[kwlug-disc] CAT6 - worthwhile?

[unsolicited]

OK, but my real basic question is, to what end?

Gigabit has even now not permeated enough of the world. (Why any laptop 
still comes with 10/100 is beyond me). Even my USB 3.0 / gigabit adapter 
can't saturate the gigabit.

Future proof for what (copper wise)?

If the world is going tablets and phones - that's wifi, not copper. Even 
if you have copper and an AP at each room for wi-fi devices to connect 
to, no amount of devices on that wi-fi will ever saturate the gigabit - 
wi-fi will never be that fast. (?)

Home wise, I'm not prepared to even put out for multi-run bonding - the 
equipment required at each end is extraordinarily expensive (for home). 
I don't imagine it's any different for 10Gps CAT6 ethernet, let alone 
fibre. And if it's fibre we get to, the copper run, 5e or 6, isn't going 
to be useful.

So if most things can't saturate gigabit now, and fibre is going to need 
another run anyways if we get there ... future proof for what (sorts of 
beasties / media)?

I'm not objecting to 6 over 5e, I just wonder ... for what?
- especially given the more expensive equipment required at each switch 
point, and the tighter bend and untwist limits for 6. I'd bet every home 
6 installation breaks at each jack / switch / 5e device<->jack cable.

If you've bent a cable, what, more than 30 degrees, or untwisted a pair, 
or untwisted pairs more than 1/2 inch - you've just made using cat 6 
pointless.


So my real question was ... what's coming that might need 6 over 5e?

In house HD video distribution?


On 13-10-25 04:57 PM, John Van Ostrand wrote:
> Personally I think any new installation should use Cat 6. It's only
> marginally more expensive than 5e but could future-proof your house a
> little more. That said 5e will perform very well in a house since runs tend
> to be short and will work in cases where Cat 6 is supposedly required. The
> way I look at it is that the time spend installing is the the most
> expensive cost (even when done yourself) so using a higher grade cable
> future-proofs so you can avoid pulling everything out and re-doing cable.
> Sometimes I'll use 5e jacks because those are easier to replace.
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