CertiGuide to Network+ - 1000BaseTX: The Latest UTP Ethernet Standard

Cat 6 cabling is designed for carrying data at gigabit Ethernet speeds and, along with Cat 5e, is the usual media for 1000BaseT networking. Gigabit Ethernet uses 4 pairs of wires, which is twice as many as its older Cat 3 and Cat 5 relatives, which uses only two pair. A plastic X inside the center to keep sagging pairs from ‘bleeding’ undesirable interference, called Crosstalk.

As prices continue to drop on Gigabit Ethernet, the successful Network+ person would begin to make the switch as soon as practical. Even if your existing network hardware is only rated for 100mb/sec operation, you’d do well to seriously consider installing higher-rated cable so that you can upgrade to gigabit (or faster) network speeds in the future without having to re-run recently-installed cable.

While there are some considerations, they are detailed in the next section. After seeing the “Gotcha’s” and benefits, you will at least be able to plan for the conversion as you work with existing Category 5 cable.

Before you run off and install thousands of feet of Cat 5 cable at a new site to run Gigabit Ethernet “just because you know you can get it to work,” remember the guideline we mentioned at the beginning of the chapter: Always install the best, most capable cabling you can find that fits your budget. In this case, to maximize future expandability, you’re better off installing the next level of UTP cable, Cat 5e or Cat 6, when wiring a gigabit Ethernet network from scratch, rather than pushing a Cat 5 based network past its original design limits. Cat 5e and Cat 6 exceed the specifications of Cat 5, and are rated at gigabit transmission speeds.

There are some “Gotcha’s” in rolling existing physical Category 5 cable installations. The following tips are offered in order of simplicity and cost.

Industry estimates are that only about 20% of Category 5 installations do not meet ANSI/EIA/TIA 568 (Specifications for Category 5 installations). This means a roll of the dice is in your favor that you can successfully convert to Gigabit Ethernet. Pursue the descending order of the Wise Owl Tips listed above to convert an existing cable installation to Gigabit Ethernet should you find yourself in the 20% category.

Finally, be aware there is a working group for the next round of increasing the speed of Ethernet, and to date, no suggestions exist for copper. In any case, it does not bode well for those who thought ATM would kill Ethernet.

**Table 2: UTP Cable Types and Speeds**
Cable Type	Speed	Length	Nodes	Pairs/Category
10BaseT	10Mbit	100 meters	1024	2 3
100BaseTX	100Mbit	100 meters	1024	2 5
1000BaseT	1000Mbit	100 meters	1024	4 5e/6

VGAnyLan

Troubleshooting 10nBaseTx

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