Cat5e vs Cat6 Cables: What are the Differences?

Cat5e Vs Cat6 cable look very similar from the outside, and any of them will plug into an ethernet port, but they do have some differences on the inside. The difference between a Cat5e vs Cat6 cable is not only higher speeds but reduced “crosstalk”.

What is Crosstalk?

As expected, electronic equipment (including cat cables) emit electromagnetic signals. When there are many cables near each other, these cables can interfere with each other. This interference is known as “crosstalk”. Crosstalk increases errors and lost packets (among other problems). Newer versions of cat cables (Cat6 and Cat6A) reduce the impact of crosstalk through a variety of methods, including better protection and twisted cable design.

Cat5e Vs Cat6

It is worth noting that both the Cat5e and Cat6 cables use the same final piece, i.e., they can be “plugged” into the same ports. The differences between each of these cables are in their capabilities, as well as in the methods and materials used to create them. The “end” that all cables have in common is known as RJ-45 and is capable of connecting to any Ethernet jack on a computer, router or other similar device. No one in the industry expects this to change anytime soon.

Cat5e	Cat6
Up to 1 GB/s Speed at 100 Meters	Up to 10 GB/s Speed at 55 Meters
Has a frequency of 350 Mhz	Has a frequency of 550 Mhz
More Crosstalk potential due to cable construction	Less Crosstalk potential due to cable construction
May have to replace with faster networks in future	More future proof for faster networking capabilities