Why Category 5e Cabling is Becoming Outdated
It becomes increasingly difficult to justify an investment in cabling infrastructure that we know will be reaching the end of its useful life. With the ability to handle 1000 Mbps speeds (Gigabit Ethernet) at 100 MHz, Category 5e cabling will require an upgrade in the next few years in order to support the applications and emerging technologies that most enterprises will be using by then.
We’re seeing signs throughout the industry that Category 5e cabling is becoming obsolete, and its installation is quickly declining. According to most recent market reports, Category 5e cabling now accounts for less than one-quarter of cable shipments—and there are multiple reasons why.
Category 5e is Insufficient for Emerging Applications
Cable will be moving from behind the wall to above the ceiling, where it can be terminated to a wireless access point (WAP). To accommodate a growing number of WAPs for large numbers of users, more cabling will need to be deployed.
Next-generation Wave 2 Wi-Fi devices will transmit at data rates greater than 1 Gbps, possibly reaching up to 7 Gbps. Consequently, higher-speed Ethernet links will need to be deployed to connect these WAPs. If you plan to deploy next-generation Wi-Fi in the next few years – as most business will do – the best (and possibly only) viable solution to support it is Category 6A cabling. Overall, either to access points or to workstations, average speeds are getting faster – links faster than 1G will be required, such as 2.5G, 5G and 10G. Category 5e is unable to handle 10 Gbps speeds up to the required 100-meter distance.
| Length (meters) |
10 Mb/s |
100 Mb/s |
1 Gb/s |
10 Gb/s |
PoE | Mhz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat 5 | 100 | X | X | X | 100 | ||
| Cat 5e | 100 | X | X | X | X | 100 | |
| Cat 6 | 100 | X | X | X | X | X | 250 |
| Cat 6A | 100 | X | X | X | X | X | 500 |
HDBaseT is another emerging networking technology that will become commonplace in the next few years, but can’t be supported by Category 5e cabling. HDBaseT transmits uncompressed full high-definition video, audio, Ethernet, control and power up to 100 m over balanced twisted-pair cabling. A newer specification calls for up to 100W of power delivered over 4-pair cables. Only Category 6A cabling will be able to handle distance and power requirements of this connectivity standard.
Next-generation power over Ethernet standard (4-pair PoE)—another factor impacting which cabling category is used—delivers power more efficiently by using all four cable pairs. Moreover, cable gauge must increase in order to reduce resistance and allow for higher power delivery. For this reason, 4-pair PoE performs better on Category 6A 23 AWG than on Category 5e 24 AWG.
Cabling Standards Recommend Category 6A
Because of emerging applications and technologies listed above, some industry standards for new installations now either call for a minimum of Category 6 cabling, but with Category 6A as the recommended cabling, or simply recommend Category 6A.
- ANSI/TIA-568 for commercial buildings
- ANSI/TIA-942-A for data centers
- ANSI/TIA-1179 for healthcare facilities
- ANSI/TIA-4966 for educational facilities
Although Category 5e cabling served its purpose for 15+ years, investing in it for new installation in 2016 wouldn’t be a smart financial decision. Category 6A may cost more upfront than Category 5e cabling, but you save money in the long run by having a futureproof network that can support whatever technology or application your enterprise decides to deploy. You can also rest easy knowing your cabling infrastructure won’t need to be replaced in a few years.
Today’s Category 6A solutions offer smaller OD cables and RJ45 connectors that are faster to terminate—saving time, space and money. Belden offers complete end-to-end solutions to support the mission-critical needs of wired and wireless LANs, helping enterprise organizations develop networks to support whatever applications and technology come next. Learn more about creating a futureproof network that can handle more people, devices and systems.
About the Author
Throughout his career, Stéphane worked in the telecommunications industry including R&D, product management and training. While Technology and Applications Director, Stéphane focused on the technology roadmap, product development, networking applications and industry standards.