The celebrated uncelebrated entry of Cat 6 over Cat 5e may have caused a little stir in the world of high performance cables, but the real twist in the story happened with Cat 6a making its appearance as an almost immediate improvement of the former (Cat 6a). Stating facts - Cat 6 is restricted to 250 MHz, while Cat 6a cable is designed to go as far as 500 MHz making it capable to function over a distance of 100 meters. Capacity of the latter is certainly more than the former and thus, under the light of common sense, a better choice for high speed applications. The real advantage of this cable over its previous counterparts is the fact that it is meant to support about 10 GBE which is a massive improvement over Cat 5e and Cat 6 version of the same.
Among the real questions that crop up is about this cable is with respect to all the equipments that are necessary to support this bandwidth providing cable. To begin with, while Cat 6a cable can be a great option for commercial uses, its domestic application stands questionable. Say for instance, considering the most basic concern, not many in their respective homes require such bandwidths for everyday tasks. Even if such bandwidths are applied for domestic uses, the cost and effort to set the cables up can call for a Herculean effort. The results will no doubt, be dramatic. Factors like minimizing crosstalk etc will also be awesome. The functionality of the concerned system will improve manifold. But, the little hassles associated with Cat 6a is worth considering before making it a part and parcel of everyday operation.
The first concern is the size of the cable. When it was first introduced in the market in 2008, it was about 50% larger than the Cat 6 version. Even with expanded bandwidth, not many wished to install and work around a mid size anaconda. Over the next few years the size was shed massively, but even than it maintains its bulk compared with its earlier counterparts. This also makes Cat 6a cable very heavy, making it necessary to install quality support system for the same. A bigger cable tray is the first to be considered. The next thing to consider is the expanded bend radius of this super cable. Being thick, its bend radius is more, and it thus, requires greater space. Maintenance is another factor that needs to be considered. Constantly ensuring that this cable is not lying on top of smaller cables and crushing them is the first maintenance aspect that has to be considered.
Another factor that has to be taken into account is the price factor. Cat 6a cable is usually about 30% more expensive than the other high performance wires available in the market, which is justified because of the advantages it offers as far as bandwidth and bulk of the wires is concerned. The brighter side of the story is none of the mentioned issues is insurmountable.
Among the real questions that crop up is about this cable is with respect to all the equipments that are necessary to support this bandwidth providing cable. To begin with, while Cat 6a cable can be a great option for commercial uses, its domestic application stands questionable. Say for instance, considering the most basic concern, not many in their respective homes require such bandwidths for everyday tasks. Even if such bandwidths are applied for domestic uses, the cost and effort to set the cables up can call for a Herculean effort. The results will no doubt, be dramatic. Factors like minimizing crosstalk etc will also be awesome. The functionality of the concerned system will improve manifold. But, the little hassles associated with Cat 6a is worth considering before making it a part and parcel of everyday operation.
The first concern is the size of the cable. When it was first introduced in the market in 2008, it was about 50% larger than the Cat 6 version. Even with expanded bandwidth, not many wished to install and work around a mid size anaconda. Over the next few years the size was shed massively, but even than it maintains its bulk compared with its earlier counterparts. This also makes Cat 6a cable very heavy, making it necessary to install quality support system for the same. A bigger cable tray is the first to be considered. The next thing to consider is the expanded bend radius of this super cable. Being thick, its bend radius is more, and it thus, requires greater space. Maintenance is another factor that needs to be considered. Constantly ensuring that this cable is not lying on top of smaller cables and crushing them is the first maintenance aspect that has to be considered.
Another factor that has to be taken into account is the price factor. Cat 6a cable is usually about 30% more expensive than the other high performance wires available in the market, which is justified because of the advantages it offers as far as bandwidth and bulk of the wires is concerned. The brighter side of the story is none of the mentioned issues is insurmountable.