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Originally Posted by sswilson So honestly, cat6 isn't currently a benefit for consumer products (or even most business applications), and from the looks of it isn't going to be so anytime in the near future.? |
It's benefit, as mentioned earlier, is more in noise reduction and crosstalk reduction more than anything else. And it's usually priced almost exactly the same as CAT5e if you're shopping correctly. Although it does have it's uses. (Windows Storage Spaces JBOD arrays and data center environments that require heavy internal transfers.) Although, to be honest, any commercial application that I saw true value in heavily increased speeds, I would likely make a case for fiber instead. If reliable speed is that critical, then the extra money is worth it.
*EDIT*
To get the train back on the tracks... OP will have no issues interchanging CAT5e and CAT6 on his home network. There's no reason to return any cabling that has already been purchased. Just be aware that you're network is only as fast as it's weakest link. Providing that he has a gigabit switch/router (with a backbone capable of handling the traffic), then he's gigabit capable at home. That's a very respectable home network option.