What is cat 5 or cat 6?

Question

Hi, I am constructing my new home. The electrician asked me whether i want to instal a cat 5 or cat 6 cable line in your home ? i really dont know what this cat 5 or cat 6 means. I think its the same as ethernet cable. To my knowledge (and i am using ) broadband signals comes through phone line and goes to modem/router for wireless internet to be used via laptop. Now what is the point of installing a separate cable line for Cat 5? Can anyone discribe me the usefulness of cat 5? Should i spend $100 extra for installing cat5 line in my new home? Cheers!!

Answer 1

Since you have Wireless router installed at your place. You need not to install CAT 5 or CAT 6 cables at your home. CAT 5 is Category 5 cable with the standard of 100Base-T which means your signals can travel up to 100 meters at the speed of 100 Mbps theorically (Practically 80% of the full length should be used and after 80% a repeater or hub or a switch should be installed). Where as CAT 6 is Category 6 cable with the standard of 1000Base-T which means data can travel upto 100 meters at the speed of 1000 Mbps theroically (Practically 80% of the full length should be used and after 80% a repeater or hub or a switch should be installed).

Your wireless router (as I don't know which standard it follows) can ideally transmit data upto the speed of 54 Mbps which is much slower than cabled network. But since you need your wireless router just for internet usage, both cabled and wireless network will work in the same manner because the bandwidth of internet at your domestic place might not be more than 2 Mbps which will travel at the same speed on both wired or wireless network..

Answer 2

no point, it is not needed

cat5 and cat6 - is a type of twisted pair (UTP) cable, which us used in ethernet lan, but you already have wireless lan and dont need cable lan

Answer 3

If you have cabel or DSL internet it is the cable that will be used to route it to all the rooms, it is an ethernet cable. It is a smart decision, go with cat6 to stay up to standard. It will be just like phone jacks for internet throughout the house, the internet will first be routed to the modem and then to wherever you need.

Answer 4

For $100, i would most certainly do it.

Ethernet cabling is far more secure, and much much faster than wireless will ever be.

High end media centers that can allow playback of full high definition movies will benefit from the use of ethernet over wireless.

if i were building a house today, and it only cost $100 to include ethernet cabling, i'd pay twice that amount and have two ethernet cables run to every room!

wireless has its place, but wired will always be faster and more secure.