Security systems are carefully designed keeping in mind the requirements in case. The performance of a s surveillance system not only depends upon the security system design but also on the equipment chosen. One such critical component for any security system is the cables used in the security system. Today, a wide range of Ethernet cables are available in the market  and every category has diverse set of specifications with regards to protection from electromagnetic field, data transmission speed, and the bandwidth frequency range.

A few of the popular cables used in surveillance systems are:

CAT 3 cables

During the 90’s, CAT 3 cables were used avidly and although they are still used for two-line phone configurations, the CAT 5 and 5e cables are more preferred for wired networking these days due to their superior performance. The CAT 3 cables were equipped to handle data speeds up to  10mps only with a maximum frequency at 16 MHz. It relies on copper for data and power transmission like many other cabling options. Theoretically speaking, they are limited to 10BASE-T Ethernet but it can support 100BASE-T4 speeds if we use 4 wires instead of the general 2 to achieve 100 MBps throughput. 

CAT 5 Cables

With the start of the millennium, the CAT 5 surpassed the CAT 3 cables when it came to choosing the ethernet cable for LAN networking. CAT 5 cables use 10BASE-T or 100BASE-T standards for data transmission. Now even the CAT 5 is considered a thing of past and is not preferred much for Ethernet Connections.  It’s rated for a maximum frequency of 100 MHz with a  top speeds of 100 Mbps. CAT5 uses 8P8C modular connectors to connect the devices together, and can be effectively installed for lengths of up to 100 meters. 

Nowadays the CAT 5e cables are being preferred over the CAT 5.

CAT 5e cables

There isn’t much of a difference in appearance between CAT 5 and CAT 5e cables. While CAT 5e utilizes 4 pairs of copper wire, the CAT 5 uses two. Also, the wire pairs are twisted a bit more tightly and encased in heavy-duty shielding to eliminate crosstalk as the crosstalk reduces the speed at which a cable can transmit information.  With its internal upgrades, CAT 5e is now capable of achieving up to 1000 BASE-T speeds.

CAT 6 cables

CAT 6 cables are used for high capacity networking as it supports Gigabit Ethernet needs. These cables have the supporting frequencies up to 250 MHz and the 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T, and 10GBASE-T standards, it can handle up to 10 Gbps when it comes to throughput. With better insulation, the CAT 6 cables  reduce potential crosstalk as compared to the CAT5e. For 10GBASE-T speeds, the maximum cable length is 55 meters. 

CAT 6a cables

The CAT 6a cables are said to be the long run options for using in homes and offices as they are considered future-proof. For A/V protocols, it is said that the CAT 6a are supposed to replace HDMI in the coming years. The main difference between CAT 6a and its predecessor CAT 6 is that the latter can operate at a frequency of up to 750 MHz. Also, CAT 6a is even less susceptible to interference and crosstalk as compared to CAT 6 and provides more consistent and reliable speeds. With its great performance, CAT6a is the preferred cable for 10GBASE-T Ethernet. 

CAT 7 cables

CAT 7 is all the more advanced and capable that all the earlier variants. Also called Class F Cable, the CAT 7 supports transmission frequencies of up to 600 MHz. It supports 10GBASE-T Ethernet upto 100 meters with good and  improved crosstalk noise reduction. 

Every set of advancements brings along improvements in terms of the information transmission speed making it hard to predict the future of Ethernet Cables, hence while installing a completely new security system it is advised to consider the latest amongst the suitable set of cables as with time as it is easier to accommodate and upgrade new technologies with the latest cables.

Comments

Dinesh Birwadkar

Sir nice to use but after 1 year problem in picture Quality.

29-07-2016

Reply by advik:-

Advik CAT6 Cable is with 100% Copper ..you will never find any issues if you use Advik CAT6 cable.