Is Cat6 Cable Better Than Cat5e?

 Should Cat6 Cabling Replace Cat5e?

Computer networks are an essential part of modern life, but for a network to be effective it needs to transfer data at high speeds. Achieving this is made possible with data cables. However, you need to have the correct cables in place. The traditional data cabling used was Cat 5, along with its enhanced successor Cat 5e. However, Cat 6 cabling has also been available for some time and represents one of the most popular and efficient data cabling solutions.

What is Cat6?

Cat 6 cabling uses four pairs of twisted copper cables and is specifically designed to be used in computer networks that utilize ethernet technology. Capable of operating at bandwidths reaching 250MHz, it’s also capable of transmitting data at high speeds. At distances of up to 100m, Cat 6 cables can move data at speeds of 1 Gbps. However, if this distance is lowered to 55m, a Cat 6 cable can increase this speed to 10 Gbps. Cat 6 cabling is also highly resistant to electrical interference, and this ensures data cabling Westminster quality is less likely to be compromised.

What Are the Benefits of Cat6?

If you are considering whether Cat 6 cabling should replace Cat5e it’s essential you understand all of its benefits:

Backward compatible: Cat 6 cabling was created as the successor to Cat 5 cabling and was designed to be backward compatible. Therefore, if your existing computer network is running on a Cat 5e-based infrastructure, it’s much easier to implement Cat 6 cabling gradually. This will not only reduce network downtime during installation but also allow you to invest in new cabling over a longer period.

Higher quality cables: the construction of Cat 6 cables means they are more tightly wound than Cat 5 cables, as well as feature thicker sheaths and cable conductors. These benefits combine to produce a cable that is both physically stronger and more efficient in terms of electrical performance.

Enhanced network performance: making the step up to Cat 6 IT cabling canary wharf will provide your computer network with a significant boost in performance. Files can be sent and received much quicker, so you will become more productive and competitive.

What are the categories of cable?

As well as Cat 6 cables, there are a number of options available for your network needs:

Cat 5: this type of cable also uses twisted pair copper cables but is unshielded. With a top performance rated at 100Mhz and distances of 100m covered, Cat 5 cables transmit data at speeds of up to 100MBps. An enhanced version, known as Cat 5e, is also available and can transfer data at a speed of 1Gbps.

Fiber optic: using glass fibers that carry light signals, fiber optic cables can send data over distances of 10km with speeds that can vary from 10Gbps to 100Gbps. The most modern data cable solution, fiber optic is also the most expensive option.

Cat 5e or Cat 6?

If you find your existing cables are failing and you need to replace Cat5e to keep pace with the demands of your network, then it’s likely that upgrading to Cat 6 cables will provide the speed and efficiency you need. If, however, your Cat 5e network allows you to remain productive, then an upgrade to Cat 6 cabling will represent an unnecessary investment.

Original Source: Is Cat6 Cable Better Than Cat5e?

What Is A Data Cable?

 

What is a data cable?

A data cable is a cable that connects two devices for the purpose of transferring data. Data cables can be broken down into three main types.

1. Twisted pair cabling.

2. Coaxial cabling.

3. Fibre optic cabling.

In this blog post, we will discuss what each type of data cable is and where they are used most often by breaking them down into these categories.

How to Choose the Right Category of Data Cable

There are a few things you should keep in mind when choosing the right category of data cable:

1. The type and quality of cabling are determined by its performance characteristics, such as speed or power.

2. Data cables must be selected based on their intended use. For example, network cables can vary depending on how many applications will run over them at one time. You may also need to consider distance limitations.

3. The most common choice is Copper Category Cables which are made up of twisted pair wires covered by an outer sheath (shield). Twisted pair wire conductors consist of two uninsulated copper wires wrapped around each to minimize interference. In addition, 4 pairs are contained in a single cable.

4. the higher the category number (CAT), the greater the speed and distance performances of the cable. For instance, a Cat 7 cable is faster and can support longer distances than a Cat 6 cable.

Twisted Pair Cabling

Twisted pair cabling is the most common type of data cable which you can get from IT Cabling London and is made up of two insulated copper wires that are twisted together. This type of cabling is used in a variety of applications such as home networks, office networks, and even audio/video applications. The most common types of twisted pair cabling are Cat cables.

1. Cat5e Cabling.

2. Cat6 Cabling.

3. Cat6a Cabling.

4. Cat7 Cabling.

5. Cat8 Cabling.

Cat-cable or Category cable is the most commonly used and versatile type of copper cabling which has been proven to be extremely reliable. This category was first introduced as Cat5 in 1995 by the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA). The standard for Cat cables is regularly updated, but their name always remains consistent. The category is usually ratified to the performance the cable is capable of over a set distance of 90 metres of a permanent link.

Shielded Twisted Pair Cables

Twisted pair cables are also available with special shielding, which can help minimize interference from other devices such as microwaves and cell phones. These types of shielded cables are referred to as STP (shielded twisted pair) category cables.

Shielded data cables are typically used in situations where the cabling needs additional protection from EMI (Electrical Magnetic Interference) and RFI (Radio frequency interference).

This type of cabling is often used in industrial or medical settings where there is a greater risk of noise and interference. Shielded cables have a metal foil or braid shield around the conductors to help reduce unwanted signals.

Coaxial Cabling

Coaxial cabling consists of one copper wire that surrounds another insulated copper wire. This type of data cable is used mainly in video applications such as CCTV, security systems, and satellite TV installations. Coaxial cabling has a higher bandwidth capacity than twisted pair cabling.

Coaxial cabling is a type of data cable that uses an inner conductor surrounded by an insulating layer, covered by a braided shield, and finally covered by an outer sheath. This type of cabling is used in home cable services and business networks.

Categories for coax cables are divided into two:

1. - Foam Polyethylene Insulation (Foamed-PE).

2. - High-Density Polyethylene Insulation (HDPE).

Uses for Coaxial cabling include

Data Centres, telephone and cable TV systems, and large-scale mobile phone booster installations.

Fibre Optic Cabling

Data cables can also be made up of fibre optic cabling. This type of data cable is a glass or plastic core with an insulating layer surrounded by ultraviolet light transmitting fibres that are covered in protective materials.

Optical fibre cables work largely the same way that normal twisted pair cables do except for one key difference. Instead of sending electrical signals down the wire they send light pulses through an optical glass tube, otherwise known as an optical core. These signals can travel tens of thousands of kilometres.

The main advantage to using fibre optic cables over copper is higher bandwidths which allow for large amounts of data transfer at high speeds without the need for repeaters. This is because they have multi-gigabit capacities. These signals don't degrade as much over long distances. There are fewer distance limitations on fibre optics compared to copper data cables.

Common uses of data cables 

Now that we have discussed what each type of data cable is, let's take a look at where they are used most commonly.

Twisted pair cabling is by far the most popular type of data cable from IT Cabling Canary Wharf. It can be found in a variety of applications such as home networks, office networks and even audio/video applications. Coaxial cabling is mainly used for video applications. It can be found in products such as televisions and video players. Fibre optic cabling is the most advanced type of data cable. It is often used in high-speed applications such as networking, telecoms and datacentres.

Is Ethernet and data cable the same?

No. Ethernet and Data cabling is not the same thing, although they are closely related to each other in terms of function.

Ethernet was developed as a method for connecting different types of devices together on a network such as computers, printers, routers, etc... However data cables were designed to connect these various Ethernet devices together. This is achieved by sending electrical signals down the wire at high speeds that allow it to send information quickly between them (e.g 1000Mbps).

Original Source: What Is A Data Cable?

What is a Data Cabinet

 A data cabinet is a piece of equipment that is used to store, organise and protect network equipment. Data cabinets are often referred to as racks, network cabinets, or cab's. Cabinets are usually made of metal, plastic, or glass. In addition, the cabinets will have multiple shelves. Each shelf will be used for various equipment such as routers, switches, and modems. Furthermore, data cabinets can also include features such as cooling fans and cable management systems. Data cabinets help to keep data organized and protected. They can also help to improve the efficiency of data retrieval.

Data cabinets come in different shapes and sizes. The size of the cabinet will be determined by the size of your IT cabling canary wharf infrastructure and IT equipment. There are a number of options available when it comes to finding the correct cabinet for your needs.

What are the different types of cabinets? 

As previously stated, data cabinets are often referred to as racks, network cabinets, or cabs. Commonly when an individual uses one of these phrases they're referring to the same thing. However, technically there is a difference. A cabinet is a unit that is closed on all sides, including the top & bottom. Racks do not have sidewalls, they're open. Commonly, they're referred to as open frame racks.

Different types of racks/cabinets 

1. Comms Cabinet

2. Equipment Cabinet

3. Server Cabinet

4. Wall Cabinet

5. CoLo Cabinet

6. Open Frame Rack 

Data Cabinet Airflow 

When allocating the space for your cabinet, the prevention of fire is of the utmost importance. The cooling strategy of your comms rooms plays a crucial part in protecting your premises from a fire. Additionally, the damage caused by heat is not always evident and catastrophic as a fire or meltdown. A well-designed cooling system will help to increase the lifespan of your equipment, preventing issues such as unexpected node crashes or system failures.

The biggest mistake is not factoring in the cooling when designing this space. Most network cabinets are 42U high, which is 7 feet tall. Depending on the equipment being used, it could be generating a lot of heat. The standard rule of thumb is 1U for every 10-15 watts of power being used. If you have a 42U cabinet, and it’s full of equipment that uses 1,000 watts, you could be looking at a heat load of approximately 68,000 BTUs. That is a lot of heat!

There are a few different options for cooling data cabinets: 

Air conditioning: This is the most common method of cooling data cabinets in data cabling Watford. The air conditioner will remove the heat from the air and circulate it back into the room. An open frame cabinet will be suitable for this environment, the open sides will prevent your equipment from overheating. To ensure that your equipment is operating within the recommended temperature range you must monitor the room temperature. The simplest way to do this would be a room thermometer that is checked regularly. 

Air cooled: This type of cooling system uses fans to circulate the air around the equipment and exhaust the hot air out of the cabinet. Furthermore, for the best cooling solution, all exhaust fans in your comms room must be installed facing the same direction. As a result, it allows the air to flow in the same direction. Lastly, having exhaust fans at the top or back of your cabinet will aid in removing the warm air faster.

Liquid-cooled: This system uses a coolant to remove the heat from the equipment and circulate it back into the room. A water-cooled system circulates water through a network of tubing to remove heat from components. The water is then cooled using a radiator, much like the one in your car, and circulated back through the system. 

How to choose a data cabinet? 

When choosing a data cabinet, it is important to consider the following: 

1. The capacity of the cabinet (how many shelves and how much data it can hold)
2. Security of the cabinet (how well it protects data from unauthorized access)
3. Accessibility of the cabinet (how easy it is to retrieve data from the cabinet)
4. The durability of the cabinet (how well it withstands wear and tear)
5. The price of the cabinet

Original Source: What is a Data Cabinet

Pre-Terminated Data Cabling

 A reliable and fast data cabling solution is crucial to maintaining your business productivity. Businesses such as data centres, storage area networks, and server farms can not afford the large amount of downtime or disruptions that come with unterminated data cabling. As a solution, these companies will benefit from a pre-terminated data cabling Watford solution. A pre-terminated solution can be defined as a ‘plug and play system. This solution will eliminate the need for onsite termination and testing. Furthermore, its an evolution from the traditional installation method. With a pre-terminated solution, the system will arrive on-site pre-tested and labelled.

Benefits of Pre-terminated data cabling

1. Reduce installation cost and time by up to 50%. This includes Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, single-mode and multi-mode
2. To future-proof your business, you must invest in a structured cabling system that meets the demands of your business operations. In addition, the system must allow for future growth. However, the performance of your system is not the only factor to be taken into consideration. The majority of mission-critical installations are carried out ‘out of hours' to decrease network downtime and disruption to your business activities. NM Cabling’s installation team can offer a pre-terminated solution to reduce business interruption.
3. Pre-terminated data cabling is very beneficial when time on site is at an absolute premium. For instance, in a new build such as data centres.
4. Live sites that require additional cabling, but the cost and implication of downtime can be detrimental can benefit from pre-terminated data cabling Westminster. For example, trading floors or call centres. These types of premises may wish to have their cabling completed in a single overnight operation.
5.  NM Cabling’s pre-terminated cables bring to the market end to end manufacturer tested and guaranteed cabling products that adhere to the latest IEEE 802.3 specifications, facilitating the deployment and maintenance of 10GB ethernet capable networks.
6. Our Latest pre-connected cabling solution allows for a faster, more reliable and risk-averse method of installation. Avoiding downtime and business interruption is critical when bringing new client revenue streams. This solution is very beneficial.

Further Benefits of Pre-terminated Data Cabling 

1. A Pre-terminated solution means no risk of potential on-site termination problems.
2. Reduce human resource requirement
3. Quality terminations, fully labelled, tested and provided with test documents.
4. Reduce disruption for your clients.
5. Maintain your security with fewer personnel on-site.
6. Increase productivity.
7. Simplified project management.
8. Increased deployment speed.
9. Easier material management on site.
10. Requires minimum on-site storage

Original Source: Pre-Terminated Data Cabling

What is Cat5e Cabling?

 

What is Cat5e Cabling?

Cat 5e cable is a type of computer cabling. A cat5e cable consists of 8 strands of different colors terminated on either end with an STP or UTP RJ45 connector. Additionally, the purpose of the Cat5e cables is to carry voice and data signals between hubs, switches, routers, DSL/cable modems, and other network devices.

The most common use for a Cat 5e Cable is connecting a PC to a router or modem provided by a broadband provider. Furthermore, It may also be used for networking computers throughout a house or office building. For example, in larger buildings, it's very common for the wiring cabinets where the telephone service enters the building to have jacks installed that are to connect with each individual desk or piece of hardware via a Cat5e network cabling London between the cabinet and user.

What is Cat5e Cabling Specification

Shielded Cable: U/UTP

Conductors Unshielded: 4-pair (8 wire)

Performance Characteristic Impedance 100 +/- 15 ohms @ 1 kHz

Attenuation Crosstalk 20 ps 42 AWG 82.5m @ 550 MHz 30 ps 50 AWG 82.5m @ 350 MHz

Maximum Data Rate of Category 5e, up to 1000MHz has a max data rate of 1 gigabit. In addition, the maximum speed it can handle depends on the quality of the wiring in your building. If your lines are long or there's lots of interference, don't expect it to work at top speeds.

What is Cat5e cabling used for?

The Cat5e cable is a very high-quality and economic cable that can be used in a lot of different ways. To point out, when a single cable can be used for many applications, it is referred to as "Structured Cabling".

One common use for this cable is connecting a computer, PC, or Printer to the internet. This can happen through a router, modem, or direct connection to another computer using an Ethernet cord.

In addition to networking devices, cat5e cables are also good for installing to Audio Visual systems. For instance, televisions, projectors, and speakers in surround sound systems. They can carry audiovisual signals over the data cable although modern AV generally requires a minimum of Cat6a data cabling Watford for efficient transmission.

Lastly, the lower price tag on these cables compared to other categories makes them the cabling of choice when a smaller network with budget constraints is desired.

Cat5e Pair Colours

Cat5e Cable Comes with 8 Strands; Four Pairs of Twisted Wires Inside - The most common type of network cable found today is an unshielded twisted pair (UTP), which consists of four pairs of internal wires inside a plastic sheath for protection.

For the standard color code of pair 1 and pair 2, there are eight cable colors:

Pair Number: (EIA 568B)

1. White/Orange

2. Solid Orange

3. White/Green

4. Solid Blue

5. White/Blue

6. Solid Green

7. White/Brown

8. Solid Brown

Cat5e Connector

A Category 5e cable connector is made up of eight pins, to match the above configuration. On all patch panels and modules, a color code will be present on the hardware to match the color codes of the cable to ensure matched transmission end to end.

The RJ45 Cat5e Connector is the 8-pin modular jack commonly found in computer networking devices.

Maximum length of Cat5e cable

For Category 5e cable, the maximum length is 100 meters. This is generally a 90m permanent link distance and 5m patch leads at each end.

Cat5e cable is generally used for average distance runs of 40-50 metres when installed in an office or so at 1000Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet) speeds.

If longer patch leads are used at either end the overall maximum distance allowance will reduce from the 90m allowance.

STP vs UTP

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable is very similar to the above-Cat5e cable but features an additional layer of insulation around each wire. This acts as a shield against potential interference or electrical noise.

Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cables have no extra layers of insulation around the wire and may not be suitable for areas where there are large amounts of electrical equipment nearby, such as factories or industrial settings.

The next generation of cables

Cat6a vs Cat5e Cables

The next generation to the Cat5e category has already been defined. Category 6A can support speeds up to 10 Gbps over 100m runs at standard conditions. Another key point, the cables will also be backward compatible with current networks allowing them to run alongside older network types like those already running over Cat5e and standard Cat6.

Cat7 and Cat8 cabling are also growing in popularity, however, Cat6a is still the main standard in new build installations.

Original Source: What is Cat5e Cabling?

What Are The Main Data Cable Categories And What Is The Difference?

 Understanding Data Cable Categories

Telecommunications and data transfer are two of the most elements of modern business. Without the correct handling of these two aspects, it’s going to be a struggle to be competitive in the business landscape. Thankfully, you can minimize this struggle by working with the best cables for the job. But there are a lot of cables available on the market. How exactly do you know which one is best? And what are the differences between data cables and phone cables? Understanding the answers to these key questions is the only way to succeed.

What are the Main Data Cable Categories? 

Cabling comes in a variety of specifications, lengths, and even colors. Whilst the color of your cabling is far from important, it’s crucial that you understand what the main categories are and their capabilities. The most common type of cabling used in a business is data cabling Watford, and it can be found holding IT infrastructures and IP phone networks together. The most common forms of data cabling are:

Cat 5: using twisted-pair copper cables, Cat 5 cabling is unshielded and delivers a bandwidth of up to 100MHz. The distance covered by Cat 5 cables can reach up to 100m and, over this distance, data signals can be carried at speeds of between 10Mbps to 100Mbps. There is also an enhanced version of Cat 5 – known as Cat 5e – which is capable of speeds around 1Gbps.

Cat 6: a more modern take on Cat 5 cabling, Cat 6 also utilizes twisted pair cabling but at bandwidths reaching 250MHz. It should also be expected to deliver data signals at much higher speeds, up to 10Gbps over a distance of 55m – although it must be noted, that this speed will drop accordingly over long distances. Nonetheless, Cat 6 cabling also brings more stable connections thanks to the lack of interference on offer.

Fibre Optic Cable: these network cables use glass fibres - contained inside an insulated sleeve – to transfer data across long distances at high speed. And, by long distances, you should expect to find distances of 10km being able to handle speeds of between 10Gbps to 100Gbps. 

How do data cable and phone cable differ? 

Telephone Cable: whilst telephone cables look similar to Cat 5 and Cat 6 cables, they’re noticeably different. This difference can be identified by the end of the cable which, for phone cabling, is smaller and flatter than a Cat 5/6 cable. Telephone cables, much like data cables, can also carry data alongside sound, but the maximum speed you can expect to find is around 10 Mbps. 

Is Data Cable the Same as the Ethernet cable? 

It's also important to be able to differentiate between data cables and ethernet cables as these terms are often used interchangeably. As a rule, a data cabling Westminster cable is any cable that facilitates the transfer of data e.g. a fiber optic cable, a twisted pair cable, or a telephone cable. An ethernet cable, however, is one that is reserved for use in ethernet environments such as local area networks and wide area networks.

Choosing the Best Data Cables 

There is no ‘set solution’ when it comes to installing cabling that is correct for you and your business. Depending on your needs, the budget-friendly approach of telephone cables may be suitable for a small network. On the other hand, a large network that handles significant amounts of data would be better suited to working with fibre optics. Nonetheless, there’s a solution for every cabling project, and the right option will provide you with a boost in productivity.

Original Source: What Are The Main Data Cable Categories And What Is The Difference?

What Does a Data Centre Do?

 What is a data centre and how does it work? 

A Data Centre is a facility that houses network computers, storage systems and computing infrastructure.

We live in the age of big data, where the sheer volume of data processed on a day-to-day basis dwarfs anything that businesses have been involved with in the past. As a result, this 'big data needs to be handled correctly.

It is, after all, crucial that you can analyse all of your data, at all times. Establishing such efficient data handling will not only allow your business to remain productive but also provide an edge over your competition. And the best way to handle this data is with a data centre.

What is a Data Centre?

It's important that your IT infrastructure is equipped to handle and process your data. The demands of the modern age mean that you constantly need your data to be available. Traditional solutions, such as hard drives and physical storage mediums, simply aren't able to cope with the amount of data being processed in the 21st century. And it was this problem that led to the development of data cabling Westminster centres.

A data centre is, in its simplest form, a facility used to centralise an organisation's IT infrastructure and provide data storage. This setup typically enhances a company's ability to maintain data continuity, provide backup power support and deliver an environment that ensures IT equipment runs at its optimum efficiency. These data centres can be based onsite or remotely through a number of different options. 

What Types of Data Centres Are There? 

Every business is unique and, accordingly, has different needs when it comes to IT and data processing. Therefore, a number of different data centre models have evolved as IT has advanced. The four main types of the data centre are: 

Enterprise: one of the most common data centres, enterprise solutions are based on-site; it's a type of data centre that provides a wide range of benefits to the end-user. Performance is enhanced as the equipment is located so close to the business, scalability can easily be analysed and implemented whilst security is high as the owner can directly monitor the data centre

Colocation Facilities: these data cabling Watford solutions are provided by external businesses that rent dedicated data processing space to numerous organisations. As well as providing valuable real estate, these colocation facilities also offer 24-hour maintenance and security services to provide customers with peace of mind. Although smaller colocation facilities will only provide racks as part of their service, large facilities are able to provide entire data centre units.

Edge: not all businesses have room for a dedicated on-site data centre, but neither are they willing to compromise on performance. Therefore, edge data centres provide a fine compromise. Located close to their user base, edge data centres are classed as being at the 'edge' of customers' networks. This close proximity reduces latency and gives increased performance in an organization's data processing.

Cloud: establishing themselves as a major force in data handling, cloud data centres have risen to prominence over the last 15 years. Using the remote model, cloud data centres allow you to access your data through the internet and run your applications through a virtual infrastructure. These platforms are provided by third party providers including Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud and Amazon Web Services.

For more information on data centres and advice on which type is right for your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch and speak to our expert team.

Original Source: What Does a Data Centre Do?