When it comes to installing cables for the internet, local networks, and other important elements that your home and business needs, there are different cables that offer a variety of benefits and disadvantages. CAT5 and CAT5e are 2 types of cabling that can be used for Ethernet and creating a network within a building. Below are some of the most important differences to take into account.
Supporting a Network
The first thing to consider is which cables are the most advantageous for supporting a network. If you’re looking for a faster connection speed that is going to offer the most reliable amount of uptime, you’re going to want to opt for CAT5 cable, as it is 10/100 Ethernet. You’ll also find that CAT5e is versatile as it offers compatibility with fast Ethernet, gigabit Ethernet, and it can be backwards compatible. This means you can use CAT5e cable for the same applications that you would use CAT5 cable.
Electrical Interference
There’s nothing more difficult than having to deal with electrical interference while you’re working on the network. CAT5e is the most preferable type of cable to help reduce the amount of electrical interference that your network might encounter. Depending on where you are located, there’s a high probability that your signal could be affecting other wire signals in the area and vice versa. Cross talk has been greatly reduced when technicians opt for CAT5e instead of CAT5.
Bandwidth Opportunities
When you are looking into a network, one of the most important terms that you’ll hear about is “bandwidth”. This feature determines not only how much information you will be able to receive and send through your network, but the speed at which it transfers the information. The simplest way to understand bandwidth is the more that you have, the more information you can work with at any time during the day. With CAT5e cables you will get 350 megahertz, which is an ample amount of bandwidth that is essential for businesses that are interested in speed. This is also substantially faster than what you would receive with CAT5 cable.
The most important thing to remember is that CAT5e cable is completely backwards compatible and can be used anywhere that regular CAT5 cable would be used. This is why it is suggested that most technicians opt for CAT5e wherever possible as it offers their clients faster speeds, easier information processing, and a variety of other benefits.
