Although coaxial cables and optical fibres are widely used for data cabling, in many commercial and domestic environments, unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables are fitted instead. Among UTP data cables, there are several sub-categories. If you're not an IT professional, then understanding the differences between them isn't always straightforward. Read on to learn more about the different classes of data cabling you could choose to have installed for you by an electrician or data communications specialist.

Category 5

To begin with, Cat 5 cables function perfectly well but are not in widespread use for new data cabling installations. Once the standard for data cabling, they offer up to 100 Mbps of data transfer. Despite their obsolescence in many modern networks, they are still commonly found in older systems, sometimes fitted alongside newer categories of cables. They still provide an acceptable level of performance for less demanding applications such as data entry onto a server from a remote terminal.

Category 5e

These types of cables were introduced as an enhanced version of the Cat 5. The main difference was that they were capable of supporting up to 1 Gbps of data transfer, significantly faster than their UTP predecessor. This improvement makes them suitable for local area networks (LANs) today that require higher data throughput. Many small to medium-sized businesses or residential networks with high-speed internet connections have Cat5e data cables supporting them throughout the US.

Category 6

Cat 6 cables significantly improve upon the data transmission capabilities. They can support speeds of up to 10 Gbps over cable lengths of up to 55 meters. This makes them appropriate for high-performance networks, such as trading floors, where increased data flows and greater bandwidth capacities are necessary.

Category 6a

Cat 6a cables were developed as an advancement of Cat 6 cables. Also designed to support 10 Gbps data rates, they can be installed in larger buildings because they're capable of delivering such fast speeds at distances of up to 100 meters. Typically, this means they are deployed in large corporate networks and data centres where both high data rates and long cable runs are likely to be beneficial.

Category 7

Among the latest generations of UTP data cable, Cat 7 represent a significant upgrade in terms of modern data cabling technology. In short, Cat 7 provides data transfer speeds of 10 Gbps over distances of 100 meters. What's more, they provide up to 600 MHz of bandwidth. Moreover, Cat 7 cables benefit from stricter protocols governing crosstalk and system noise than Cat 6a. In turn, this results in better overall network stability.

Category 8

Finally, Cat 8 cables are the most recent development in data cabling. Designed primarily for use in data centres, these cables can support data rates of 25 Gbps to 40 Gbps. They only work over short distances, however, so they tend to be utilized for server-to-server or switch-to-switch patch cables.

For more information about data cabling, reach out to a local service.