Standards for cable distance recommend that Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6a cables have a maximum cable segment run length of 100 meters or 328 feet. The cable distance specifications are part of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) standards. When recommended cable distances are exceeded, then signal loss may occur. If segment runs must exceed twisted-pair cabling specifications, a repeater or switch could be added. Solid cable, such as Cat5e solid core cable, is normally used for covering longer network cable distances. To construct these cables, four pairs of twisted wires are used which are either shielded or unshielded, depending on the level of protection needed. The most common cable type is unshielded, which is commonly referred to as UTP. Show
Category 5e Cable Length RecommendationsThe recommended Cat5e cable length is similar to the standards for other twisted-pair cables. Cable distance guidelines for Cat5e are associated with TIA/EIA-568-5-A documentation. The maximum for a Cat5e cable segment is 100m. Category 5 Enhanced cable supports up to 1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet speeds as four wire pairs are utilized. Maximum Cable Segment Distances for Cat6 or Cat6a CableIn 10/100/1000BASE-T applications, the maximum cable distance of a Cat 6 cable is 100 metres. However, Category 6 cable segment distance drops to a maximum run length of 55 metres when used for 10GBASE-T. This cable length may be further reduced in hostile alien crosstalk environments. These limits are not an issue with Cat6a cable. Augmented Category 6 cable’s maximum cable distance specifications are the same as Cat5 and 5e. This means 10GBASE-T can be supported at a 100-metre cable run distance. Related LinksCat5e Cable Written by Don Schultz, trueCABLE Technical Manager, Fluke Networks Copper/Fiber CCTT, BICSI INST1, INSTC, INSTF Certified What does ANSI/TIA mean?No doubt you have noticed when shopping for your Ethernet network the usage of ANSI/TIA 568 C.2 Certified or verified. Is this some sort of marketing ploy? What does it mean? Who exactly is ANSI/TIA? I poured over a large portion of the ANSI/TIA 568 series of standards (from C.0 through C.2) and noted exactly what the average person really needs to know about. Considering this set of documents is over 370 pages long, this was no small task. Equally no small task was determining what was useful and what was esoteric. I apologize in advance to those who are looking for very detailed guidelines about how to construct a telecom room, as I won’t deep dive into those parts. I will relent a little and give you a tip that stood out to me while looking through the standard: Sorry, no carpet allowed in the telecom room. You can have a drop ceiling in your server room, however. I also won’t cover anything relating to fiber optic cable, as this will be reserved for a future article. The ANSI/TIA 568 C.3 section addresses fiber applications specifically. Knowing guidelines exist is half the battle. If you wish to pick up a copy of these specifications, it won’t be cheap. You can expect to drop $1,000 to $1,600. Here is the link to the store to purchase: TIA Web Store, 568 Standards. What is ANSI?The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a non-profit organization leading many sub-organizations (not just telecommunications) composed of industry partners in the development of technical standards. The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is an ANSI accredited organization. The TIA TR42 Engineering Committee is the actual group of folks that develop the TIA 568 standards for telecommunications cabling infrastructure in commercial buildings, residential buildings, homes, data centers, and more. The standards are voluntary. So, TIA is not the “technical FDA” for example. There is no “TIA jail” to go to if you break all the rules. Compliance is important, though, if you want to avoid chaos. It does behoove you to understand some aspects of the standard as it gives you the edge in determining what information presented to you is correct, what marketing assertions are harmless, and what is flat out incorrect. I will try to highlight common myths and debunk them throughout this blog. My goal is to be transparent with you about something that usually falls into the marketing or harmless category. Important things to knowHere's what is most important to know from the ANSI/TIA 568 C specs if you install Ethernet data cabling in the typical DIY scenario (home up to medium sized business). Check Specifications Check the Manufacturer's Specifications first before buying:
Construction & Physical Performance Guidelines Construction and physical performance rules for Ethernet Cable:
The NEC does not allow for anything other than stranded or solid copper conductors in low voltage cabling. Installations using CCA are unsafe and potentially illegal. And that is it for construction. What is notably absent? We don’t see anything about how tightly the pairs should be twisted or what kind of cable jacket should be used. Manufacturers have breathing room to construct the cable within these guidelines. What is unwritten is that although the cable may meet the rather loosely defined TIA 568 physical guidelines, it must also meet UL or ETL safety requirements and comply with the rules of the National Electric Code (NEC). And this, folks, is why a manufacturer can legally make Copper Clad Aluminum cable and call it Ethernet and not end up in legal trouble. Where the flat-out false advertising starts is if the manufacturer claims the cable can be installed anywhere at all. Big trouble starts when you, the installer, unknowingly installs unsafe cable types like CCA or the incorrect rated jacket into a commercial structure and violate any number of electrical and fire codes. Read more here about cable jacket ratings: Facts About Ethernet Cable Jacket Ratings. Data Transmission GuidelinesThere are quite a few pages in the standard which address, with detailed equations, how cabling must perform in order to meet a certain Category. These particular rules are hard and fast, with no room for interpretation or error. As of now, here are the TIA recognized cable types: How do all of the calculations get done so that a manufacturer can print the correct Category rating on a cable? A device called a Certifier is used. Certifiers are expensive and may require training. What about Cat6E?As you can see, there is no such TIA specification for "Cat6E". In the case of trueCABLE, we really do test our Cat6 to 550 MHz. The jacket may be stamped "Cat6 Enhanced" on our older cable, but we updated our jacket labeling to drop the "enhanced". That said, we retained the MHz rating on the cable. trueCABLE, like some other manufacturers, over-builds the cable to maximize quality. Cat6 cable should perform under any normal environment to the ANSI/TI stated standard of 250 MHz. The main thing to watch out for here is not to assume that since it can reach 550 MHz you can create a makeshift Cat6A cable. TIA Installation & Termination GuidelinesHere is where the “rubber meets the road.” If you pay close attention to any spot in this document, this is the place to do it. Some of these rules are written in stone and some fall into the “best practice” realm, but all should be followed.
Myth: A commonly perpetuated myth is that a Cat6 or higher cable requires a 3/16 inch untwist at the termination. Although not in the specification, it is beneficial. In fact, you will increase cable headroom by being less than the specified 1/2 inch since less untwist means less crosstalk at the connector. Many RJ45 plugs on the market allow for reaching 3/16 inch untwist and my recommendation is to buy them.
So, there you have it.
This short distillation should not be confused for a substitute of the full ANSI/TIA 568 series (and other applicable) standards. These are the highlights of the installation rules and best practices which apply to the typical installer. RevisionsOne of the key items to realize about the standards is that they change. Often, it is minor details that won’t mean much to the average person. Sometimes there is a large change and it results in the publishing of a new set of standards. The latest set is actually now at “D” revision, published in 2018. Does this mean that the “C” stuff is irrelevant and wrong? Not at all. In the eyes of ANSI/TIA the “C” revision, which was published in 2009, is aged but not necessarily wrong. "D" Revision Adds:
So, not much changed. Certainly no changes that would worry someone who is installing Cat6 or Cat6A cabling in the average small business or home. The new big thing, of course, is the addition of Cat8 copper twisted pair cabling and how to test it. Cat8 cabling is meant for 25GBASE-T or 40GBASE-T networking speeds in the data center. Additionally, reputable manufacturers of cabling and accessories will take note of any changes and incorporate them into what you buy. So, take a deep breath as the manufacturers have done the vast majority of the homework for you. After all, that is what you are paying for and why there is a bullet point about compliance in their advertising. As always, Happy Networking!
What is the maximum length allowed for a UTP cable?In general the length should not be more than 100 meters (328 ft) to avoid data loss.
What is the TIA 568 standard?TIA/EIA-568 is a set of telecommunications standards from the Telecommunications Industry Association. This Standard contains requirements that facilitate the planning and installation of a structured cabling system in a commercial building environment.
What is the maximum length of an installed permanent link as specified in TIA 568B 1?The maximum physical length of the horizontal cable (permanent link) one end of the cable to the other is 90 meters.
Is ANSI TIA 568A cabling standard?TIA/EIA-568-A-1995 (Commercial Building Telecommunications Wiring Standards) Defines a standard for building cable system for commercial buildings that support data networks, voice, and video. It also defines the technical and performance criteria for cabling.
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