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How to Choose the Right Cat6 Ethernet Cable for Your Needs

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James Frank
How to Choose the Right Cat6 Ethernet Cable for Your Needs

You’ve decided that you need to purchase a new ethernet cable, and you’re trying to decide what type to get. There are so many different types of ethernet cables out there, and each has its own unique benefits and drawbacks. The Cat6 Plenum 1000ft Ethernet Cable can be perfect for your needs, but it depends on how you plan to use it! Consider these factors first when choosing the right Cat6 ethernet cable for your home or office network.


What are Category 6 Cables?

Cat6 cables are used in applications that require bandwidth capacity of up to 250 MHz and 1 gigabit per second (Gbps). Category 6 is a specialized high-speed network cable. What exactly does that mean? It means your network can run at top speed with Category 6 ethernet cables—and you’ll never need another network cable again. These 1000 ft bulk cat6 cables are ideal for any high-performance data transfer application, including 100/1000Base-T, 10Gigabit Ethernet, ATM, and FDDI applications. They will also be perfect for 10GBASE-T. Their increased bandwidth capability was made possible by reduced pair spacing and an improvement in conductor insulation systems which allows more energy throughput without signal degradation or crosstalk interference.


Why Do I Need a Cat6 Ethernet Cable?

Choosing a Cat6 ethernet cable is not always an easy decision, especially when there are so many different options available on a variety of websites. There are several factors that will affect your decision including the length of your cable run, your physical location, and whether or not you need your cables in plenum spaces. While Bulk Cat6 Cables offer some benefits over individual copper lines, in most cases it's better to purchase a higher-quality product that has been individually tested and offers specialized features specifically designed for use with ethernet technology.


Choosing the Correct Length

The first step in choosing a cat6 ethernet cable is measuring how far you need it to run. If your measurements are fairly standard—for example, if you’re connecting from one wall jack in your house or office to another, or even across two rooms—you can usually rely on a single box of cable and not have much trouble. However, when there are different walls involved, or when you want a longer run (or shorter), you’ll want a bulk cat6 cable.


Choosing the Correct Jacket Color

Choosing a jacket color based on your use case can help you avoid signal degradation and other performance issues. If you plan on placing your ethernet cable within a conduit, you should consider choosing a jacket that’s rated for plenum, like our cat6 plenum 1000ft cable.


Choosing the Correct Connectors for Your Network

One of the most important factors in choosing an ethernet cable is how you plan on connecting it. Even if two cables have identical ratings and specifications, having an incompatible connector can cause dropouts or even permanent damage to your network. By knowing what’s compatible with your setup, you can ensure that both ends are secured properly. Here’s a quick guide on RJ-45: The standard jack used by Cat5e and Cat6 cables, RJ-45 connectors come in 8P8C (RJ-45) or 6P4C (RJ-11) varieties.


Choosing Among Shielded and Unshielded Cables

As is clear from its name, a shielded cable provides protection against electromagnetic and radio frequency interference. Shielded Cables are designed with either a foil or braided shield surrounding each individual pair of wires, along with drain wire at both ends of every shield. The presence of foil and braided shields is what separates shielded cables from unshielded ones, which offer no shielding at all. The difference between these two types lies in how effective they are when it comes to signal transmission and susceptibility to external interference. Since plenum cables contain four tightly twisted pairs of high-quality copper wire surrounded by a braided drain wire, they're not susceptible to EMI/RFI contamination like unshielded cables.


Conclusion

Choosing which kind of cable is right for you is a daunting task, but with careful research and consideration, you can make an informed decision about what’s best in your situation. That said, it’s generally a good idea to stick with cables made by reputable companies; bad ones are more likely to be defective or won’t work as well. No matter what sort of cable you end up using read through user reviews and do your homework before making a purchase.

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