Diff B/w Cat5 and cat5e cables?

Question

Can anybody tell me the exact difference between the two?

Answer 1

CAT 5 was the original able used for 10 Mbps networks. It was rated to carry fairly short distances (100 meters) at best and not for higher speeds. It actually proved to be as good on 100 Mbps at most distances as long as there was not too much electrical interference along its' path. Advances in making the cables and the way the pairs were twisted made them more reliable at higher frequencies so they were rated to give 100 Mbps at 100 meters. Actually they have proved to manage even 1000 Mbps at shorter distances. CAT 6 can carry 1000 Mbps to long distances, I have one place where it goes 300 meters with no losses. The main difference to CAT6 is that it has a nylon center cord which prevents the tight bending and creasing of the cable which CAT 5 and 5E could suffer. Using CAT6 for CCTV signal I have successfully reached 400 Meters with no losses.

Answer 2

CAT5: Category 5 is the most basic. Cat 5 cable is available in two varieties: Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP), the type widely used in the United States, and Screened Twisted Pair (SCTP), which has shielding to provide a measure of extra protection against interference, but is rarely used outside of Europe. Cables belonging to Category 5 are either solid or stranded: Solid Cat 5 is more rigid, and the better choice if data needs to be transmitted over a long distance, while Stranded Cat 5 is very flexible and most likely to be used as patch cable. Cat 5 cable can support 10 or 100 Mbps Ethernet, and has a capability of up to 100MHz.





CAT5e: Cat 5e (which stands for Category 5, enhanced) cable goes along the same lines as basic Cat 5, except that it fulfills higher standards of data transmission. While Cat 5 is common in existing cabling systems, Category 5e has almost entirely replaced it in new installations. Cat 5e can handle data transfer at 1000 Mbps, is suitable for Gigabit Ethernet, and experiences much lower levels of near-end crosstalk (NEXT) than Cat 5.

Answer 3

CAT5 cable contains four twisted pairs of copper wire and supports voice and data transmission rates up to 100 Mbps. It is commonly used for Fast Ethernet installations. Although CAT5 cable contains four pairs of wire, Fast Ethernet only utilizes two of these pairs. A newer specification for CAT5 cable, referred to as CAT5 Enhanced (CAT5e) utilizes all four wire pairs. CAT5e improves the performance characteristics of the cable enabling it to support short-run Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps) networking. CAT5e is backward-compatible with regular CAT5.

Answer 4

CAT5 cable contains four pairs of copper wire. It supports Fast Ethernet speeds (up to 100 Mbps). As with all other types of twisted pair EIA/TIA cabling, CAT5 cable runs are limited to a maximum recommended run length of 100m (328 feet).



Although CAT5 cable usually contains four pairs of copper wire, Fast Ethernet communications only utilize two pairs. A newer specification for CAT5 cable - CAT5 enhanced ("CAT5e" or "CAT 5e") - supports networking at Gigabit Ethernet[ speeds (up to 1000 Mbps) over short distances by utilizing all four wire pairs, and it is backward-compatible with ordinary CAT5.



Twisted pair cable like CAT5 comes in two main varieties, solid and stranded. Solid CAT5 cable supports longer length runs and works best in fixed wiring configurations like office buildings. Stranded CAT5 cable, on the other hand, is more pliable and better suited for shorter-distance, movable cabling such as on-the-fly patch cabling.



Though newer cable technologies like CAT6 and CAT7 are in development, CAT5 / CAT5e Ethernet cable remains the popular choice for most wired local area networks (LANs), because Ethernet gear is both affordable and supports high speeds.