Cat5 Solid cable is more rigid, and the better choice if data needs to be transmitted over a long distance, while Stranded Cat 5 is very flexible and most likely to be used as patch cable. Cat 5 cable can support 10 or 100 Mbps Ethernet, and has a capability of up to 100MHz.

Cat5E (which stands for Category 5, enhanced) cable goes along the same lines as basic Cat 5, except that it fulfills higher standards of data transmission. While Cat 5 is common in existing cabling systems, Cat5E has almost entirely replaced it in new installations. Cat5E can handle data transfer at 1000 Mbps, is suitable for Gigabit Ethernet, and experiences much lower levels of near-end crosstalk (NEXT) than Cat 5.

Cat6 is the most advanced and provides the best performance. Just like Cat5 and Cat 5E, Cat6 cable is typically made up of four twisted pairs of copper wire, but it’s capabilities far exceed those of other cable types because of one particular structural difference: a longitudinal separator. This separator isolates each of the four pairs of twisted wire from the others, which reduces crosstalk, allows for faster data transfer, and gives Cat6 cable twice the bandwidth of Cat5E. Cat6 cable is ideal for supporting 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and is able to operate at up to 250 MHz. Since technology and standards are constantly evolving, Cat6 is the wisest choice of cable when taking any possible future updates to your network into consideration. Not only is Cat6 cable future-safe, it is also backward-compatible with any previously-existing Cat5 and Cat5E cabling found in older installations.