RJ45 Clips For Cat5e / Cat6

[Carlosinfl]

I've seen vendors like Blackbox and some others who sell specific RJ-45 clips for Category 6 and Category 5e cables. I've looked at them and honestly can't see the difference. I don't know if this is a marketing thing or if there are truly RJ-45 clamps rated for Cat6 & Cat5e.

Does anyone have any information that can clear this up?

 

[dogbert_2001]

http://www.broadbandutopia.com/caandcaco.html

Are the connectors for category 5e and category 6 different? Why are they more expensive?

Although category 6 and category 5e connectors may look alike, category 6 connectors have much better transmission performance. For example, at 100 MHz, NEXT of a category 5e connector is 43 decibels (dB), while NEXT of a category 6 connector is 54 dB. This means that a cat6 connector couples about 1/12 of the power that a cat5e connector couples from one pair to another pair. Conversely, one can say that a category 6 connector is 12 times less “noisy” compared to a category 5e connector. This vast improvement in performance was achieved with new technology, new processes, better materials and significant R&D resources, leading to higher costs for manufacturers.

 

[Carlosinfl]

Thank you.

 

[PigLover]

A more practical difference: Cat6 specifies a larger gauge of wire than Cat5/5e (23 gauge vs 24). While this difference may be small, the vampire connectors inside the connector have to match the gauge very closely. Using the wrong connectors leads to unreliable crimps, to wit:

- Using Cat6 cable with a cat5/5e connector often bends and mis-shapes the vampires, leading to intermittent connection, excess electrical noise and sometimes even shorts.

- Using Cat5/5e cable with cat6 connectors, the vampire taps often don't cut through the insulation on one or both sides of the connections, leading to opens, intermittent connections and excess electrical noise.

For purely mechanical reasons - notwithstanding the completely correct note above on transmission characteristic differences - it is always a good idea to match the wire to the connector you are using with it.