CAT5, CAT5e, and CAT6 UTP (Solid Cable) Specifications Comparison
The following chart shows the differences between CAT5, CAT5E, AND CAT6 UTP Cables
|
|
Category 5
|
Category 5e |
Category 6
|
|
Frequency
|
100 MHz
|
100 MHz
|
250 MHz
|
|
Return Loss (Min. at 100MHz) |
16.0 dB
|
20.1 dB
|
20.1 dB
|
|
Characteristic Impedance |
100 ohms ± 15% |
100 ohms ± 15% |
100 ohms ± 15% |
|
Attenuation (Min. at 100 MHz)
|
22 dB
|
22 dB
|
19.8 dB
|
|
Next (Min. at 100MHz) |
32.3 dB
|
35.3 dB
|
44.3 dB
|
|
PS-Next (Min. at 100MHz) |
no specification |
32.3 dB
|
42.3 dB
|
|
ELFEXT (Min. at 100 MHz) |
no specification |
23.8 dB
|
27.8 dB
|
|
PS-ELFEXT (Min. at 100 MHz) |
no specification |
20.8 dB
|
24.8 dB
|
|
Delay Skew (Max. per 100 m) |
no specification |
45 ns
|
45 ns
|
|
|
|
|
|
Specifications
for Cat3, Cat4,
Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat7
|
Category
|
Type
|
Spectral R/W
|
Length
|
Lan
Applications
|
Notes
|
|
CAT3
|
UTP
|
16MHz
|
100m
|
10Base-T, 4Mbps |
For telephone |
|
CAT4
|
UTP
|
20MHz
|
100m
|
16Mbps
|
Rare
|
|
CAT5
|
UTP
|
100MHz
|
100m
|
100Base-T, ATM, CDDI |
LAN Use
|
|
CAT5e
|
UTP
|
100MHz
|
100m
|
100Base-T
|
LAN Use
|
|
CAT6
|
UTP
|
250MHz
|
100m
|
|
Emerging
|
|
CAT7
|
ScTP
|
600MHz
|
100m
|
|
|