Cat6

[Phobia]

I have a few older network cables, i'm not sure if they're cat5 or 6 is there a way to check?

[Cheator]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I have a few older network cables, i'm not sure if they're cat5 or 6 is there a way to check?

Cut it open. or look on it and see if it says cat 6

[Jack Rabbit]

If the type of cable is not printed on the side you will not be able to know for sure. If they are older then I would bet they are CAT-5.

What do you want to do? If you are worried about using them with Gigabit Ethernet I would not be. Unless the cables are smashed, run out to the garage and back, and wrapped around the microwave twice they should work well enough for normal use.

[BrainEater]

Yea cutting it open won't help , unless you intend to do twist rate counts on all the pairs.

If it's cat6 , it will be printed right on the side of the cable.Cat 6 cables are usually tested and certified , and this is ALWAYS printed onto the cable.

If it's cat5 or cat5e it may or may not be marked.

Typically with older cat6 cables , they are fatter than a cat5e , but this can't be used as a general rule.....I've got lots of thinner cat6.

[sswilson]

What is the actual benefit to cat6 over cat5?

I'm guessing higher possible bandwidth and longer runs, I can't imagine anything else they could offer unless it's a better shielding spec.

Ok I googled the answer myself.... :)

Compare the Cat5e vs Cat6 Cabling Standard

[BrainEater]

Actual benefit ?

Depending on the length of your runs , you'd probably not notice.

I use certified cat6 exclusively on my network , but then I want every kb/sec I can get , and I want to be able to eliminate cables as a source of trouble.

The physical difference between cat5e and cat6 is so small you might not notice.The wire diameter is a little bigger with cat6 , and the twist rates are more tightly controlled with cat6 ( this helps eliminate 'crosstalk').

Cat5e and Cat6 are not inherently shielded (UTP) however STP versions are available for both.The Cat7 standard is inherently shielded with both foil on each pair , and the cable as a whole.

[Phobia]

ok, i'll check, thanks. I want cat6 cause i want to run my gigabit network to its fullest, to transfer files around my 3 pc's and my brothers

[Cptn Vortex]

Cat5e is fine.

[Dashock]

Just out of curiosity the 5e cabling i have at my local shop sells Cat 5e rated at 350mhz am i right to assume that it transfers speeds of up to 350mbs a second with that? and how much faster is Cat 6?
350 MHZ
Level 5 Enhanced / Level 6
Transmits at up to 350 Mbps
Compatible with 10 Base T / 100 Base T networks
Straight - through
Solid core wire
FT4 rated
Blue 568A

thats the info it shows all ma cables around aboot 6 years old so im wonderin

[Jack Rabbit]

You either have a 100M adapter or a 1G adapter (in any semi/modern computer). They are not going to go faster than their rating. They do not sense the cable or know anything about it. They just put their signal on the line and retransmit if something does not work. If the cable is crap, too long, damaged, or otherwise not up to snuff you will get less than the rating but better cable will never give you more.

The cable is largely irrelevant for short distances (<30M) unless it is damaged or not properly wired. These ratings and standards are designed to guarantee proper functioning in offices where you have bundles of a hundred drops in the cable tray all chattering and cross talking and maximum lengths to get to the far cubes. If you need to wire an office of 500 wage slaves then you need to get certified. If you want to lay some patches on the floor of your rental apartment then just about anything will do.