Cat 6A Vs. Cat 5e for POE networking purposes

The difference between cat 6A cable and cat 5e cable for (POE) networking purposes

In a world where we are striving to save energy and become more efficient, Cat 6A offers a solution to reduce energy costs though less resistance for (POE) Equipment such as IP phones, IP Cameras and wireless access points (WAP).

General Cable put it to the test. By using 316- foot lengths of cat5 e and cat 6A cable, the testing equipment Fluke Net Tool Series II tester, Fluke Digital Mulitmeter, Cisco Catalyst 4500 as the power sourcing equipment (PSE), Avaya phone 9620 and Cisco AirNet 1200 wireless router as the powered devices (PD), and they were all connected by 4’ patch cords and RJ-45 Connectors and Receptacles.

The pins 3&6 are the pins that deliver the power from the source to the powered device. Pins 1&2 are the pins that return to the source from the powered device. Since the pins run parallel they were able to test the resistance in parallel.

The result

A Cat5e cable powering an Avaya phone that draws .096 amps had dissipated approximately 82 milliwatts.

A Cat 6A cable powering an Avaya phone that draws .096 amps had dissipated approximately 56 milliwatts.

A Cat 5e cable powering a Cisco AirNet 1200 that draws .150 amps had dissipated approximately 201 milliwats.

A Cat 6A cable powering a Cisco AirNet 1200 that draws .150 amps had dissipated approximately 137 milliwats.

Resistance over a 150’ cable

Cat5e_Resistance= 4.48 ohms

Cat6A_Resistance= 3.05 ohms

With all of that said an office with 100 devices could save about $90 a year, by using Cat6A rather than Cat5e.

Cat 6A is a by fare a better cable when it comes to (POE). With an ever changing world working towards saving resources, we will see more (POE) applications making Cat 6A cable even more effective in the future. If your are running a basic network and don’t see your company adapting to the new technologies being  produced there is no need for the extra cost that come with using extreme cable such as Cat 6A.

There are many applications and environments that need to have the future growth potential put in place before hand. It is much easier to replace equipment compared to continuously changing your structured cabling. In most cases it is good to take moment to think of what you want out of your network, how long you plan on staying as well as what kind of equipment you intend to push before making a decision on the type of cable for your network.

References; General Cable, (PDF) Titled; (Comparative Power-Over-Ethernet (POE) Testing Between Category 6A and Category 5e Cables), written by Rob Gould, Engineer, Datacom Products,