Cat5e and cat6 cables are both backwards.
Cat 5e ou cat 6 ethernet cable.
Cat 6 is backward compatible with cat 5 and cat 5e.
Cat 5e is currently the most commonly used cable mainly due to its low production cost and support for speeds faster than cat 5 cables.
In cat 6 cable the spline is not required either as long as the cable tests according to the standard.
Although ordinary ethernet cables can be used the better option is to use the more expensive weatherproof cat 6 cables.
It is to be noted here that cat 5e ethernet cables are more suitable for most ordinary working environments with cat 6 being for special purposes.
As a means of future proofing your network cat6 is generally a better choice and worth the small premium in price.
In the picture above the cat 5e cable is the only one with a spline.
Although the spline is not required in cat 5 cable some manufactures include it anyway.
When it comes to cat5 and cat6 ethernet cables there s no right or wrong choice.
Cat5e cable is completely backwards compatible with cat5 and can be used in any application in which you would normally use cat5 cable.
All use rj45 connectors to patch into your network via server router computer or other hardware.
Cat 5e is an enhanced version of cat5 that adds specifications for crosstalk see below.
If you ve got to have it here s the.
As well all support power over ethernet poe.
Network support cat 5 cable will support 10base t and 100base t network standards that is it supports networks running at 10 mbps or 100 mbps.
There is also a plan to increase the speeds of cat5e to 5 gbps over the existing cables known as the ieee p802 3bz standard which also works on cat6 cabling.
Many cat 6 cables also include a nylon spline which helps eliminate crosstalk.
Here s a step by step guide to wiring your home with cat5e or cat6 ethernet cable.
Cat 5e is also much cheaper than cat 6 making it the obvious choice for households and small businesses.
Cat5 vs cat5e.
Cat 6 cat 5 or cat 5e ethernet cables can be run outdoors to network computers with a large area network lan between homes or other buildings.
The decision of whether to use category 5e 6 or 6a cables to wire your ethernet network pretty much comes down to cost data transfer speed and connection distance.
If you re not sure of the difference between the two check out this post step 1.
Many cat 6 cables also include a nylon spline which helps eliminate crosstalk says how to geek.