Cat 6 sets the standard for Gigabit Ethernet cabling
14 August 2002
Interconnection
The bandwidth requirements of companies continues to escalate, with increasing demands being made on e-mail and Internet links. With this in mind, many companies are looking to the future implementation of high speed networking protocols, such as Gigabit Ethernet, but few are addressing the development in terms of their structured cabling systems, says Dave Fawcett, sales and marketing director at Nexgen Fibreplus, the local representative of R&M, the cabling and components vendor.
"Gigabit Ethernet has already come to the workplace and in the long term will displace Fast Ethernet," he says. "It is important that Category 6 cabling systems, with genuine Category 6 components, are specified for this new platform.
"Having the complete transmission line built exclusively with Cat 6 components - and tested for conformity to the standard - is the only way of ensuring interoperability of components and complete backward compatibility to 5e-based cabling systems," says Fawcett.
He says that an investment in a Cat 6 infrastructure is imperative, in the light of news that the IEEE - the American standards committee - is working extensively on new Ethernet protocols that will be able to transmit many times the bandwidth of Gigabit Ethernet.
Fawcett highlights the significance of the Cenelec EN 50173 standard for Cat 6 components, which focuses on the most difficult of all parameters of Cat 6 requirements - interoperability with third-party components.
"Users with high bandwidth demands - and with an eye to the future - need to be certain that their cabling systems conform to this standard for complete peace of mind," he adds.
For more information: Dave Fawcett, Nexgen Fibreplus, 011 708 2750, [email protected]
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