The popularity of Cat3 cable as a cost effective means of deploying voice services remains robust since the majority of business telephones only require a single pair of wires to operate. Originally designed to carry data at up to speeds of 10Mbit/s, Cat3 has been replaced by Cat5e for higher data speed demands.

Cat5e replaced Cat5 as a standard in 2001. The most common applications are 100BASE-T or “common” data networks and the increasingly popular VOIP systems. With 100Mbit/s capacity, Cat5e is the most common cable of choice used today.

Cat 6 is a communications cable with four twisted copper pairs. While also having the same distance limitation of 90m for horizontal runs as previous copper standards, Cat6 Cable meets even more stringent specifications for both crosstalk and system noise.

Category 7 cable or Cat 7 is backwards compatible with Cat 6 and Cat5e ethernet cable, and it performs at frequencies up to 600 MHz.. Cat7 is designed with even more stringent specifications for dealing with cross talk and noise. Shielding has been added to each individual pair to accomplish the superior performance. Cat7 uses both the RJ45 connector as well as GG45 electrical connectors. When termination is done with TERA connectors, Cat7 cable is rated for transmissions above 600 MHz.

Coaxial Cable by definition is a cable with both an inner conductor and outer conductor through which it carries its signal. There are a wide array of Coaxial Cable types, but the most common types used in commercial applications for video service, video surveillance, or for high speed networks include RG-6 and RG-59. For video applications, it is essential to choose a coax cable that are of the 75 ohm type. Some 50 ohm Coax cables are suitable for data networks, but are not sufficient for video transmission.

Fiber offers the top speeds and reliability that sophisticated networks require. Use fiber for high speed applications, connecting networks, MDF’s to IDF’s, building to building, or for cable runs over the 90m distance limitation of standard copper cables like Cat5e or Cat6.