Short for Category 5, Cat5 cable is network cabling that consists of four twiste d pairs of copper wire terminated

by RJ45 connectors. Cat 5 cabling supports fre quencies up to 100 MHz and speeds up to 1000 Mbps. It can be used for ATM, token ring, 1000Base-T, 100Base-T, and 10Base-T networking. Cat 5e cable runs should be limited to a maximum length of 328 feet (100 meters) Currently Cat5e has replaced Cat5 as the industry standard for data cabling comm unication and is rated up to 350 Mhz. Computers hooked up to a LAN are connected using Cat 5e cables, so if you're on a LAN, most likely the cable running out o f the back of your PC is Category 5. Cat5e cable is known as a twisted pair cable and comes in either solid or strand ed types. Solid CAT5e cable supports long cable runs and is designed for fixed c abling situations like homes, offices, and buildings. Stranded CAT 5 cable is mo re pliable and better suited for shorter-distances. Stranded CAT5 cable is commo nly used for patch cables or crossover cables. Cat 5 is based on the EIA/TIA 568 Commercial Building Telecommunications Wiring Standard developed by the Electronics Industries Association as requested by the Computer Communications Industry Association in 1985. Cat5e Plenum A type of inside cable intended for use in plenums. While plenums a re convenient places to run cables, they also are conducive to the spreading of fires within buildings, as they are primarily intended to support air flow. Ther efore, the National Electrical Code (NEC) specifies that the insulation on plenu m cables must be fire retardant, low-smoke and low-toxicity. Cat5e Outdoor Cable Some cables are "UV rated" meaning they can be exposed to ou tdoor UV radiation without significant destruction. The materials used for the m antle are usually PVC. Any cable which contains air spaces can breathe in moistu re, especially if the cable runs between indoor and outdoor spaces. Warm moist a ir can cause condensation inside the colder parts of the cable outdoors. It may be necessary to take precautions such as sealing the ends of the cables. Some ca bles are suitable for "direct burial", but this usually requires that the cable is gel filled in order to hinder moisture migration into the cable. Cat5e Shielded Cables (FTP/STP) are useful for environments where proximity to p ower cables, RF equipment, or high power equipment may introduce crosstalk, and can also be used where interference with radio receivers or where eavesdropping likelihood should be minimised.