Cat6 Cables

Cat6 or Cat6a?

Both carry gigabit ethernet with room to spare, and both use the same RJ45 plugs. Cat6 is rated to 250MHz and carries 10 gigabit over shorter runs, which covers most homes and offices. Cat6a is rated to 500MHz and carries 10 gigabit over the full length of a standard network run, so it is the choice for a new installation that should last, for a link between switches, or for a busy office. Cat6a cable is a little thicker and stiffer than Cat6, so it needs a gentler bend and a little more room in trunking.

The two work together: a Cat6a cable connects to Cat6 equipment, and the link runs at whatever the slowest part supports.

Patch leads for desks, TVs and consoles

A patch lead has an RJ45 plug moulded or crimped on each end, ready to connect a computer, a TV, a games console or a printer to a router or a wall socket. Our AV:Link patch leads come in a spread of lengths, so you can choose one that reaches without a coil of spare cable behind the desk. The flat Cat6a leads are thin enough to run under a rug or a door, where a round lead would stand proud. Short leads, under a metre, suit a router and a switch on the same shelf, and longer ones reach across a room to a TV or a desk. Keep the bend gentle where a lead leaves its plug, and avoid pinching it under furniture.

A wired connection is steadier than wireless for streaming and gaming, and a patch lead is the simplest way to get one.

Bulk cable for installations

For fixed wiring, network cable comes on the reel and is cut to length on site, then terminated into wall sockets and patch panels. Our Mercury reels come in Cat6 and Cat6a, in 305m and 100m lengths, with solid copper conductors on several for the fixed runs that punch-down terminals are made for. Some reels have LSZH sheaths for installations that specify them. A 305m box is the usual size for an installer, and a 100m reel suits a smaller job such as a few rooms in a house.

Stranded cable belongs in patch leads that flex; solid cable belongs in walls and ceilings where it stays put.

UTP, FTP and shielding

Unshielded twisted pair, UTP, relies on the twist of each pair to reject interference and suits most homes and offices. Shielded types wrap the pairs in foil, shown as F/UTP, U/FTP or S/FTP, which helps where cable runs past motors, lighting ballasts or other sources of electrical noise. A shielded cable needs shielded plugs and sockets at both ends to get the benefit. Shielded cable is also a common choice in AV installations, where network cable runs beside audio and video lines.

If you are unsure, UTP is the straightforward choice for a home, and shielded cable is worth it on a busy commercial site.

Runs between buildings

Indoor network cable is not made for sunlight and damp, so a run to a garden office, a garage or an outbuilding should use outdoor-grade cable. Our outdoor reels have a tougher black sheath for the job. Route outdoor cable through a duct or along a wall where it will not be disturbed, and bring it indoors to a socket rather than running indoor cable outside. Leave a little spare at each end so the cable can be terminated again if a plug is ever damaged, and seal the entry where a run passes through a wall so water cannot follow the cable indoors.

Speed, length and what limits it

A standard ethernet link can run up to 100m from switch to device, including the patch leads at each end. Within that, the speed you see depends on every part of the chain: the broadband service, the router, any switch in between and the network port on the device. A Cat6 cable will not raise a slow broadband line, but it removes the cable as the weak link. A network switch turns one socket into several, and each device then has its own full-speed link to the switch.

For a home, a Cat6 patch lead from the router to a TV or a desk is usually all it takes.