Mini MEMS Variable Optical Attenuator by Fiber-MART.COM

Mini MEMS Variable Optical Attenuator

by Fiber-MART.COM

850nm Multimode Mini MEMS Variable Optical Attenuator

Multi-Mode VOA is a VOA special product in Mini-VOA family supporting multi-mode laser attenuation. Based on the base design for single-mode VOA, special considerations are given in design and manufacturing process to achieve the desired performance in multi-mode operation. TheMMVOA is an critical component for multi-mode laser system with uncompromised performance.

Description:

Features

•Miniature design in a TO46 package
•Hermetically sealed
•Low insertion loss (IL)
•Large attenuation range
•High attenuation accuracy
•Low power consumption
•Fast response time
•High optical power handling
•Telcordia GR-1209 & GR-1221 compliant

Optical performance

Ordering Information

Drive  Voltage:	Attenuation  Type:	Wavelength  Range:	Attenuation  Range:	Fiber Type:	Connector  Type:	Fiber Protection:	Fiber  Length:
M 6.5V	B Bright	O 1310nm	20 20dB	1 50/125	0 None	0 No jacket	1: 1m
D Dark	S 850nm	2 62.5/125	1 FC/UPC	1 0.9mm OD
2 FC/APC	jacket
3 SC/APC
4 LC/UPC

Parameter	Specification	Unit
FiberType	50/125	62.5/125	um
OperatingWavelengthRange	850，1310	nm
Wavelength—tested	850/1310	nm
AttenuationRange	Min	20	25	dB
DrivingVoltage	（(LV/HV)）	Max	6/16	6/16	V
Insertionloss	Max	0.8	0.8	dB
OpticalReturnLoss	Min	35	35	dB
Repeatability	Max	0.2	0.2	dB
Wear-out	Min	109	109	Cycle
ResponseTime	Max	5	5	ms
TotalOpticalPower	Max	500	500	mW
Dimension	28×Φ5.4(L×D)	mm
Configuration	Bright/Dark
OperatingTemperature	-5~70	℃
StorageTemperature	-40~85	℃
PowerConsumption	10	mW

FTTX Optical Fiber from fiber-mart.com

FTTX Optical Fiber from fiber-mart.com

by Fiber-MART.COM

Optical Fiber Bandpass Filter(BPF) WDM FTTX 1550nm

The optical filter is an instrument that is used for wavelength selection, which can select required wavelengths from a large number of wavelengths and reject the addition wavelengths. It can used in wavelength selection, the noise filter of the optical amplifier, gain equalization, optical multiplexing /demultiplexing.

Our Optical Optical Fiber Bandpass Filter(BPF) WDM FTTX 1550nm FM-FWDM-1550-BPF is based on proven thin-film filter technology. This BPF is widely used in fiber optical communication systems and EDFA where flat and broad operating bands are needed.

Key Features

• Broad operating band
• High channel isolation
• High stability and reliability
• Length: 1M
• Fiber Diameter: 0.9mm
• Connector: FC/UPC

Applications

• EDFA
• WDM systems
• CATV

Specification

Parameter  Type	BPF-1*1-T1550±20
Operating wavelength (nm)	1460～1620
Transmission band wavelength (nm)	1550±20
Reflection band wavelength (nm)	1460～1515&1585~1620
Transmission insertion loss (dB)	≤0.6
Transmission channel isolation	≥20
@ 1460～1515&1585~1620 (dB)
Channel flatness (dB)	≤0.3
Return loss (dB)	≥50
PDL (dB)	≤0.1
Wavelength thermal stability (nm/℃)	≤0.003
Insertion loss thermal stability (dB/℃)	≤0.005
Power handling (mW)	≤500
Operating temperature (℃)	-5 ~ +70
Storage temperature (℃)	-40 ~ +85
Fiber Type	SMF-28e
*The above specification is without connector.
**Other specifications can be made on customer request.

Multiplexing Basics

Multiplexing Basics

by Fiber-MART.COM

When you need to carve up an expensive resource (such as an active fiber route) into pieces, multiplexing is the way to go. What is multiplexing, you may ask? It's the process by which multiple signals are combined into a single signal, then split back into pieces upon arrival.

 

There are lots of types of multiplexing. The most simple is space division where the signal carriers are literally held separate by some kind of insulator (like CAT5 or telephone wire.) Time division multiplexing involves using a timer on either end to determine which signal the carrier is carrying. Core-division multiplexing (CDM) uses a code followed by data to specify which signal is being carried. Finally, frequency-division multiplexing (or in the fiber optic world, wavelength division multiplexing) involves sending signals over several distinct frequency ranges over a carrier.

 

The easiest way to think about this is in terms of light. At one end of a  fiber optic cable you have a lens that takes many colors of light and combines them into high energy white light. That white light is sent to a prism at the other end of the fiber which splits the white light back up into it's constituent colors. If the red light at the beginning of the fiber blinks in a certain pattern, the red light at the far end will also blink without interfering with the other colors (wavelengths.)

The device responsible for combining the signal is often called a MUX while the one responsible for splitting it apart is called a DEMUX. In two way communications a MUX/DEMUX pair is required at each endpoint so that communications can be sent and received.

 

WDM (wave-division multiplexing) is further broken down into two flavors, CWDM or Coarse WDM and DWDM or Dense WDM. In Coarse WDM fewer signals are combined onto the fiber and they are spaced farther apart. In DWDM more signals can be combined resulting in increased hardware and system design complexity and higher costs. Depending on the system needs CWDM and DWDM are both viable options.

 

I hope that helps explain why multiplexing is such an important part of fiber optic communications!

THE INS AND OUTS OF HDMI SPLITTERS

THE INS AND OUTS OF HDMI SPLITTERS

by Fiber-MART.COM

The topic today is going to be HDMI splitters. I guess we should start with the basics. An HDMI splitter allows you to split one HDMI source signal to two or more outputs. Most HDMI splitters are 1:2, meaning you start with one source and can split the signal into two. We offer other configurations that will support just about any situation. Including even things like sports bars with many displays. You might use an HDMI splitter to duplicate the signal from your cable box so you can watch it on two televisions. An HDMI splitter is not to be confused with an HDMI switch. The most popular question I get on a day to day basis would be just that. The difference between an HDMI splitter and an HDMI switch. Again, an HDMI splitter allows you to send a signal from 1 source to multiple displays and an HDMI switch allows you to plug in multiple HDMI sources (Blueray, Cable/Sat box, etc.) to a display. Using a switch is common for people who run out of HDMI inputs on their TV.

There are also products out there called HDMI repeaters that will boost a signal when running long HDMI cables typically starting around the 50ft marker. But the repeaters and switches can be covered at another time. It just seems I get lots of customers asking about those three items and their differences. So hopefully that clears things up for everyone.

 

Now back on track with the main reason for today's writing. HDMI splitters and how to choose. HDMI splitter styles, types and prices can vary. A couple things to look at would be the resolution support the switch offers. The output source (such as your Blueray) cannot always match the display devices resolution capabilities. Fortunately, the configuration and design of many of the HDMI splitters make it possible for high quality signal to be sent to each and every output. The HDMI cables that you use can make a difference as well. A general rule of thumb is getting your hands on a thicker gauge cable or something with some high speeds. Length is a big deciding factor here as well. The thicker gauge cable such as 26 AWG are recommended for lengths of 3 to 15ft and for anything longer try getting into the 22 AWG range. This will ensure the best possible connection with little to no resistance. Luckily most of our splitters are powered and can boost signals up to 50ft. Resolution is another topic to cover briefly.

 

Your picture quality is limited to resolution that BOTH TVs support - no matter how great your cables are, or how amazing your splitter is. If your running full 1080p out of a Blu-Ray player and into one 720p TV and one 1080p, you will be limited to the 720p.  I hope some of this information was found useful. It was just a basic rundown of questions and topics that come up through my day with customers. If you have questions or concerns feel free to call or email our techs.

MTP/MPO SOLUTIONS

MTP/MPO SOLUTIONS

by Fiber-MART.COM

Data centers and ever-expanding server clusters have created a huge demand for more bandwidth and more space efficiency. Multifiber Push-On (MPO) connectors have answered the call and provide up to 24 or more fibers in a single connector pushing up to and beyond 100Gbps data transmission. The best part is that the connector takes roughly the same space as a single simplex SC connector. MPOs are paving the way for increased data transmission speeds and rack density.

 

MTP® is a registered trademark of US Conec, marketed as a “high performance MPO connector with multiple engineered product enhancements to improve optical and mechanical performance when compared to generic MPO connectors.” MTP and MPO are often used interchangeably and MTP is considered a generalized trademark. Both MTP and MPO are available with standard or elite / low loss options. fiber-mart.com terminates our cables with both MPO and MTP connectors, so please be sure to specify with our sales staff if you need genuine US Conec MTP connectors.

 

MPO and MTP in Data Centers and Beyond

 

Many switches, servers and other network hardware come with fiber optic ports built in. More and more hardware is being shipped with QSFP/QSFP+/SR4/CFP/CXP ports and MPO fiber cables are becoming a requirement in these fields. However, data centers don’t have a monopoly on the technology!

 

Anybody working with a large count of fiber that likes to save space is a good candidate for MPO technology. Large bundles of hundreds of fibers, trunk cables, are spliced into pigtails. The old method would be to use a distribution fan-out cable or duplex cables to patch the trunk cable into your infrastructure. With MPO technology, you can connect your single fiber cables once, then route the rest of the way with MPO fanouts and trunk cables, minimizing the number of connectors and cables you’re working with.

 

Multimode Fiber Variants

 

 

While singlemode is optimized for long range data transfer, multimodes are designed with high-bandwidth short range optimization in mind (Single-mode and Multimode Explained).

 

OM1 is a 62.5/125µm fiber core, with the jacket usually cladded in orange. This is typically found in older applications where high bandwidth isn’t a priority.

OM2 is the first variant of 50/125µm, usually also orange, but widely unused. OM2 offers modest improvement over OM1, however OM3 is leaps and bounds ahead with not much more cost.

OM3 is a laser optimized variant of 50/125µm multimode, and is the first fiber mode that supports 10Gb/40Gb/100Gb Ethernet.

OM4 is a recent addition to the lineup which offers a longer range than OM3. It should be noted that OM3 and OM4 are cross-compatible, and while OM4 is only needed for distances that exceed OM3 capabilities, it can still be used for shorter connections.

 

MPO Gender Interface

 

MPO Genders can be counter-intuitive to newcomers to the technology. MPO cables are a plug, so they must be male, and transceivers have a port so they must be female, right? Wrong on both counts!

 

MPOs are classified by the guide pins on the end of the connector, and require 1 male and 1 female to mate properly. MPO connectors use a “barrel sleeve” adapter that simply holds one male and one female MPO “plug” together. The male guide pins fit into the female holes to ensure precise fiber alignment. Attempting to mate two female connectors will result in a seemingly secure connection, but with extremely high loss, and attempting to mate two male connectors will most likely damage one or both connectors due to the guide pins clashing.

 

Transceivers and cassettes come with the sleeve adapter built in, and the industry standard is a male connection on the inside. Therefore, the standard for cables is female to female. This changes, however, when you need to extend a cable or connect two cables. You will then need a male to female cable plus adapter. If you’re designing a multi-ferrule MPO trunk backbone cable, you might consider making this male to male, then patching to your hardware with female to female cables. We offer all combinations of genders, so contact us with your needs and we will be able to customize these for you.

What Is an Ethernet Cable?

What Is an Ethernet Cable?

by Fiber-MART.COM

An Ethernet cable is one of the most popular forms of network cable used on wired networks. Ethernet cables connect devices together within a local area network, like PCs, routers, and switches.

 

Given that these are physical cables, they do have their limitations, both in the distance that they can stretch and still carry proper signals, and their durability. This is one reason there are different types of Ethernet cables; to perform certain tasks in particular situations.

 

What an Ethernet Cable Looks Like

 

There's a picture of a few Ethernet cable ends on this page. It resembles a phone cable but is larger and has more wires.

 

Both cables share a similar shape and plug but an Ethernet cable has eight wires and a larger plug than the four wires found in phone cables.

 

Ethernet cables of course plug into Ethernet ports, which again, are larger than phone cable ports. An Ethernet port on a computer is accessible through the Ethernet card on the motherboard.

 

Ethernet cables come in different colors but phone cables are usually just grey.

 

Types of Ethernet Cables

 

Ethernet cables normally support one or more industry standards including Category 5 (CAT5) and Category 6 (CAT6).

 

A crossover cable is a special type of Ethernet cable specially designed for connecting two computers to each other. By contrast, most Ethernet cables are designed to connect one computer to a router or switch.

 

Ethernet cables are physically manufactured in two basic forms called solid and stranded.

 

Solid Ethernet cables offer slightly better performance and improved protection against electrical interference. They're also more commonly used on business networks, wiring inside office walls, or under lab floors to fixed locations

 

 

Stranded Ethernet cables are less prone to physical cracks and breaks, making them more suitable for travelers or in home networking setups.

 

Limitations of Ethernet Cables

 

A single Ethernet cable, like an electric power cord, has a limited maximum distance capacity, meaning they have an upper limit to how long they can be before signal loss (called attenuation) happens. This is due to their electrical transmission characteristics and is directly affected by interference around the cable.

 

Both ends of the cable should be close enough to each other to receive signals quickly, but far enough away from electrical interferences to avoid interruptions. However, this alone doesn't limit the size of a network because hardware like routers or hubs can be used to join multiple Ethernet cables together within the same network. This distance between two devices is called the network diameter.

 

The maximum length of a single CAT5 cable, before attenuation occurs, is 324 feet. CAT6 can go up to around 700 feet. Keep in mind that Ethernet cables can be longer but they might suffer from signal loss, especially if there are other electrical appliances that the cable passes by.

 

Note: Ethernet cable length is a little different if you're talking about thin, 10 base 2, or thick, 10 base 5 cables.

 

 

The former should be no longer than 600 feet while the latter cable type should be able to reach lengths of around 1,640 feet.

 

Also consider that a short cable may suffer from reflection. However, some users have reported no problems with cable lengths as low as even 4 inches.

 

Several different types of RJ-45 connectors exist. One type, designed for use with stranded cables, generally is incompatible with solid cables. Other types of RJ-45 connectors may work with both stranded and solid cables.

 

See Is It Safe to Run Ethernet Cables Outdoors? if you're wanting to do that.

 

Alternatives to Ethernet Cables for Computer Networking

 

Wireless technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have replaced Ethernet on many home and business networks.

What should I do to maintain my fiber?

What should I do to maintain my fiber?

by Fiber-MART.COM

There are many ways of being proactive when it comes to fiber plant. However, because of the durability and low maintenance requirements fiber stewards are frequently rolling the dice and taking a wait and see attitude.

 

Here are a few ways you can get in front of problems.

 

Third Party Testing Services:

My wife's a teacher, and she doesn't let her kids grade their own tests. However, we IT professionals think little about separating the conflict of interest in having the same individual install and test installations or performance. I have been in way to many closets to think this is a waste of effort. The craftsmanship of some fiber installations leaves much to be desired.

 

Fiber Optic Testing and Documentation (OTDR, PM & LS)

1.Require a bi-directional OTDR trace

2.Require a PM & LS test to verify core power levels

3.Require an image of the connector endface prior to testing (ensures the contractor cleans the endface prior to testing)

4.If testing Multimode fiber, ensure your contractor is using a mandrel

5.When testing with an OTDR, ensure a launch box is being used (1km - SM, 150m - MM)

 

Network configuration and maintenance

1.Consult a certified RCDD before making any adds moves and changes, especially when upgrading speed on Multimode fiber

2.Consider a performance contract with a company to ensure they are recommending the appropriate equipment (If performance is low or equipment is faulty, the integrator will replace the hardware)

3.Schedule annual maintenance with a third party to ensure schedules are kept.

 

Description:

Services designed to support the IT professional in maintenance, documentation, installation and testing.

 

OTDR Trace Analysis & Off-site Storage 

OTDR Trace Analysis

Interpretation Services

File Storage (Off-site Backup)

Comparison Analysis (Compare benchmark to current trace)

Report Generation

 

Description:

OTDR analysis and storage services for IT professionals interested in a second opinion or off-site storage of network trace files. If traced are completed and stored for future reference, emergency restoration, annual maintenance and management, prevention of degradation are all made easier.

 

 

Consulting and Project Management Services:

The following is a list of consulting services offered through fiber-mart.com:

Design Consulting Services

Project Management Services

 

Description:

 

Consulting and project management services for IT professionals interested in leveraging the experience of fiber optic professionals.

Does Optical Fiber Have You Tied in Knots?

Does Optical Fiber Have You Tied in Knots?

by Fiber-MART.COM

At the upcoming PowerGen trade event in Orlando , OFS is proud to demonstrate HCS® (Hard Clad Silica) optical fiber, cable and field termination technology. Unlike telecommunications grade optical fibers, you can tie our products in knots. While we don’t recommend this in practice, seeing it first hand will help you understand just how rugged these industrialized glass optical fibers are. HCS technology was developed for harsh environments like those found in electric utility installations. HCS optical fibers provide enhanced strength when compared to traditional telecommunications optical fibers. Cables produced with HCS fibers are ideal for utility environments where installations in climate controlled buildings cannot be guaranteed. If your installations are subject to fluctuating temperatures, high vibration, industrial chemicals, UV exposure, electrical noise and difficult conditions for connectorizing, HCS may be right for you.

Coupled with the Crimp & Cleave termination system, OFS provides an end-to-end optical link solution that can be learned in minutes.

 

During PowerGen we will show traditional, step-index HCS products with crimp and cleave connectorization. We will also introduce revolutionary, new GiHCS™ optical fiber products. Building on the legendary harsh condition design of HCS, we now offer a version containing an improved bandwidth graded-index core. Offering both 62.5 and 50 micron core sizes coupled with an enlarged cross-section 200 micron cladding and 230 micron hard coating, GiHCS provides a solution that satisfies harsh condition installations while supporting Fast and Gigabit Ethernet protocols. It’s compatible with industry standard 850 and 1300 nm transceivers making the transition to Ethernet in your utility network easier or more reliable.

 

Drop by booth 4451 to see how much abuse our HCS optical fibers will take. Tie your own knot with HCS and while you’re there, try your hand at field termination with HCS Crimp & Cleave connector system. Compete in our “Crimp, Cleave & Leave” challenge to win a substantial gift card just in time for the holidays.

 

Written by fiber-mart.com

Video of WDM & Optical Network, CWDM DWDM OADM

WDM & Optical Network, CWDM DWDM OADM

from www.fiber-mart.com

What is the “Cloud” and why do I need Fiber to get there?

What is the “Cloud” and why do I need Fiber to get there?

by Fiber-MART.COM

Cloud computing is one of the hottest buzzwords in technology. It appears 48 million times on the Internet. But exactly what is cloud computing? In general terms the cloud refers to using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.

According to research by Nasuni, there is over 1 Exabyte of data currently stored in the cloud. Okay if you are not familiar with Exabyte that equates to 1,073,741,824 Gigabytes of data. And this number is growing exponentially every day.

 

Technology has evolved almost immeasurably in the past several decades. To access the tremendous amounts data we need fiber networks that can carry Terabits—one trillion bits per second. That is an enormous amount of information passing at the speed of light through this one strand of fiber the size of a human hair.

 

 

Data centers of the past were copper-based with multiple DS1 and Digital Signal 3 (DS3, 45 Mbits/sec) lines handling the load of servers to an Optical Carrier 3 (OC3, 155 Mbits/sec). This OC3 would connect the servers to the network cloud or outside world. Copper dominated in a data center environment and the only fiber installed was that single line connecting the servers to the network cloud. 

 

Today with applications such as iTunes, Netflix, Hulu and others and cloud computing/hosted servers, backup and storage, Microsoft CRM, hosted private branch exchanges (PBXs), web analysis tools and web hosting are driving enormous growth in data center server deployments. Data centers are offering rates at DS1, DS3, 5 Mbits/sec, 10 Mbits/sec, 20 Mbits/sec and up to an OC3, all connecting to the outside world via 10-Gbit Ethernet or 100-Gbit Ethernet connections from multiple providers. To alleviate risk, the data center architecture is evolving away from the previous copper DS1 and DS3 panels, to fiber panels with multiple connections to the client and to the cloud for redundancy.

 

As the amount of data in the cloud continues to increase, more data centers will be built, more fiber will be installed and older copper deployments will become new fiber installs. fiber-mart.com was established to help new contractors who are getting into the fiber field succeed. From training your technicians, equipment sales and rental and a sounding board to help you through job opportunities, whatever the job you have, we have the solution.

HOW FIBER OPTICS WORK

HOW FIBER OPTICS WORK

by Fiber-MART.COM

Fiber optic cables are used everywhere to connect our modern world and are able to send information across countries and vast oceans, but how do they work? Before we get too stuck in to the more technical stuff, why not check out the video below for a nice, simple summary of how it all comes together.

 

How They Work

Fiber optics are fairly simple to understand on a basic level. Essentially information in the form of light is sent from one place to another, this is generally done through fiber optic cable. The beauty of this comes from something known as Total Internal Reflection (TIR), what this means is that the light is able to be sent through a flexible fiber optic cable by simply ‘bouncing from one surface to another’ until it reaches it’s destination.

 

Reflection vs Refraction

 

Any time light strikes a surface it can either be reflected from it (reflection) or pass through it (refraction). The key to transmission of light via fiber optics is to ensure that light hits the surface greater than the critical angle to ensure complete reflection and not refraction. This requires quite a bit of mathematics, but to simplify it one should ensure that the angle of the surface the light hits is not too great so as to ensure reflection takes place and not refraction.

 

Understanding the Structure of Fiber Optic Cable

 

Fiber optic cable typically contains a core made of ultra-pure glass  which is then surrounded by an outside layer of glass known as cladding. The cladding is designed manufactured in such a way as to decrease it’s index of refraction by using small bits of boron or germanium. The core and cladding are manufactured as a very long, thin piece of glass that is made by heating what is know as a preform with the center being the pure glass core and the outside is the cladding. It is then stretched to an length of unusually around  18.2 m (60 ft).

 

Sending Data by Light

 

Data is sent and received in our modern society in what is known as binary numbers, essentially 1’s and 0’s. Think of it as a light switch with 2 settings, either On (1) or Off (0). If you turn the light on and off at the switch with a specific pattern it can be used to form somewhat complex messages. Such as the example one below:

 

Data is sent similarly through fiber optic cable in the form of laser light pulses using what is known as Pulse Code Modulation or PCM. Unfortunately this is a lengthy topic which maybe discussed in a future article.

 

In Summary

 

Fiber optics allows us to send information across the globe at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second ) via specifically designed fiber optic cables by making clever use of light reflection and refraction.

Introduction of Category 6 Ethernet Cables

Introduction of Category 6 Ethernet Cables

Category 6 (CAT6) is an Ethernet cable standard defined by the Electronic Industries Association and Telecommunications Industry Association (commonly known as EIA/TIA). CAT6 is the sixth generation of twisted pair Ethernet cabling.

 

How CAT6 Cable Works

Category 6 was designed to support Gigabit Ethernet data rates (1 gigabit per second - Gbps). It additionally can support 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections over a limited distance (technically, 50 meters or 164 feet for a single cable).

 

 

CAT6 cable contains four pairs of copper wire and utilizes all of these pairs for signaling in order to obtain the higher level of performance. 

Other basic facts about CAT6 cables:

 

Ends of a CAT6 cable use the same RJ-45 standard connector as previous generations of Ethernet cables.

 

Printing along the length of the cable sheath identifies it as "CAT6."

 

An enhanced version of CAT6 called CAT6a supports up to 10 Gbps speeds.

 

​CAT6 vs. CAT6A

The Category 6 Augmented (CAT6A) cable standard was created to further improve on the performance of CAT6 for Ethernet cables. Using CAT6A enables 10 Gigabit Ethernet data rates over a single cable run up to 100 meters (328 feet). twice as far as CAT6, which supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet also, but only over distances up to 50 meters (164 feet).  In return for the higher performance, CAT6A cables tend to cost noticeably more than their CAT6 counterparts, and they are slightly thicker (but still use standard RJ-45 connectors).

 

CAT6 vs. CAT5e

The history of cable design for Ethernet networks resulted in two separate efforts to improve on the previous generation Category 5 (CAT5) cable standard. One eventually became CAT6. The other, called Category 5 enhanced (CAT5e), was standardized earlier. CAT5e lacks some of the technical improvements that went into CAT6 but also supports Gigabit Ethernet installations, and at a lower cost.

 

 

Like CAT6, CAT5e utilizes a four wire pair signaling scheme to achieve the necessary data rates. (In contrast, CAT5 cables contain four wire pairs but keep two of the pairs dormant.)

 

Because it became available in the market sooner and offered "good enough" performance for Gigabit Ethernet at a more affordable price point, CAT5e became a very popular choice for wired Ethernet installations. This plus the relatively slow transition of the industry to 10 Gigabit Ethernet has significantly slowed the adoption of CAT6.

 

Limitations of CAT6

As with all other types of twisted pair EIA/TIA cabling, individual CAT6 cable runs are limited to a maximum recommended length of 100 meters (328 feet) for their nominal connection speeds (Gigabit Ethernet). As mentioned above, CAT6 supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet connections also but not at this full distance.

 

CAT6 costs more than CAT5e. Many buyers choose CAT5e over CAT6 for this reason, at the risk that they will need to upgrade cables again the future for better 10 Gigabit support.