
The difference between Cat5E and Cat6 cables - a few thoughts. The most important distinction between these two types of cable is the fact that the Cat6 is the latest generation. That means your capacity is grown when you choose the Cat6. It supports 10GBASE-T (10-Gigabit Ethernet) as opposed to only 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet), so the advantages are obvious.
The difference between Cat5E and Cat6 cables also concerns quality of connection. With the Cat6, you'll have a connection at your disposal which offers higher signal to noise and lower crosstalk . That's why the minor price differential shouldn't put you off.
Sooner or later, you're going to need the Cat6 to stay apace. For the time being, though, both types of cables are compatible with one another. They're capable of interfacing with even the Cat3 equipment you may still be using.
While you're going to pay about 20% more for Cat6 cables, the future looms. Investing in these now is a good idea which won't rock your operational boat, as there are no compatibility issues with older generation cables.
For cables that double your connection speed, we think 20% more is not much to ask.
How to tell them apart. In almost every case, you'll find the cable category printed right on the product. Cat6 Ethernet cables will also be somewhat larger in circumference than Cat5E, because of the additional thickness of the copper wires inside.
Availability and Cat6 benefits. Cat5E are more ubiquitous, but seeking out the Cat6 is worth the effort and the price differential for the reasons stated above. Even if it's for your home set up, the increased speed is a delight for those of us who live to connect at light speed.
Cat6 will do that for you, so this generation of cable is worth sourcing for that reason alone, but there are other motivations.
Connecting with Cat6 cuts interference and NEXT (Near End Cross Talk), as well as ELFEXT (equal level far end crosstalk). With this generation of cable, you'll enjoy significantly fewer errors and enhanced data rates during transmission.
So essentially, the difference tween Cat5E and Cat6 cables is not only quality of transmission, but expanded capacity and speed. We're not saying you should junk your Cat5E cables, but Cat6 is such an enticing proposition, we can't think why you wouldn't.
The next generation of Ethernet cable has arrived and it's only marginally costlier. Yet, it offers double the connection speed. That alone makes the outlay worth it, but when the other benefits are considered and the fact that Cat6 is streaming in as the standard, it's a bargain.
Vitex - connecting at light speed. The difference between Cat5E and Cat6 cables is clear enough. Contact us if you're ready for an upgrade to Cat6. Vitex is here to connect you at light speed, supporting your enterprise by helping it meet its goals by staying ahead of the pack.
Vitex provides high performance solutions for fiber optic communications, working with global manufacturers in Asia. Our team connects you at light speed, with industry innovation that supports 21st Century communications with knowledge.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
21/02/2026
With Software Defined Broadcasting more established in Milan Cortina look for Los Angeles 2028 to have less hardware and more cloud-based software systems...
21/02/2026
The SVP of Olympic Operations on turning CAD drawings into reality, building tru...
21/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/02/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils the Trailer of Accused', A Psychological ...
20/02/2026
Gravity Media and Los Angeles-based Green Couch Entertainment announce a strateg...
20/02/2026
IMAX announces it is working with Apple TV to bring the 2026 FIA Formula One Wor...
20/02/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the Philadelphia Phillies to design, manufacture, ...
20/02/2026
ESPN announces the upcoming launch of Women's Sports Sundays - a first-of-it...
20/02/2026
As the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots faced off in the NFL's biggest sporting event of the season on Sun., Feb. 8, Sennheiser wireless solutions ...
20/02/2026
ESPN announces its 2026 Major League Baseball spring training schedule, which includes four national games on ESPN, six games on ESPN Unlimited, and more than 2...
20/02/2026
Open Broadcast Systems, which specializes in software-based professional video transport, has added support for 200 Gigabit Ethernet to its range of encoders an...
20/02/2026
Chyron announces the release of PAINT 10.3, which is designed to help analysts and operators turn live action into clearer, faster on-air storytelling.
PAINT 1...
20/02/2026
With full squad workouts underway, MLB Network's live Spring Training game s...
20/02/2026
Tech enhancements, marquee productions are expected to take advantage of a summe...
20/02/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
20/02/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
20/02/2026
Speaking with SVG Europe after one of Team GB's greatest days at a Winter Olympics, BBC Sport's head of major events, Ron Chakraborty, explains the broa...
20/02/2026
Making Winter Games Olympic magic is the goal for every broadcaster in Italy cov...
20/02/2026
Curling, one of the least-dangerous Winter Olympic sports, is dominating the Mil...
20/02/2026
BBC Sport's presence at the 2026 Winter Games is centred around a significan...
20/02/2026
BBC Sport is bringing together its linear TV and streaming digital arms in a str...
20/02/2026
To broaden the appeal of winter sports at Milano Cortina, the BBC has integrated...
20/02/2026
Just in time for the start of Apple TV's inaugural season as the exclusive U...
20/02/2026
One big challenge was to depict the character of each of very different and wide...
20/02/2026
(L-R) Writer-director Amanda Kramer photographs the photographers at the premiere of her film By Design at the Library Center Theatre in Park City. (Photo by ...
20/02/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson explores the impact that increased memory prices are having on the consumer electronics market, and particularly the set-top box...
20/02/2026
Calrec Type R: Shaping the Future of Radio from the Heart of Flirt FM
Love may have filled the airwaves last week for Valentine's Day, and we've just c...
20/02/2026
NEW YORK - February 10, 2026 - An estimated 125.6* million viewers watched Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8, according to Nielsen's Big Data Panel meas...
20/02/2026
NEW YORK - February 19, 2026 - Nielsen today shared updated and final Super Bowl...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
A leading global investment bank, with offices at Two International Finance Centre in Hong Kong, partnered with systems integrators Global Vision Engineering (G...
20/02/2026
Rise AV and Rise Broadcast, the global not-for-profit organisations dedicated to improving gender diversity across technical industries, have today announced a ...
20/02/2026
Open Broadcast Systems, the leader in software-based professional video transport, has added support for 200 Gigabit Ethernet to its range of encoders and decod...
20/02/2026
Signiant today announced the formation of its Customer Advisory Board (CAB), bringing together a select group of customers to collaborate on product strategy, r...
20/02/2026
PTZOptics today announced the launch of its Visual Reasoning initiative that makes video more actionable by combining robotic PTZ camera systems, AI, and open i...
20/02/2026
Amino, a global media technology provider delivering devices, software and cloud services that simplify and elevate video delivery, today announced the successf...
20/02/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today announced its call for technical papers for the SMPTE 2026 Media Technology Summit....
20/02/2026
Wowza Media Systems today announced that Granicus, a leading provider of digital engagement solutions for governments, continues to rely on Wowza to power its h...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...