Much easier this way.

Just some ideas to help you from a guy with 24 years in the business and who has wired his own home.

 

[nerrrad]

Thanks Guys you all have been very helpful, start this weekend wish me luck!