What is Enhanced Category 5?
Enhanced Category 5 (Cat5e) is a specification designed for data networks to support very high speed data transmission, like Gigabit Ethernet, at a bandwidth of 100MHz. Enhanced Category 5 provides Power Sum characteristics to support these data rates. Enhanced Category 5 is now the base line product from most manufacturers.
What is Power Sum?
Traditionally, Crosstalk was only measured between any combination of two pairs within the cabling. Power Sum is a way of determining the Crosstalk on an individual pair caused by the three other pairs in the cabling. This is of crucial importance for Gigabit Ethernet where all four pair are used simultaneously.
What are the improvements over Category 5?
Standard Category 5 supported data rates up to 100 Mbps across cabling infrastructures at a bandwidth of up to 100 MHz. Only a limited number of characteristics were specified. Enhanced Category 5 supports increased data rates (presently up to 1000Mbps) across a cabling infrastructure offering the same 100MHz bandwidth. To achieve this; additional characteristics have been specified to provide a more tightly controlled cabling infrastructure. The circuitry of Enhanced Category 5 products has been improved to provide the required performance.
When to use Category 5 products?
If you anticipate a need for higher data rates then perhaps your network may benefit from Category 6 or possibly fibre.
Installing Enhanced Category 5 products will ensure that your network can support high speed applications like Gigabit Ethernet. If a data rate of 1 Gigabit per second to the desktop covers your data needs for the coming years then Category 5e is the one for you. If you anticipate a need for higher data rates then perhaps your network may benefit from Category 6 or possibly fibre.
What is Class E?
Category 5e products are specified up to 100Mhz. They can support very high-speed protocols like Gigabit Ethernet using complex encoding and de-coding techniques. Class E is the Category 6 standard for systems performing up to 250MHz.