Fast Ethernet Applications What are these and what types of ethernet cables are suitable for high-density applications? Go through this article to find out the best possible cable that is best to cater to fast ethernet applications.
LAN cables also known as twisted pair cables are not just for sending data, but there are other hidden secrets that you need to understand. The first-gigabit ethernet cable Cat5e plenum copper cable, the other enhanced version Cat6 plenum ethernet cable, and the ultimate fast LAN cable bulk cat6a plenum are used for 100 Mbps, 1000 Mbps, and 10 Gbps respectively.
All these speed specs come in the category of Fast Ethernet Applications. So, what are the types of High-Density Applications and PoE Standards linked with category type? Is Cat5e plenum cable better than bulk cat6 plenum cable? Or is the Cat6a Plenum cable the advanced category cable among all the LAN cables? Let’s find out along with the fast ethernet applications.
What Are Fast Ethernet Applications?
For Fast Ethernet Applications there are 4 types of ethernet standards like
- Ethernet IEEE 802.3 (10BASE-T)
- Fast Ethernet IEEE 802.3u (100BASE-T)
- Gigabit Ethernet IEEE 802.3z (1000BASE-T)
- Future Ethernet 10 and 40 Gbps (10GBASE-T)
The ethernet cable networking standards for speed can also be described as 100BASE-T for Fast Ethernet. It refers to the data transmission speed of 100 Mbps and it reflects Cat5e Plenum copper cable. The 100BASE-T is the next advancement after the 10BASE-T (10 Mbps) the previous ethernet standard. There is another advanced speed rating (1000BASE-T) Gigabit Ethernet which is used for the bulk cat6 plenum cable.
Last but not least, the Cat6a plenum cable with 10 Gbps speed is also associated with 10GBASE-T and it is known as the Future Ethernet which has its applications. In the below table, there are related descriptions and benefits of Fast and Gigabit Ethernet. Which cable is suitable are as follows.
| Application Area | Description | Benefits of Fast Ethernet |
| Home Networks (Legacy Systems) | In-home networks, the standard internet speed is 20 Mbps or so which is enough for browsing, sending emails, and streaming standard-definition video. It uses ethernet IEEE 802.3 standard. | Cat5e Plenum copper cables are the best suitable for this type of speed needs, it’s cost-effective and easy to install. |
| Small Office Networks | For small offices, there is a moderate need for internet speed and limited frequency (Bandwidth). Here Fast Ethernet IEEE 802.3u (10BASE-T) can support basic file sharing, browsing, and file sharing. | Cat5e plenum cable is best to use for 100 Mbps speed, a fast ethernet speed. Easily installed as compared with the gigabit ethernet cable according to the existing infrastructure. Suitable for non-intensive office traffic. |
| Peripherals and Legacy Equipment | Older network equipment devices like scanners, printers, and (NAS) network-attached storage have only Fast Ethernet Ports (100BASE-T). | It maintains compatibility with the existing networking hardware devices that do not support 1000 Mbps speed (Gigabit).There is no need to upgrade existing devices if working adequately. |
| BACnet (Building Automation and Control System) | Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet are most of the time used for “Building Automation and Control Systems”.This will ease the control of the sensors, controllers, and actuators in building management systems. | The most suitable ethernet cables are Cat5e plenum copper cable and cat6 plenum ethernet cable.Can handle moderate data transfer 100 Mbps and sometimes also need 1000 Mbps (1 Gbit/s).This is especially sufficient for small and complex building automation setups. |
| Point of Sale (POS) | Retail environments that use Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet that is directly connected to the Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals to the network. This is done to smoothen the buying process or to ease the buying process. There are also wireless POS machines. | Cost-effective option for POS basic system operations. Adequate for handling bulk transactions for easy money. Easy to integrate with the Fast and Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure. |
Additional Information
- Fast ethernet standards like Cat5e plenum cable offer subsequent benefits for small and medium businesses and office needs. However, Gigabit is the modern standard due to the demand for high-speed networking. Cat6 Plenum Ethernet Cable is the best example.
- The benefit of Gigabit Ethernet is it provides a futureproof cabling infrastructure. It means you only need to upgrade the speed of your server to gigabit to entertain with a high-network data transmission rate.
- The above-listed applications represent the most common use for 100BASE-T (Fast Ethernet). Now in the next section let’s discuss Gigabit and Future Ethernet Standards.
Gigabit and Future Ethernet Standards
The gigabit ethernet (GbE) “1000BASE-T” here ‘T’ is for twisted pairs is the standard for Cat6 plenum ethernet cable whereas, 10GBASE-T is for bulk Cat6a plenum cable. Now let’s learn what are the applications associated with GbE and Future Ethernet.
| Category | Description | Applications |
| Gigabit Ethernet (GbE – 1000 Mbps) | This standard is for the modern ethernet cable (Bulk Cat6 plenum). It offers speed ratings ten times that of Fast Ethernet. | Major Applications are Fast Data Transmission, UHD streaming 4K, high-bandwidth, large file transfer, Network Attached Storage (NAS), online gaming, video conferencing, VoIP, PoE, etc. |
| (Future-GbE) 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps | This gesture towards Cat6a Plenum cable for its 10G speed ratings. It delivers a speed beyond 1 Gbps. | Most suitable for commercial and industrial, data centers and large enterprise applications.It supports intensive bandwidth technologies VR (Virtual Reality) and Augmented Reality) AR. |
Detailed Applications
- Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) — The required demand for many house and commercial needs for a stable internet connection for quality online meetings, sending files without interruption, and media streaming. The best LAN cable to use for gigabit ethernet applications is Bulk Cat6 Plenum cable — 23 AWG conductors to deliver 1/10 GbE speed over longer and shorter distances.
- 10GBASE-T (Future Ethernet) — It creates a headroom for the demanding applications that need future-proof infrastructure for data centers and high-density applications. Cat 6a Plenum cable is the best to use to get the desired 10 Gbps speed. The bulk cat6a plenum cable has 10 Gbps speed over shorter and longer distances thus describing future ethernet standards.
What Are PoE Standards?
PoE (Power over Ethernet) is the newest technology that is used for transmitting signal and power simultaneously to the networking device. The most common practice is with IP cameras, VoIP, Telephones, etc.
According to the PoE standards like IEEE 802.3af (PoE), IEEE 802.3at (PoE+), and IEEE 802.3bt (PoE++) different LAN cables are involved in running the suitable power and signal with minimum amount of power usage. So down below is the comparison between the different sets of cables with the right typology for Power over Ethernet (PoE).
| Cable Category | Ethernet Applications (Non-PoE) | Fast Ethernet With PoE | PoE Standard |
| Cat5 | Not recommended | Not Applicable | N/A |
| Cat5e | Up to 328ft | Will limit the power to less than 15.4 watts | PoE (IEEE 802.3af) |
| Cat6 | 100 meters (328ft) | Up to 328ft with moderate power of 30 watts | PoE and PoE+ |
| Cat6a | 100 meters (328ft) | Up to 100 meters and can be used maximum of 90 to 100 watts | PoE/+/++ 4PPoE up to 100 watts |
Important Considerations
- Power Requirements — Different LAN cables vary to be used for transmitting power signals for PoE. Just like Cat5e, it is only good for IEEE 802.3af (PoE) applications. You should understand the power capacity of the cable to use it with PoE devices.
- Cable Quality — Cat6 plenum ethernet cable and bulk cat6a plenum cables are the two quality cables (Modern Ethernet Cables) that can be used for the above PoE standards. For better results use High-Quality LAN cables.
- Distance Limitations — the ideal installation length for ethernet cables is 100 meters (328ft). The distance would be the issue for PoE devices to stop working or lose signal quality.
- Future Proofing — besides cat5e plenum copper cable, the Bulk cat6 plenum cable and cat 6a plenum cable provide future-proofing for gigabit and 10 Gigabit speed ratings.
PoE Wattage Capacity
This is one of the important features that describes the wattage for PoE Standards like
- PoE (IEEE 802.3af) delivers 15.4 watts and is only supported with Cat5e plenum copper cables. The copper is a highly durable conductor and it can hold the electric current with better heat dissipation capacity.
- PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) utilizes 30 watts of power and can be easily achievable with the Cat6 cable or Cat6a. The right needs to light up the eye for surveillance.
- PoE++ or Type 4 PPoE (IEEE 802.3bt) required 90 to 100 watts of electric current. The bulk Cat6a plenum cable is the best to serve this PoE standard.
Final Thought
At the end of the article, the debate between Fast, Gigabit, and Future Ethernet Standards comes to an end. There is a brief and detailed difference between the LAN cables like Cat6 plenum ethernet cable and Cat 6a Plenum cable. But the cat5e is the least to use with only one standard and for only small office or house needs.
The cat5e fails to operate with the 2.5 GHz and 5 GHz Ethernet Standard whereas, cat6 partially caters to these standards mostly over shorter distances. On the other hand, the Bulk Cat6a Plenum cable offers the best results and can be used for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz applications.
