If you're fitting out an office, renovating, or adding a few network drops, someone will ask whether you want Cat6 or Cat6A. The cables look nearly identical, the quotes don't, and it's hard to tell whether the dearer one is a real upgrade or an upsell. Here is the plain version.
What is actually different
Both are four-pair copper cables that end in the same RJ45 jack, and both plug into the same equipment. The difference is how much signal they can carry cleanly and how far.
Cat6 is rated to 250 MHz. It carries 1 gigabit per second over the full 100 metres the standard allows. It can carry 10 gigabit as well, but only to about 55 metres, and less than that when many cables are bundled tightly together and interfere with one another.
Cat6A is rated to 500 MHz and carries 10 gigabit over the full 100 metres. It is built to control the cable-to-cable interference that limits Cat6 at higher speeds.
One note on that 100 metre figure: it covers the whole path, patch cords included. The standard allows 90 metres of permanent cable in the walls and ceiling, plus 10 metres of patch cords at the two ends.
The trade-off is physical. Cat6A is thicker, stiffer and heavier. It takes up more room in conduit and cable tray, needs gentler bends, and takes longer to terminate. Much of the price difference on a quote is labour and pathway space, not just the cable itself.
When Cat6 is still the right call
For ordinary desk drops, Cat6 remains a sensible choice. Desktop computers, laptops on docks, desk phones and printers almost all connect at 1 gigabit, and Cat6 handles that with room to spare.
It is also not a dead end. The newer in-between speeds have a path on Cat6: 2.5 gigabit runs on it comfortably, and the standard for 5 gigabit was written with Cat6 in mind. If a desk ever needs more than 1 gigabit, the cable in the wall is unlikely to be the obstacle.
If you lease your space, expect to move within a few years, or simply have a tight budget and short cable runs, Cat6 to the desks is a reasonable decision that you are unlikely to regret.
Where Cat6A earns its cost
Some locations are worth the extra money, because the equipment on the other end already uses what Cat6A provides.
- Wi-Fi access points. Current access points often have 2.5, 5 or 10 gigabit ports, and cabling standards guidance recommends Cat6A to access point locations in new installations.
- High-power PoE devices. Access points, pan-tilt cameras and similar gear draw more power over the cable than they used to. Power means heat inside cable bundles, and Cat6A generally copes with it better.
- Links between network closets and to servers. Anywhere you want 10 gigabit over copper, especially on a run longer than about 55 metres.
- Buildings you own or plan to stay in. Cable in the walls usually outlasts several generations of the equipment plugged into it, and replacing it later means opening ceilings again.
This is why many offices end up with a mix: Cat6A to the ceilings and between closets, Cat6 to the desks. It puts the money where the speed is needed and keeps the total reasonable.
The installation matters more than the label
A category rating applies to the whole run, not just the cable. Cat6A cable punched down onto Cat6 jacks or a Cat6 patch panel will perform as Cat6 at best. The cable, jacks, panels and patch cords all need to match.
Workmanship counts just as much. Pairs untwisted too far at the jack, kinked cable, cable ties cinched tight enough to deform the jacket, and runs laid alongside electrical wiring will all drag down performance, whatever is printed on the box.
A few other things are worth asking about on any quote:
Solid copper only. Cheap cable sold as "CCA" is copper-clad aluminum. It does not meet the cabling standards, performs poorly with PoE, and has no place in a commercial building.
The right fire rating. Cable that runs through an air-handling ceiling space must be plenum rated. In Canada you will see cable marked FT6 for plenum spaces and FT4 for general use. This is a building code matter, not a preference.
Shielding, only if you need it. Most offices use unshielded cable. Shielded cable makes sense in electrically noisy places such as shops with large motors or welders, and it only works if the shield is bonded properly from end to end.
Test results and labels. Every run should be tested with a proper cable certifier, not just a continuity checker, and you should receive the results. Each cable should be labelled at both ends so the next person can find it.
The short answer
Use Cat6A for access points, closet-to-closet links and any building you intend to keep. Use Cat6 for desk drops when the budget matters. Whichever you choose, insist on matching components, solid copper, the correct fire rating and a test report for every run.
If you are planning an office build or renovation on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland or the Sunshine Coast and want a second opinion on a cabling plan or quote, get in touch with Uninexus. We are happy to look at your floor plan and tell you what we would run where, and why.