Physically, between Cat5E and Cat6, the main 2 things one will notice is that Cat6 is a little thicker. Cat5E is typically 24 AWG, while Cat6 is 23 AWG, which with the AWG system, a smaller number is thicker cable, so Cat6 is a little bit thicker. The other thing to notice is Cat6 usually has a 'spline' in the cable, it is a divider that helps keep the 4 pairs separated from each other, which helps prevent cross-talk. You can look at the image above and see what the spline typically looks like. Both types have a maximum distance of 100M, or 328ft. As far as speed of each, Cat5E's max. speed is 1GBASE-T up to the max. distance, while Cat6 supports 2.5GBASE-T up to the max. distance, and can support 10GBASE-T up to 110ft. If you are unsure of which best fits your needs, please Contact Us and we can help you choose.

UTP stands for Unshielded Twisted Pair, while STP stands for Shielded Twisted Pair, and most applications require UTP. The difference between the two is that STP has foil wrapping each of it's pairs, along with a shield, or drain, wire. STP requires special RJ45 connectors that has a mechanism to connect the shield wire. Not sure which type you need, we can help you pick, Contact Us now for more information.

So, you've heard the term plenum before, but never paid it any mind. Well, today is the day. There are different ratings of UTP/STP cable, which the biggest factor is how much smoke they produce if a fire was to break out. There are other variances, but that is the major one.
First, let's define what the plenum space is. Most businesses have false ceilings, and the space above the ceiling tiles to the actual ceiling is typically the plenum area. Since that is air that the people below it breathe, it makes a difference on smoke inhalation. Cable designed for plenum areas give off a lot less smoke than other ratings of cables. General rule of thumb, when in doubt, use plenum cable. If you need help deciding which type suits you best, feel free to Contact Us with any questions you may have.

They sound similar, but when it comes to network cabling, there is a huge difference. If you were to go to your local Home Depot or Lowe's, and purchase a LAN or cable tester from there, it would be what is called a wire-mapper. It just makes sure that all 8 conductors of the cable are pinned out properly. It basically says 'This SHOULD Work'. But there are a lot of other factors like crosstalk that affect a cable's performance. That's where a certifier comes in, it will do the wire-map, but then they run several other tests on the cable and comes back saying 'This WILL Work'. An analogy would be, a wire-mapper would look at the tire on a car and say 'This should work', but a certifier will go and also make sure lug nuts are torqued to manufacturer's specs., tire pressure is at manufacturer's specs., etc, and will say 'This WILL Work' if that makes sense. Another feature of certifier's is that most of them can produce PDF results, so you, as the customer, can receive a copy of your cable test results. This is something you should request of your cable installer. If you would like more information, please Contact Us.