UTP stands for unshielded twisted pair, and FTP is Foil Twisted Pair. Therefore, FTP is similar to a standard UTP cable with a foil shield surrounding the inner cores. Thus, the shielding provides additional protection from external noise inference. We have written a more in-depth Cat5e cable FAQ explaining cabling costs in this article Cat5e vs Cat6 Cat5 and Cat5e cable prices vary according to brand, quality, length, and materials, as well as the type and amount of any additional shielding included in the manufacture. The cheapest Ethernet cables in this category will generally be unshielded solid Cat5 varieties, while more expensive versions will usually be stranded and shielded Cat5e leads.

The basis of structured cabling is that there is a standard data cabling specification that applies to all technology. Therefore, whatever the technology, it will run the same over standardised cabling. Thus, the maximum distance of 90 metres for Cat5e applies to CCTV and Computers, WiFi, Telephones, etc. The 90m allows for 5m patch leads at each end. However, a 100m direct link is also allowed, so this could apply to a direct link to a CCTV camera. Can I run HDMI over Cat5? However, there are valid use cases for choosing longer runs of Cat5e wiring, in which case you can easily buy reels in lengths of 1000ft or more. Common pre-cut lengths you will see on sale at UK suppliers include 30cm/300mm, 50cm/500mm, 1m, 2m, 3m, 5m, 10m, 30m, 100m, 152m, and 305m.Cat5e is not specified or recommended for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Therefore, Cat6a is the minimum category recommended for 10 Gigabit Ethernet. This allows for the permanent link design standard of 90m Cat5 vs Cat5e

F/UTP (Foil/Unshielded Twisted Pair): While the individual twisted pairs do not have any additional shielding, the cable features an added layer of foil under the outer sheathU/UTP is, therefore, the most susceptible to interference, signal noise, return loss, and attenuation, although the cable will be considerably cheaper to buy. F/FTP will offer the greatest protection against performance-limiting factors like crosstalk, but it will also be the most expensive type to buy. Cat5e can transfer HDMI signals over its cable. Transmission is achieved via a transmitter and receiver that plug into each end. However, it is recommended that a minimum of Cat6 and even Cat6a cabling is used for the connection due to their additional bandwidth and speed capability. What is used as a Cat5 Tester? Yes, Cat5e is capable of running PoE over its cable. Thus, the power and the signal are transferred over the same cable. However, as devices that receive PoE require greater power, the amount of power required to be sent via data cabling increases. Thus, as power increases, the possibility of noise interference increases. Therefore, with modern PoE systems, Cat6a is used more and more due to its shielded and better noise-to-signal protection. As in all cases of structured cabling installation, the overall price will depend on many factors. These can include the building type, ease of access, number of outlets, the location of the building and the programme of work, among many others. At first glance, you cannot necessarily tell whether a given length of Ethernet cable is stranded or solid without cutting through it to find out. However, stranded cable is usually a lot more flexible than solid core cable. Solid cables will often retain some degree of deflection for a while after being bent at a sharp angle. Cat5e Cable Diagram

However, in any data cabling installation, the overall link is only as good as its weakest part. Hence, Cat5 and Cat6 are compatible, but it’s not the desired solution. Therefore, if using different categories, the link will only work as well as the lowest grade element. This combination of different systems is sometimes seen when companies are moving and want to retain parts of their existing infrastructure and plan to upgrade at a later stage due to budgets. U/FTP (Unshielded/Foil Twisted Pair): The individual twisted pairs each have their layer of additional foil shielding around them, but the cable only has the basic outer sheathing Armoured cables are standard data cables with an extra layer of protection against outside damage. The potential damage could be crushing, an impact or being cut, such as during digging. Armoured cable is generally called Steel Wired Armoured (SWA), and the cable is constructed of strands of steel wire surrounding the inner cable. Thus, it is these steel wires that offer the additional protection. The performance of the internal Cat5e cable remains the same as standard cables. What is an External Cat5 Cable? Cat5 cable specifications dictate it should be able to handle data transfer over Ethernet networks at frequencies (also known as bandwidth, or data-carrying capacity) of up to 100 MHz. Cat5e offers superior performance and is rated for frequencies of up to 350 MHz. This is due in part to its stricter performance requirements for things like crosstalk (interference between individual wires), attenuation and return loss. In addition to the basic Ethernet cable standards and the stranded vs. solid designs, there are also other manufacturing specifications available for each type and category. These are commonly abbreviated as:Stranded conductor (stranded core) Cat5/Cat5e Ethernet cable tends to be used for establishing shorter runs between temporary or easily movable wired networks. Small office networks, such as those linking computers to a router via a short Cat5e patch cable or similar will generally be fine using stranded Ethernet wiring. Most standard Ethernet patch cables at lengths of 50 feet or less will tend to have stranded conductors. You can use a CAT6 cable instead of a CAT5e cable in almost all situations. However, there are unusual cases where it is only sometimes valid. In a laboratory installation, we installed Cat5e cabling as the central plastic divider within Cat6 cables would have let pathogens escape the contained areas by travelling along the plastic core. Our kenable outdoor networking cable has FULL COPPER 24AWG twisted pairs and can be used indoor as well as outdoor. Its ideal for long or short runs and is UV resistant thanks to its PE sheath ensuring it wont erode over time like standard networking cables. Our Cat5e cables are also waterproof and can even be buried underground!