Category 5 cable

Category 5 cable that is partially stripped and showing its four twisted pairs (eight wires)

Category 5 cable (Cat 5) is a twisted pair cable for computer networks. Since 2001, the variant commonly in use is the Category 5e specification (Cat 5e). The cable standard provides performance of up to 100 MHz and is suitable for most varieties of Ethernet over twisted pair up to 2.5GBASE-T[1][2][3][4] but more commonly runs at 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet) speeds. Cat 5 is also used to carry other signals such as telephone and video.

This cable is commonly connected using punch-down blocks and modular connectors. Most Category 5 cables are unshielded, relying on the balanced line twisted pair design and differential signaling for noise suppression.

  1. ^ Cooney, Michael (2016-09-27). "IEEE sets new Ethernet standard that brings 5X the speed without disruptive cable changes". Network World. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  2. ^ Anthony, Sebastian (2016-09-29). "Here comes 5Gbps networking over standard cables". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2021-01-18.
  3. ^ Smith, Ryan. "At Last, a 2.5Gbps Consumer Network Switch: QNAP Releases QSW-1105-5T 5-Port Switch". www.anandtech.com. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  4. ^ "IEEE P802.3bz 2.5/5GBASE-T Task Force". www.ieee802.org. Retrieved 2021-01-19.