The bulk cat6 cables are available mostly in two main types. The cat6 plenum and cat6 riser cable. Both of these are quite high-performing and are used in both residential as well as commercial networks. But between the two cables, which one should you choose?
Should you choose the Cat6 plenum or the cat6 riser cable 1000ft? Which one is best for indoors vs outdoors and which one for residential vs commercial? In this article, we will discuss these questions. So if you are looking for information on the differences and similarities between cat6 cable 1000ft, you have come to the right place. Read on and you shall find out.
Table of Contents
What are Bulk Cat6 Cables?
The bulk cat6 cables are the 6th category of twisted pair networking cables. Featuring 4 twisted pairs or 23 AWG conductors, they are designed to be high-performing. These cables are also particularly good at blocking off electromagnetic interference (EMI) and other interferences.
A major improvement over the previously used cat5e cables, these ones offer many features. For instance, they feature a pair separator also known as a spline between the conductor pairs. This ensures that minimum to no EMI causes signal loss in the cable.
Moreover, these cables are available in multiple types. Cat6 plenum and cat6 riser cable are two of the main variants. But within them, there are CCA cables, copper cables, solid conductor cables, and stranded, as well as shielded and unshielded.
Cat6 PlenumÂ
The cat6 plenum is one of the most important cat6 cables 1000ft. It has a plenum jacket which gives it its CMP rating. This means the cable is usable in indoor air-handling spaces such as dropped ceilings and raised floors.
The material with which the jacket is made is known as FEP (Fluorinated ethylene polymer). It is a non-toxic and low-smoke-emitting material. Super safe for indoor air handling environments.
Installing this cable can be a little tricky. Particularly when you compare it with the riser-rated cat6 cable 1000ft. That is because this is quite a thick jacket. And that requires a bit of hard work when pulling it through narrow conduits.
Cat6 Riser Cable
The cat6 riser cable is used primarily in indoor vertical runs. For instance, when you need a cable to run between floors, elevator shafts, or vertically through walls, this is the cable to be used.
Main reason why this cable is used in indoor vertical runs is because of its design. It is designed to limit the propagation of flame. Moreover, the cable is coated with a fire retardant material which actively puts out the flame in case of a fire hazard.
However, it must be noted that the cable can emit toxic smoke, although in small amounts.
Differences: Cat6 Plenum and Cat6 Riser Cable
The differences between the cat6 plenum and cat6 riser cable are primarily due to their jackets. And because of jackets, the cables are used in different situations.
For instance, the cat6 plenum is used in indoor air-handling spaces. Whereas its counterpart, the Cat6 riser 1000ft is used in vertical runs. As mentioned earlier, the cable is used in situations where a cable must be run horizontally.
Moreover, the plenum-rated bulk cat6 cables are non-toxic low smoke emitting cables. Whereas the riser-rated ones can emit small amounts of toxic smoke, hence, they should not be installed in open spaces.
Similarities: Cat6 Plenum and Cat6 Riser Cable
The cat6 plenum and cat6 riser cable also share some similarities.
As mentioned previously, the use of both cables is starkly different because of jackets. But the cables have similarities at their core.
For instance, both of the cables feature the same design from within. They are neither different in design nor in performance.Â
Both of them feature 4 twisted pairs of conductors. The size of the conductors is also the same as 23 AWG.
The bulk cat6 cables at their core also feature the same spline or pair separator which reduces EMI.Â
Moreover, the performance of both cables is also the same at a whopping 1 GBit/s over 100 meters. Other than the cable jackets, these cables are the same from within.Â
Which one to buy and where?
You can buy the cable from any online store. Simply look up ethernet cable near me and you should be presented with a number of options. Choose a reliable and trustworthy supplier and place your order.Â
Now, which one to buy? To decide which cat6 cable 1000ft you need, you need to look at the requirements of your network.
In most cases, you will need both. For the vertical runs, you will need the cat6 riser cable. And for horizontal runs, you will need to buy a cat6 plenum.Â
Depending on the scale of your network, you will need to get the appropriate quantity.
Conclusion
In short, bulk cat6 cables such as the cat6 plenum and the cat6 riser cable are the most widely used LAN solution. They are affordable, easy to use, and long-lasting. Both types of these 1000ft ethernet cables also share similarities and differences. For instance, they feature the same design from within and their jackets are the only difference between the two. Moreover, because of their jackets, the cables are used in different settings which makes yet another difference.
