CABLING

Category 5e – Class D

In 2000 we saw the ratification and publication of a new standard Category 5e, the “e” meaning enhanced. Developed jointly by both the ISO and EIA/TIA Category 5e was designed specifically for protocols such as Gigabit Ethernet and other full duplex applications, which will inevitably appear in future years. Although the actual bandwidth – 100MHz – is identical to Category 5, there were a number of important new performance parameters contained within this specification. These include EL-FEXT Return Loss and various Power Sum measurements.

Category 5e has been widely adopted throughout the market and is backwards compatible with all previous classes of performance. This means the accidental use of a Category 5 patch cord will not cause your network to crash and you’re guaranteed to maintain at least Category 5 performance. Finally and perhaps most significantly there is a real, available application designed for Category 5e Gigabit Ethernet (1000base-T).

Category 6 – Class E

In June 2002 Category 6 was ratified. Category 6 offers bandwidths of 250MHz and provides a truly future proof cabling system that will run Gigabit Ethernet (1000base-T) and beyond. Due to the strict requirements set out in this Class E standard and to enable the performance to be more than doubled from the previous Class D standard, manufacturers have had to radically redesign each element of the structured cabling system to ensure full backward compatibility and interoperability.

Certified Cabling Installation Service

Tech3 offers a fully warranted & certified installation service for their cable installations. We are also able to offer a testing service for cabling systems installed by third parties. This is particularly useful when buildings are taken over with structured cabling systems & the cabling integrity is unknown. Warranties are now standard throughout the structured cabling market. What is not standard is the extent and quality of cover and support they provided.