Category 6 UTP Standard is (finally) Here

An anonymous reader writes "This is only important for the networkphiles out there, but the Category 6 UTP specification is finally here. The standard is the TIA/EIA-568-B.2-1. The significance of this is that now you can transmit at 250Mhz frequencies (vs 100Mhz of Cat 5/5e). So 1Gbps is easily achievable. Of course ther's still Category 7 (600Mhz) in development, but I guess we should eventually move to fiber." Who hasn't crimped cat-5 before?

Comments

Fiber? Not in my network

[div_2n]

Unless you put your fiber cables in an unbendable channel, it isn't worth the hassle of having to replace a faulty cable because some bozo decided to fold the cable up and break the fiber. I have seen this happen many times.

For the forseable future, gigabit to the desktop is more than 95% of users will need unless computing environments move to server-side VR operating systems that are fully streamed to a user with full motion and sound.

Server back planes and clusters are two of the biggest bandwidth hogs that might possibly need something faster than gigabit ethernet.

Copper Verses Fiber

[__aakpxi9117]

With Gigabit over Cat-5, and 10-Gbit in the works, that's as fast as I'll need to my workstations for a long long time. I certainly wouldn't recomend fiber to the workstation, unless you've got a hard shell on it, and your workstations are anchored to the desks! Fiber is far too fragile.

For the backbone? Go fiber, of course!

And servers? If you don't need the extremely high bandwidth, distances and reliability of fiber to your servers (or don't like the price tag), don't hesitate about going with copper.

One thing I like to note about fiber v. copper...

You need to get new copper cabling almost everytime the speed of the network increases. With fiber, the fiber doesn't change, just the lasers/LEDs at the ends. So, fiber is nice in that regard, but the fiber NICs/modules are still quite a bit more expensive than copper equivalent... Then again, more hubs and switches are needed with copper than fiber, so you save a little money that way, if you go with fiber.

The advantages and disadvantages of each can even out. I'd say go with copper anywhere fiber is too fragile, and, if you aren't scared by the initial costs, go with fiber everywhere else.

Re:Not exactly crimp but...

[spunkypimp]

I can't imagine fiber being too much worse

Until you get a piece of glass in your heart and die.

4 x 250 = 1 Ghz

[AndyMcL]

You use all 4 pairs with Gig so it does equal 1 Gig. Do your research.

AndyMcL

Re:Fiber? Not in my network

[Trepidity]

Except this is several orders of magnitude different. Most officeworkers today don't even really need a 10Mbps connection, let alone an 100Mbps or 1Gbps (a very large percentage just browse the web and send email). So saying that 1Gbps will be enough for the forseeable future would be like saying in 1980 that 8 megs of RAM would be enough for the forseeable future -- and it was.