Cable type
Based on performance
Ethernet cables can be classified into category 3, category 4, category 5, category 5e, category 6, category 6A, and category 7 cable based on performance.
Table 61: Ethernet cable description
Type | Description |
|---|---|
Category 5 | Transmits data at a maximum speed of 100 Mbps, with a bandwidth of 100 MHz. |
Category 5e | Transmits data at a maximum speed of 1000 Mbps, with a bandwidth of 100 MHz. |
Category 6 | Transmits data at a speed higher than 1 Gbps, with a bandwidth of 250 MHz. |
Category 6A | Transmits data at a speed higher than 10 Gbps, with a bandwidth of 500 MHz. |
Category 7 | Transmits data at a speed higher than 10 Gbps, with a bandwidth of 600 MHz. |
Based on pinouts
Ethernet twisted pair cables can be classified into straight through and crossover cables based on their pinouts.
Straight-through—The pinouts at both ends comply with standard 568B, as shown in Figure 45.
Crossover—The pinouts at one end comply with standard 568B, and those at the other end comply with standard 568A, as shown in Figure 46.
Figure 45: Straight-through cable
Figure 46: Crossover cable
A cross-over cable connects devices of the same type. A straight-through cable connects devices of different types.
An RJ-45 Ethernet interface with MDI/MDIX autosensing enabled can automatically negotiate pin roles. The RJ-45 Ethernet interfaces on the switch support MDI/MDIX. By default, MDI/MDIX autosensing is enabled on a port.