Everything you need to know about structured cabling

The most important attribute of the Cat.6A components is interoperability: Each transmission channel made of the Cat.6A components originating from various producers and brands is indeed the Cat.6A performance category.

Two Ways to Realize Cat.6A Structured Cabling

Nowadays, there are two ways to realize Cat.6A performance cabling :

1. To install an integrated Cat.6A system

2. To install interoperable Cat.6A components

The two possibilities are equivalent and supported by international standards.

See situation in 2010, picture3 !

Picture 3

Certification Objective in respect to Cat.6A Systems and Cat.6A Components

The Cat.6A performance is guaranteed for Cat.6A systems as well as Cat.6A components only in case they meet the standards we mentioned. Accordance with the standard can be assured only by testing and measuring in specialized testing laboratories.

Customers can distinguish fake and real Cat.6A systems and Cat.6A components only based on certificates from independent testing laboratories.  Thus, requiring these certificates from supplier must be accustomed. In case of Cat.6A system, one certificate assures the entire transmission channel and in case of components, each component is certified separately (in some cases in groups of the same product line). See picture 4 .

Picture 4

To identify Cat.6A system, components taken from Cat.6A system, and real Cat.6A components one needs to pay attention to the text in certificates. Table 1 provides an aid to identify these.

Table 1

Objective of Certification Measurements on Installed Cat.6A Cabling

Certification measurements on installed cabling by portable testers are meant only to verify quality of an installation work and to detect potential flaws. They don’t replace certificates from independent testing laboratories for Cat.6A system/components (see previous chapter). The certification measurement on installed Cat.6A cabling requires IIIe or IV accuracy class testers with frequency generator of at least 500 MHz.

The measurements on Cat.6A systems must be done as a Channel using patch cables from the given system. In case of cabling composed of interoperable Cat.6A components, two options of measurements are available: Channel measurement (the same as in case of Cat.6A systems) and Permanent Link measurement. The advantage of measuring as a Permanent Link is that the certification can be completed without considering patch cables that will be employed by a user. The Cat.6A performance is guaranteed for each Cat.6A patch cable with no need for additional verification or measurements.

All testers feature international standard as well as TIA/EIA standard valid in the USA.   The US standard considers only unshielded solutions; and thus, the requirements for transmission parameters are set lower. Hence, when measuring on the installed cabling, it’s always preferred to set testers on the international standard ISO/IEC 11801 (as stated in table 2). Exceptions:

• Installations realized in the USA.

• Installations realized in countries where the national standard follows the TIA/EIA standard.
• Installations realized in headquarter, branch office, and subsidiary of an American company resident abroad.

Table 2 illustrates proper settings on testers to certify (measure) installed cabling.

Table 2

2. Analysis and Critique of Markets

Causes of Ostrich Politics

Although it is evident already for 3 years that Cat.6 doesn‘t serve the initial purpose, the cabling is still a bestseller in many markets. The argument that Cat.6 is more reliable than Cat.5E in transmitting Gigabit Ethernet is misleading; the Cat.5E’s transmission band (100 MHz) has been set with a 20% reserve. While Cat.5E satisfies less demanding customers, and Cat.6A satisfies customers who long for future proved and high performance cabling, there is no reason whatsoever to offer Cat.6. We analyzed, in four countries Argentina, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, why Cat.6 is still being offered.

The number of Cat.6A installations is correlated to the number of unshielded cablings in the markets. As the number of unshielded cablings increases, the number of Cat.6A installations decreases. This may be a result of hiding the truth about Cat.6 and Cat.6A by advocates of unshielded solutions.

Other factors preventing Cat.6A cabling spread:

• Producers who don’t offer real Cat.6A (followers trying to copy and mimic original products) are a majority and use aggressive marketing strategies.

• Producer's commercial interest to profit as long as possible from Cat.6 portfolio and in this way make full use of technology and past investments used in its production.
• Lack of professional information  about the product sold thorough modern distribution channels (e-business, warehouses, wholesalers).
• Big tenders and centralized purchases for state administration and multinational corporations which still follow old internal policies for building organizations’ cabling infrastructure.
• Designers don’t react fast enough to frequent changes in structured cabling standardization.
• Acquisitive and short-term approach of many installation companies with this philosophy: ‘‘If we install Cat.6 today, we will get another order in a few years to install Cat.6A’’.

From the four analyzed countries, besides Slovakia with strong dominance in shielded cablings, also Czech Republic moved towards Cat.6A solutions. In these countries, consulting companies participate in choosing buildings for their clients trying to recommend plants with quality and future proved IT infrastructure. Other allies, in promoting Cat.6A, include numerous system integrators and IT companies. These allies realized that Cat.5E and Cat.6 cabling are so simple to install that electricians may overtake this service and steal their deals.

More then 92% Chance to be Misled

In November 2009, we analyzed in detail all products labeled Cat.6A available in Czech Republic and Slovakia. The results are illustrated for both countries in the picture 5.

Picture 5

3. Components Taken from Cat.6A Systems are NOT Cat.6A Components!

Summary of changes in knowledge and international standardization in recent years:

§1. Transmission protocol became a determining factor for standardization requirements applied to transmission channel (cabling).

§2. Ethernet dominates and sets directions for future development in LAN communications.

§3. Performance criterion for cabling has been changed from originally used transmission band to now used transmission speed .

§4. De facto, only Cat.5E (for transmission up to 1Gbit/s) and Cat.6A (for transmissions above 10 Gbit/s) is justifiable.

§5. Cat.6 and 7 are “zombie’’ categories and their performance is on the same level as Cat.5E (transmissions guaranteed only up to 1 Gbit/s).

§6. Since 2006, Cat.6A category cabling can be realized as an integrated Cat.6A system.

§7. Some quality shielded Cat.6 or Cat.7 components can be used as building elements of Cat.6A systems.

§8. Since 2009, Cat.6A components exist and their essential characteristic is interoperability.

§9. Solutions realized as integrated Cat.6A systems and solutions based on Cat.6A components are equivalent and both are supported by international standards.