Category 6 cable

Category 6 cable, commonly referred to as Cat 6, is a standardized cable for Gigabit Ethernet and other network physical layers that is backward compatible with the Category 5/5e and Category 3 cable standards.[citation needed] Compared with Cat 5 and Cat 5e, Cat 6 features more stringent specifications for crosstalk and system noise.[citation needed] The cable standard provides performance of up to 250 MHz and is suitable for 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX (Fast Ethernet), 1000BASE-T/1000BASE-TX (Gigabit Ethernet) and 10GBASE-T (10-Gigabit Ethernet).[citation needed]
Whereas Category 6 cable has a reduced maximum length when used for 10GBASE-T; Category 6a cable, or Augmented Category 6, is characterized to 500 MHz and has improved alien crosstalk characteristics, allowing 10GBASE-T to be run for the same distance as previous protocols.[citation needed]

The heavier wire in some Cat 6 cables makes them too thick to attach to standard 8P8C connectors without a special modular piece, resulting in a technically out-of-compliance assembly.[citation needed] Because the conductor sizes are generally the same, Cat 6 jacks may also be used with Cat 5e cable.[citation needed]
Category 6 cable can be identified by the printing on the side of the cable sheath.[1]
Cat 6 patch cables are normally terminated in 8P8C modular connectors. If Cat 6 rated patch cables, jacks and connectors are not used with Cat 6 wiring, overall performance is degraded to that of the cable or connector.[citation needed]
Connectors use either T568A or T568B pin assignments; although performance is comparable provided both ends of a cable are the same, T568B is a deprecated standard in the US and no longer supported by TIA.[citation needed]