What is Cat5e Cabling?

What is Cat5e Cabling

What is Cat5e cabling? Cat5e cable is a type of computer cabling. It consists of 8 strands of different colours terminated on either end with an STP or UTP RJ45 connector. Additionally, Cat5e cables carry voice and data signals between hubs, switches, routers, DSL/cable modems, and other network devices.

Although Cat6 and Cat6a data cables are more commonly used in 2024, in some installations, Cat5e is still the preferred data cabling choice.

Cat5e wiring is still chosen because it is the most cost-effective cabling choice if you only require a 1-Gigabit transmission network and are not looking to expand your capabilities later. Therefore, it is commonly used in temporary solutions where a tenant will not occupy an office for a long period

Category 5e specification (Cat 5e).

The following is the outline of most or all of the cables with a Cat 5e specification.

1. The Cat5e cable is classed as a twisted pair cable with four pairs of cores twisted together for a total of 8 cores.
2. Cat5e wiring is ratified for transmission speeds up to 1 Gigabit or 1000BASE-T.
3. It has a maximum installation distance of ninety metres for a permanent link.
4. Cables are available in either unshielded or shielded options.
   1. With a shielded cable, the four central pairs have a metal shield surrounding them within the outer plastic sleeve.
5. Cables types include both stranded and solid copper cores
   1. Stranded copper cores are more flexible and are used for Cat5e patch leads.
6. Terminations are made of 8P8C connectors, more commonly known as RJ45 connectors.
7. Cat5e connectors are wired in one of two ways depending on how the 8 cores are terminated to the numbered positions.
   1. T568A
   2. T568B
   3. T568B is the most common termination method in the UK.
8. The central wires are generally 24AWG or 0.205mm^2 in diameter.
9. Performance Characteristic Impedance 100 +/- 15 ohms @ 1 kHz
10. Attenuation Crosstalk 20 ps 42 AWG 82.5m @ 550 MHz 30 ps 50 AWG 82.5m @ 350 MHz

 

What is Cat5e cabling used for?

The Cat5e cable is a very high quality and economic cable that can be used in a lot of different ways. When a single cable can be used for many applications, it is called "Structured Cabling".

Structured Cabling Devices

The below devices are a selection of devices that can all be used on the same network of structured cabling, such as Cat5e connections, Cat6, Cat6a and beyond.

• PC's or Computers
• Digital or VoIP Telephones
• Printers
• Televisions
• Video Conferencing
• Speakers
• Tablets
• Wifi
• CCTV
• Access Control
• BMS
• EPOS or Sales Tills
• Vape Detection
• People Counters

The most common use of this cable is to connect a computer, PC, or printer to the internet. This can happen through a router, modem, or direct connection to another computer using an Ethernet cable.

In addition to networking devices, cat5e cables are also good for installing to Audio Visual systems. For instance, televisions, projectors and speakers in surround sound systems. They can carry audio visual signals over the data cable although modern AV generally requires a minimum of Cat6a data cabling for efficient transmission.

Lastly, the lower price-tag on Cat5e cables compared to other categories makes them the cabling of choice when a smaller network with budget constraints is desired.

Cat5e Pair Colours

Cat5e Cable Comes with 8 Strands; Four Pairs of Twisted Wires Inside - The most common type of network cable found today is an unshielded twisted pair (UTP), which consist of four pairs of internal wires inside a plastic sheath for protection.

For the standard colour code of pair 1 and pair 2, there are eight cable colours:

Pair Number: (EIA 568B)

1. White/Orange
2. Solid Orange
3. White/Green
4. Solid Blue
5. White/Blue
6. Solid Green
7. White/Brown
8. Solid Brown

Cat5e Connector

A Category 5e cable connector is made up of eight pins, to match the above configuration. On all patch panels and modules, a colour code will be present on the hardware to match the colour codes of the cable to ensure matched transmission end to end.

The RJ45 Cat5e Connector is the 8-pin modular jack commonly found in computer networking devices. This connector is present on the receiving hardware thus making Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6a cabling suitable for a wide range of devices.

 Cat5e Cable Maximum Length 

For Category 5e cable, the maximum length is 100 meters. The max length for Cat5e is generally a 90m permanent link distance, and 5m patch leads at each end.

Cat5e cable is generally used for average-distance runs of 40-50 metres when installed in an office at 1000Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet) speeds.

If longer patch leads are used at either end, the max length for the Cat5e distance allowance will reduce from the 90m allowance.

Multiple cabinets in larger buildings are installed to ensure any structured cabling link is kept below the maximum 90m distance. The data cabling is then installed to the nearest cabinet and the cabinets linked by backbone fibre cables.

Cat5e Cabling - STP vs UTP

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Cable is similar to an unshielded Cat5e cable but features an additional layer of foil insulation around the central set of 4 pairs of wiring. This acts as a shield against potential interference or electrical noise.

Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Cables have no extra layers of insulation around the wire and may not be suitable for areas where there are large amounts of electrical equipment nearby, such as,  factories or industrial settings.

The next generation of cables

Cat6a vs Cat5e Cables

The next generation to the Cat5e category has already been defined and will be more commonly used in 2024.

Category 6A, which can support speeds up to 10 Gbps over 100m runs, is now the primary standard for new installations. For example, the UK Department for Education has set the standard for all new structured cabling installations to be Cat6a cable. The standards can be viewed here: Network cabling standards for schools and colleges.

A key point about Cat6a installations in existing buildings is that the cables will be backwards compatible with current networks, allowing them to run alongside older network types like those already running over Cat5e and standard Cat6.

Cat7 and Cat8 cabling are also growing in popularity; however, Cat6a is still the main standard in new-build installations.

For a full comparison of all data cabling types, please see our article below

What is the difference between Cat5 Cat6 Cat7 Cat8 Cabling?