Running 10GBASE-T Over Cat6 vs Cat6a vs Cat7 Cabling?

Demands for high bandwidth keep increasing. Legacy Cat5 and Cat5e patch cables are no longer catered to 10Gbps, which calls for new specifications of twisted pair copper cabling. Ethernet cables with higher bandwidths such as Cat6, Cat6a, and Cat7 cables are introduced for high-speed applications of 10GBASE-T. What are the differences between Cat6 vs Cat6a vs Cat7 Cables? Should I choose Cat7, Cat6, or Cat6a as 10G Ethernet cables?

Cat6 vs Cat6a, How to Choose?

Overall, 10GbE Cat6a cable has better network performance than 10GbE Cat6 cable. Cat6a 10GBASE-T cabling can deliver 10G performance of higher frequencies (500 MHz) and with longer link lengths (100 m) than that of Cat6 cabling (250 MHz, 55 m). Cat6 Ethernet cable supports 10GBASE-T over a distance only between 37 and 55 meters depending on the alien crosstalk environment.

Compared with Cat6, Ca6a has more robust sheathing, which reduces alien crosstalk and improves the signal-to-noise ratio. Besides, adopting Cat6 cable in 10Gbps can’t make use of power-saving short-reach mode. Short reach mode can reduce power consumption by 1W per port when using Cat6 of 30 meters or less. So 10GBASE-T cable Cat6 is not cost-effective and environment-friendly enough for 10GBASE-T application. What’s more, the Cat6 cable can’t dissipate heat as well as the Cat6a 10GBASE-T cable since the Cat6 10GBASE-T cable has a smaller diameter conductor.

10GbE Cat6 cabling indeed costs less than 10GbE Cat6a cabling. However, say that if you gamble on running 10Gbps over Cat6 cabling, you’ll have to replace all the Cat6 components when it does not work, which will cost much more than directly using Cat6a cabling.

In a word, 10GBASE-T cable Cat6 vs Cat6a, the former is not suggested to be used in some of the 10GBASE-T applications due to its limitations. The minimum grade of cabling to be deployed in a 10GBASE-T network should be Cat6a cable. As for which kind of Cat6a 10GBASE-T cable to use.

Cat6a vs Cat7, How to Choose?

Actually, the Cat7 standard was ratified to support 10Gbps over 100 m earlier than Cat6a. A major advantage of the Cat7 cable is that it has a shield for each of the four wire pairs and for the four pairs as a whole, making it better in noise resistance but less flexible and manageable as well. Thus, 10GbE over Cat7 cable is less easy to install than Cat6a cable, while the price for Cat7 cable is much more expensive as well.

In the laboratory, Cat7 cable speed has shown the potential to reach the data rates of 40Gbps, 50Gbps, and 100Gbps. But the Cat7 cable itself only provides the power and speeds of the equipment and Internet type it is working with. The Internet speed won’t be improved when you only change to a faster cable but remain using slower-speed equipment. That is to say, if you’re using a 10GBASE-T copper switch to connect your 10G server, you will get 10G at most whether you replace Cat6a with Cat7 or not.

The connector type for Cat7 is slightly different from the previous two—RJ45-compatible GG45 connector. Though the Cat7 cable can also use an RJ45 connector, it will be easier to terminate this cable with thick sheathing to the narrow jack in the field. Thus, you may need to hire a specialized electrician or spend a long time terminating the RJ45 jacks to Cat7 cables on your own.

So, Cat7 or Cat6a, which to choose? Most people suppose that Cat7 provides significantly more bandwidth than they need, therefore opting for Cat6a or Cat6. However, as more homes add additional technologies for their ethernet cables, such as automation, closed-circuit security devices, personal servers, and smart home technology, Cat7 may be more appropriate. For this reason, people who foresee an increase in their bandwidth use may opt for the faster cable Cat7, while those who infrequently update technology may go with Cat6a, which is totally sufficient.

Credit : community.fs.com