Speed: Does the CAT5/6/7 Connector matter?

[Sceptron]

 

For over a year I have been using CAT7 S/FTP in my home and every time when I run a new cable I wonder.. Does it really matter what type connector I use?

 

I got Draka cat7 cable because I wanted to be future prove “better do it right the first time”. While the cable was easy to get, the LSA / RJ45 connectors just weren’t there. So I used CAT6a LSA wall outlets / patch panels and CAT5e RJ45 connectors.

 

Even now it´s hard to find CAT7 rated products, and if you find them the price knocks you over.

It gives me the feeling that the “right connector,keystone” doesn’t matter that much. And that it might be possible to get my 10GBe speed (best case) on a CAT7 cable equipped with CAT5e connectors. I would love to test this case, but I don’t own a 10GBe network (yet), so help me out guys.

 

Does it really matter, and if yes, how much does it matter?

[Sceptron]

6 minutes ago, yaboistar said:

correct me if i'm wrong but the cat refers to the cable and the shielding on it, and the plugs are, well, RJ45 connectors

That´s exactly my feeling and what i am trying to figure out here. Because most of the expensive keystones/connectors are rated higher for some reason.. Is it just a marketing thing, or is it the real deal.

[Lurick]

3 minutes ago, Sceptron said:

That´s exactly my feeling and what i am trying to figure out here. Because The most of the expensive keystones/connectors are rated higher for some reason.. Is it just a marketing thing, or is it the real deal.

The different connectors are designed for different gauge wire. Cat5e is going to be somewhere around 24-26 AWG whereas Cat6 is supposed to be 22-24 AWG so you need different teeth to fully punch through the wire if I remember right.

 

Edit:

And the other connectors, as pointed out, are supposed to be better shielded for crosstalk.

[Sceptron]

6 minutes ago, yaboistar said:

we still use cat 5 for gigabit installations at work because honestly there isn't much that actually benefits from STP cable unless it's either very high data rate or a very long run

 

if you can use c5e, i'd save yourself the money and go for a drum of that, a bag of rj45 connectors and a set of crimpers instead

I got a drum of 300m Draka UC Home CAT7 and used already 2/3rd of it. My usual runs are about 15m to 25m. The cable is super thin, so perfect to install thru PVC tubes.

[Sceptron]

11 minutes ago, Lurick said:

The different connectors are designed for different gauge wire. Cat5e is going to be somewhere around 24-26 AWG whereas Cat6 is supposed to be 22-24 AWG so you need different teeth to fully punch through the wire if I remember right.

 

Edit:

And the other connectors, as pointed out, are supposed to be better shielded for crosstalk.

I encountered the Punch problem with CAT 6a connectors once, thinking about it.. my CAT7 cable measurement is 26 awg. I have Never thought about size diference

[Sceptron]

9 minutes ago, yaboistar said:

if you're just using gigabit speeds then you might as well just use regular heads on it if c7 heads are becoming hellishly expensive for you

Thanks, appreciate the help! 

[Scheer]

The keystone's and RJ45s won't effect much, if anything, in a home network. Cat6a allows for something like a 95m run with a total of 100m when you include patch cables on both ends. If you use keystone's and RJ45s for Cat5e you might limit that down to a 95m total run, still way more than you'd ever need in a house and even then I doubt it effects it that much. 

 

In a large building where you have tons of patches and hitting the length limits, then you'd want the proper ends to get every last bit out of your cable.

 

You also have crosstalk issues when you have a bundle of tens or hundreds of cables running together, where again in a house you won't run into problems with.