KVM over IP - Cable Connection Categories
Category 5(Cat 5) KVM over IP Cable
Cat 5 KVM over IP cable refers to UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) data cable. It is composed of multiple pairs, normally four pairs, of high performance twisted pair copper conductors. The twisting of the pair of copper wire conductors gives it a certain amount of immunity from infiltration of unwanted interference. However, by not being shielded, it is exposed to some ‘crosstalk’ between pairs, which creates a noisy electromagnetic environment within the network. Cat 5 cables are used to connect the computers and the user stations to the KVM switch. The use of Cat 5 cables also allows for much higher density switches (more ports per KVM switch). This reduces cable clutter at the rack, and provides for better management of the network.
An enhanced version of Cat 5 cable is the Cat 5E cable. Basic Cat 5 cable was designed for characteristics of up to 100 MHz bandwidth, and is used for Ethernet networks running at speeds of 10 or 100 Mbps, whereas Cat 5 E cable is designed for transmission speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second. This is a great improvement over basic Cat 5 cable, in terms of speed of data delivery. Category 5 E cabling is therefore recommended for all new installations of Cat 5 KVM over IP.
Category 6(Cat 6) KVM over IP Cable
Category 6(Cat 6) KVM over IP Cable, is an improvement over Cat 5E cable. Although basically made of the same high performance twisted pair copper conductors, it is made to a higher standard of performance of 250 MHz bandwidth.
Cat 5E and Cat 6 cables use cancellation techniques to handle the effects of noise from within the cable sheath, an outcome of ‘crosstalk’ between pairs, earlier observed in Cat 5 cables.
Category 7(Cat 7) KVM over IP Cable
The Category 7(Cat 7) KVM over IP high-bandwidth cabling, is the ‘new kid on the block’ of Ethernet networks. It was developed to handle the demand for Gigabit and 10G per second transmission speeds within KVM over IP Cable networks. Cat 7 cabling is fully shielded - each pair is shielded with a foil screen, and the cable itself has an overall shield. This innovation eliminates the electromagnetic interference to network environment, noticed in the earlier versions of copper cabling. The shielding of the cable pairs makes them immune to alien ‘crosstalk’, that is, noise from adjacent cables outside its own sheath.
Moreover, Cat 7 cable is designed for a standard of performance of up to 600 MHz of bandwidth. This is head and shoulders above the conventional performance of UTP cables, such as Category 5e - 100 MHz, and Category 6 - 250 MHz. But all great innovations come with a price. Cat 7 cable costs about three times as much as its nearest UTP variant, the Cat 6 plenum cable. However, for companies that plan far ahead into the future, a Cat 7 installation, which includes cable and connectors will surely prove cost effective in the long run. Its introduction into your network will save money over alternative cabling methods that can handle applications that require much more bandwidth than is available at the moment.