Re: My Mantra
>Cat5e isn't rated for 10Gbps though
The cable vendors will give a speed/distance rating for their structured (solid core) cables.
The IEEE 802.3 Standards committees agreed on the 50m and 100m performance hurdles for media listed in the Standard several decades back. So if you ask an installer to deliver an IEEE compliant 10Gbps structured cabling system they won't be including the use of Cat5e.
>so caveat emptor
Basically, if your existing installation has short runs then it is worth buying some kit and trialing it before embarking on a full structured cabling upgrade; obviously, the use of Cat6 patch and drop cables could be helpful.
>I would expect the distance will be significantly shorter than 45m.
I was surprised how good Cat5e was and how poor Cat6 is, with it being rated for 10Gbps for distances up to 55m; although I full expect Cat5e to be far more susceptible to crosstalk and system noise.
Personally, when assessing existing Cat5e installations, I use an maximum patch panel to wall port distance of 28m as this allows for some cable slack, patch cables, drop cables etc. in the actual cable run.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
