CAT6, available from Dueltek Computer Products , is the sixth generation of twisted pair Ethernet cabling, also known as Category 6. It is a cable standard defined by the Electronic Industries Association and Telecommunications Industry Association (commonly known as the EIA/TIA).
The CAT6 Ethernet cable contains four pairs of copper wire, and unlike CAT5 and CAT5e, it utilises all four pairs. The CAT6 Ethernet cable supports Gigabit (1000 Mbps) Ethernet communications at more than twice the speed of CAT5e.
Twisted pair cable such as the CAT6 comes in two main varieties - solid and stranded. The solid CAT6 cable supports longer runs and works in fixed wiring configurations such as in office buildings.
The stranded CAT6 cable is pliable and better suited for shorter distances or movable cabling such as ‘patch’ leads.
The CAT6 Ethernet cable’s link and channel requirements are backward compatible to the CAT5e and hence makes it easy for consumers to select a CAT6 solution for all future upgrades and networks.