So you're setting up a network and you're wondering, "Do I put in CAT6 or CAT5E cables? " The answer depends on EVERYTHING in the system. Think of the cables as pipes. If you have a 1/2" pipe in the middle of the house, but all the other pipes are 1/4" , then you will never get more than 1/4" of flow through the pipes. A network is similar. If you're network card, router, server, wires in the wall, patch panels, etc. are CAT5E, adding CAT6 cables makes no sense. Also, if you are doing short runs under 25 feet, even if everything else is Gigabit rated, you're probably not going to notice a difference between the CAT6 and CAT5E cable. That being said, you'll never decrease your speed by running CAT6 and some feel better about running that CAT6 cable. It has a slightly different feel to the wire as the the wires inside are paired and twisted differently. Both cables are unshielded (UTP). So feel free to run CAT6, but know in most cases for shorter runs, you'll be just fine with that CAT5E cable. If you are close to Orem, Provo, or Salt Lake City, Utah, you should know about WhataCable.com located in Orem, Utah. They deeply discount CAT5E and CAT6 cables. They have a huge supply of inventory to choose from. Give them a call or hop on their website. You can even go see them and their showroom. Don't pay full retail for these at the big box companies. Save yourself or your company some money!
Until next time
The Cable Guy
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