Cat 5e vs Cat 6

[ADM_Foxtrot]

What internet speed do I need to have to notice the difference between a Cat5e and Cat6? 

Alsoooo this is a dumb question.. how to tell if the cat6 is not a Cat5e or cat5 cable? I know it is indicated on the cable but just thinking of the possibility that a seller might scam me.

[FarmerGiles97]

Cat 6 has different wiring inside. 

[Tabs]

20 minutes ago, ADM_Foxtrot said:

What internet speed do I need to have to notice the difference between a Cat5e and Cat6? 

Alsoooo this is a dumb question.. how to tell if the cat6 is not a Cat5e or cat5 cable? I know it is indicated on the cable but just thinking of the possibility that a seller might scam me.

Cat 5e can reach 1gbit over 50 meters; cat6 can reach 1gbit over 150m+. Cat5 is limited to 100mbit over any length.

If you're using networking equipment capable of 1gbps and your connection is running at 1gbps, then it's at least a cat 5e cable.

If you're running hardware that should utilise 2.5gb, 5gb, or 10gbe, then you'll have a lot of issues with anything less than a cat6 certified cable.

 

For your internet speed question: If your internet speed is more than 100mbps, then the difference between cat5 and cat5e+ will be important.

[Razor Blade]

CAT5e would be fine for networks up to 1Gb (1000Mb). CAT6 is typically used for 10Gb networks and very long 1Gb network runs.

 

It would be a bit difficult to tell physical difference....CAT6 will sometimes be thicker due to the tighter twisted pairs but that is not something to go by... I highly recommend going with a reputable brand when it comes to network cables. Cheap cables can be very stiff, have poor quality connectors, and there is no way to tell how it is put together without destroying the cable.

[mariushm]

Cat5e can do up to 2.5 gbps, if you have a modern network card that's supports the latest standards, 802.3bz , and there's a device (router,modem, switch, network card) at the other end that also supports this latest standard. 

Otherwise, the maximum speed will be limited to 1 gbps (~125 MB/s)

 

Cat6 is good enough for 5 gbps up to 100 meters (with the latest standard 802.3bz)  and at 10gbps speeds at up to 55 meters, with some restrictions (like minimal bending of cable, and not bundled with a bunch of other cables), though in real world, i believe it shouldn't be used for distances bigger than 10-20 meters.

 

cat6a can do 10 gbps up to 100 meters.

 

The difference between cables is the bandwidth and the construction of the cable. Cat6 and Cat6a in theory need to have the wires inside twisted more precisely compared to cat5e cables, and there should be a plastic core, a sort of X or a + that separates each pair of wires from the others in order to give better signal quality throughout the length of the cable.

 

Some of the cheapest cat5e cable is often made of copper clad aluminum (aluminum core plated with a very thin layer of copper) instead of copper, because Al is cheaper than Cu. Such cables are ok for very small distances but should be avoided for anything that you want to have long term.

[mynameisjuan]

57 minutes ago, Tabs said:

Cat 5e can reach 1gbit over 50 meters; cat6 can reach 1gbit over 150m+

Cat5e is gig up to 100m and Cat6a is 10gig up to 100m. 

 

Cat5e can also do 10gig in 10m runs.