atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Cat 6 VS 6A network cabling

My company recently quoted a Cat 6 installation .
Customer came back with a request to also have CAT 6A quoted as a comparison. I would like to hear input from the forum regarding actual work expierence, materials,test and certification etc.
I am Cat 5E certified, and recently installed a Cat 6 site with no trouble.However, It is a fair size job and I do have concerns.
Thanks to all in advance
Tazmanian

I have not installed CAT 6A yet, so I can't speak from experience. However.....

From what I understand CAT6A is susceptible to "foreign Xtalk" i.e. Interference from another cable. I also understand that no one has figured out how to adequately test for this. (If I have 500 cables coming into the MC along a rack what should I do - hook up 500 test sets?)

Perhaps someone who's more current can give a more up to date answer, but I would be loath to bid a product that cannot be tested to spec yet. At least not without a lot of caveats in the contract.

I have installed lots of Cat6 & shielded (screened) Cat6 and found it much more time consuming then Cat5E.

Let us know how it all works out.

Sam

From a physical standpoint, 6A cable is larger and stiffer than 6E. From what I have read, getting 6A certified can be a pain.

I remember someone saying how you almost have to float the cable to pass all of the tests.

Does the customer really need 6A :confused:

Sounds like the resident CG has been reading CG magazines.

I also think that if you have to have the bandwidth of CAT6A or even beyond CAT5E it's time for the industry to give up on UTP.

-Hal

Cat6A is larger by about 50%, so you need bigger pathways, J hooks, etc. The cable will slow you down; Tighter twists, larger gauge conductors, separators. It takes a bit more time, but I wouldn't say it's really any more difficult. If you don't follow proper standards and best practices with your cabling however, you will find the Cat6a to be far less forgiving.

For the reasons Silversam mentioned, you could get a call-back well after the job is done and certified. If the customer does run 10Gig ethernet at some point, they could run into cross talk issues that did not present themselves when the cables were being tested. So be careful about how you warranty the job or word you contract.

If possible, get some samples of Cat6a products and try them out before you commit to anything.

CAT6A with a foil shield may be harder to terminate because of the shielding, but testing would certainly be a lot easier with no "alien crosstalk" to worry about. Also, when vendors tout 10 gigabit cable, they are just complying with or exceeding the latest draft of the spec, which is not complete yet. That spec will allow compatibility between different vendor's equipment, and will allow 10 gig transmission for 90 meters or 328 feet. Currently, plain old CAT6 will go 10 gig at up to 55 meters. Please someone correct me if I am incorrect about this.

I think the last I heard was 35m for 10gig over Cat6. But as you pointed out, it's still draft standards. (I did some searching, and I couldn't find anything to suggest the standard is official yet) That's actually something to point out to clients as well. While it's unlikely that the products you use won't conform to the final standard, there is still that chance.

At the end of the day, you know what's expected from 5e or 6, you know how to work with it, and you can test it reliably. With Cat6a there's a chance that what you install won't meet the client's expectations when they roll out 10gig ethernet.
And yes, if you go with the shielded Cat6a, then you definately add some complexity. If you're going to go that far, why not go with fiber. The cost of the Cat6a is already high, and then you add the time and complexity of the shielded components.

I think what Hal says is spot on. WTF are these guys expecting to do?

I installed thousands of ITT Cat6 screened cables for Time/Life. Besides screened/shielded cables, you also need shielded jacks and shielded patch panels. PITA .

PITA to install, PITA to test, PITA to troubleshoot. This was several years ago and perhaps Shielded Cat6 has gotten easier, but I doubt it.

As far as fiber, it is almost easier to install it, but the cost of NIC cards and switches drive the customers costs way up.

Again, I would be VERY leery about agreeing to install something that does not have a real spec yet. You know the customers going to scream if anything doesn't meet his expectations - rational or not.

Like Hal said, the CG guy is reading magazines and blabbering to his boss.


Sam

6A has its value, data center, test labs, but I think it is a little to early to mess with 6A. Give it some time, but of course if the customer demands it, put it in; all it takes is time, make sure you bump up your labor time at least by 25%.