Cables have become an integral part of our lives. We use them for the internet and electricity. Cable installation can be a bit tricky, and there are some common problems that you will face. In addition, you need to consider cable limitations when it comes to deployment. There are certain angles you cannot get along with in certain places. Furthermore, the length would also be an essential factor if you are using a cat6 plenum Ethernet cable. Extending your cable in this situation is the best way to avoid all this hassle.
In this article, we'll explain how you can use cable extensions for your benefit. In addition, what are the best ways for this sort of work? Let us start.
Remember Ethernet Cable Lengths
Before getting into cable extension, remember the maximum length for each Ethernet cable. This way, you can deploy each one of them correctly. Furthermore, there are different categories and cabling standards. These categories include Cat6 Solid Copper, cat5e, cat6, and cat6a Ethernet cables. Each of these cables offers different data transfer rates. In addition to that, it is all based on the cable category.
On the other hand, some of these cables can offer 10G frequency. Deploying such a cable for your home network would not be a wise choice. The price of this cable may not be within your budget. You can use such cables for data centers or big servers. Cat6 offers a 10Gbpa data transfer rate at a distance of 55 meters. We are talking about ideal conditions here. If you are an installer, you need to respect these limits. Because if you don't, your connection will not be stable. Remember that the longest cable run should not be more than 100 meters. Here are the frequencies and max length of other Ethernet cables.
Cat5e – the maximum speed of this cable is 1Gbps. You can get this speed at a distance of 100 meters. Anything further than that will not get your desired results.
Cat6 – since this is a Cat6 Plenum Cable 1000ft, it will offer a 10Gbps data transfer rate at a distance of 55 meters. If you want to run it for a longer length, say 100 meters, your speed will be 1000Mbps.
Cat6a – this cable can offer speeds between 1000Mbps and 10Gbps. You can run it for a longer distance of 100 meters.
Cat7 – this is a relatively newer cable. It comes with the ability to offer a 10Gbps data transfer rate at a distance of 100 meters without any hiccups.
Cat8 – this is a state-of-the-art cable in the networking industry. It has a bundle of valuable specifications. You will enjoy a 40Gbps data transfer rate at a distance of 30 meters.
Best Ways to Extend Your Cat6 Plenum Ethernet Cable
One of the most significant benefits of using an Ethernet cable is that you can extend it without any issues. You may need some extra equipment for this work, but it is possible. Furthermore, you need switches, connectors, cable extenders, and converters for this kind of extension.
Using a Switch
If you are an installer, you will know that you cannot run Cat6 Ethernet cable longer than 100 meters. Not to worry, this is now entirely possible. You can use a switch for this purpose. This is a device that you can use to extend your connection distance. Furthermore, this will work by receiving data packets and forwarding them to your device. In addition to that, you can also use a switch if you have plenty of users for a single network.
Using an Extender
This is also another practical method to extend your connection. This device uses DSL technology to transmit your data from one location to another. Additionally, you must use them in pairs. You can place them on each end of the cable. This way, you can get a 50Mbps data transfer rate at a distance of 300 meters. That is super impressive, considering the speed and distance. Secondly, you will get this remarkable speed with a cat6 plenum Ethernet cable.
You can use various techniques based on your client's demand and specs. In addition, these methods will provide a perfect solution to cater to the distance between connections. Lastly, you will not have to update your entire network to get the maximum speed at the maximum length.
