What is a cat 6a cable?

As we all know, after years of development, the mainstream types of network cables have now become CAT5 and CAT6.

In life, we often encounter CAT6a network cables. Do you know what cat6a network cable is? Next, I will answer this question for you!

• Part 1:What is the difference between CAT6 and CAT6a
• Part 2:What are their application scenarios
• Part 3:How to test the quality of cat6a network cable

Part 1: What is the difference between CAT6 and CAT6a?

There are several differences between Cat6a network cables and Cat6 network cables, which are detailed as follows:

Transmission Performance

• Transmission Rate: Cat6 network cables support a maximum transmission rate of 1Gbps and are suitable for high-speed data communication standards such as Gigabit Ethernet. In contrast, Cat6a network cables can support a maximum transmission rate of up to 10Gbps, which is ten times that of Cat6 network cables and can better meet the application scenarios with high bandwidth requirements, such as high-definition video conferencing and large-scale data transmission.
• Frequency Range: The frequency range of Cat6 network cables is 250MHz, while that of Cat6a network cables is 500MHz. The wider frequency range enables them to transmit larger volumes of data, thus improving the overall signal quality.
  

Anti-interference Ability

Cat6a network cables adopt a more powerful shielding structure. Compared with Cat6 network cables, they can more effectively reduce the impact of external electromagnetic interference on signals and ensure the reliability of data transmission.

In environments with dense cables and numerous interference sources, such as computer rooms or industrial areas, the anti-interference advantage of Cat6a network cables is more obvious. They can reduce the influence of surrounding cables or electronic devices on signals and ensure the stability of data transmission.

Transmission Distance

Cat6 network cables usually can maintain a transmission rate of 1Gbps within a distance of 55 meters. Beyond this distance, their performance may gradually decline.

However, Cat6a network cables can still maintain a transmission rate of 10Gbps within a distance of 100 meters. Therefore, they are more suitable for scenarios that require long-distance cabling, such as large buildings and campus networks.

Physical Structure

• Wire Core: Cat6a network cables generally use thicker copper cores. In comparison, the copper cores of Cat6 network cables are thinner. Thicker copper cores help reduce signal attenuation and improve transmission performance.
• Twist Pitch: The copper conductors in Cat6a network cables have a tighter twist pitch, while those in Cat6 network cables have a relatively looser twist pitch. The design of a tighter twist pitch helps further reduce crosstalk and improve signal transmission quality.
• Cross-shaped Skeleton: Both have a cross-shaped skeleton design, but Cat6a network cables adopt a gear-shaped structure with wire grooves, which can better fix the wire cores, reduce crosstalk among the wire cores, and improve the performance of the network cables.
• Outer Diameter: Due to the use of thicker copper cores, a tighter twist pitch, and a special cross-shaped skeleton design, etc., the outer diameter of Cat6a network cables is larger than that of Cat6 network cables. Moreover, the cables of Cat6a are fluffier, occupying more space and having a larger bending radius.

Part 2: What are their application scenarios?

Cat6 network cables are suitable for places where the requirements for bandwidth and transmission distance are not high, such as ordinary household networks and small office networks. They can meet daily network needs, such as web browsing, file downloading, video playing, and connecting computers, printers, routers and other devices for network communication.

Cat6a network cables are mainly applied to places with extremely high requirements for network performance and bandwidth, such as data centers, enterprise core networks, and large campus networks. They can provide reliable network support for bandwidth-intensive applications such as high-definition video conferencing, virtual reality, and cloud computing.

Part 3: How to test the quality of cat6a network cable?

The following are some methods for measuring the quality of Cat6 and Cat6a network cables:

Check the Appearance and Markings

• Outer Sheath of the Network Cable: High-quality network cable outer sheaths are usually tough, smooth, without obvious damage, cracks, signs of aging or discoloration, and have a certain degree of flexibility and are not easily broken.
• Marking Information: Authentic network cable outer sheaths will clearly display relevant information, such as brand, model, specification (including Cat6 or Cat6a markings), place of origin, and implementation standards.The printed characters should be clear and smooth, without blurring or fading. In addition, there may also be some certification marks, such as UL, RoHS, etc., which indicate that the network cable complies with the corresponding quality and safety standards.

Conduct Practical Application Tests

• Connect to Devices for Testing: Connect the network cable to network devices such as computers, routers, and switches, and then conduct normal network usage, such as browsing web pages, downloading files, watching online videos, etc., and observe whether the network is stable and whether there are problems such as stuttering, disconnection, or high latency. If the network performs well without obvious abnormalities during use, it indicates that the network cable can meet the basic network transmission requirements.
• Test High-bandwidth Applications: For Cat6a network cables, you can try to conduct some tests on applications with high-bandwidth requirements, such as conducting multiple high-definition video conferences simultaneously, high-speed transmission of large files, online games, etc., to test its transmission performance under high load. If it can stably support these high-bandwidth applications without obvious picture stuttering or data transmission interruption phenomena, it indicates that the performance of this Cat6a network cable is relatively excellent.

Conduct Professional Tests

• Use Network Testers: This is one of the most commonly used methods, which can detect multiple performance indicators of network cables. For example, the Noyafa NF-859GT tester can support cable length testing, wire sequence testing, and PoE testing for Cat6 and Cat6a network cables. By sending signals and detecting the receiving situation, it can determine whether there are problems such as short circuits, open circuits, or incorrect wire sequences in the network cable, as well as measure whether the length of the network cable meets the standards.