Can I update CAT6 Plenum on CAT5e Network?

In this century of innovation, newer and newer technologies are making their way into the field and in this time, we are required to be with the time and update accordingly. In this time of need, there is a question being raised if whether you can update the newer networking cables in place of the older one’s aka. Can we use CAT6 Plenum Bulk on CAT5e network base? The answer to that question is explained below.

What is CAT5e Plenum Cable?

Category 5e Plenum cable is a twisted pair networking cable which consists of four twisted pairs of unshielded copper wire. It is known as a multimedia cable because of its usage in broadband projects and because it is used to carry signals to transmit information such as telephony, audio, video, etc.

The specifications of Category 5 enhanced Plenum includes a performance frequency of up to 250 MHz and a speed of 1 gigabyte that can travel over the course of 100 meters. The Plenum jacket casing of the cable is very important in this instance as well. The reason behind the usage of this over the non-plenum cables lies in its non-smoke capabilities.

The reason why we use Plenum cables are because of the mere reason that they can be used in places which can cause the cable to burn. Burning of the cable can be harmful to the environment as it can produce toxic gasses and visible smoke. This is the reason this cable was introduced and why the plenum space concept came into place; a concept that relies upon the construction areas in the building such as air vents where heat can be an issue.

What is CAT6 Plenum Cable?

Category 6’s standard Plenum cable is a twisted pair cable which is backward compatible with the Category 5 network. This is why if anyone is looking to upgrade the networking system, they can upgrade with the Category 6 even if the hardware hasn't changed yet and isn’t compatible with the cable; the reason being the compatibility of such cable with both Category 5 and 6.

About the specifications of this cable, it is obvious that with such a gap of introduction and being a newer version in the category series in accordance with the Category 5, it will have faster and better specifications. Talking about the specifications, it provides better performance with a faster frequency of up to 550 MHz and a faster speed of 10 gigabytes.

Can I use CAT6 Plenum on CAT5e Network?

Seeing the specifications and the compatibility, yes, Category 6 Plenum can be used on Category 5 enhanced Network i.e. CAT5e Plenum CMP because of the compatibility of the Category 6 with the Category 5. It is a good budget approach too as you can upgrade the physical network first and then upgrade the hardware.

All in all, it is not a question of whether it should be used on a Category 5e Network but rather a question of whether it’s a good approach and ultimately the answer remains the same, yes, it is a good approach and a recommended one as well.

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