Reality Check: Cat6 Riser Cable — Why It Is 10GBASE-T (2024)

Networking needs are the primary desire for everyone, whether you are running a small business or large enterprise, education sector, or running a factory you need LAN cables for your networking cable infrastructure. 

But there are some of the major clauses that make your selection a bit confusing regarding the choice for ethernet cable. But choosing Cat6 riser cable may work efficiently for your networking needs. The more you indulge in learning about ethernet cable usage, you ought to invest in the right cable. 

In this guide about Cat6 riser bare copper cable learn some advanced information to set up an accurate networking environment. But wait, this is not going to be the simple one. But a roller coaster rider. Without taking much of your time let’s start with a brief introduction about Cat6 riser cable 1000ft. 

Short Story About Cat 6 Riser Cable

In the world of Cat6 riser cable 1000ft cable, the main task is to conduct electrical impulses to other networking devices. These electrical impulses are binary information in the form of 0 and 1 and are further translated by networking devices and network switches. 

But why is Cat6 riser copper cable the best to use for the data cabling solutions? It’s very simple as the cable is cost-effective and safe to use. In the Cat Riser Copper ETL listed everyone has its specific properties that will evaluate the Cat 6 riser performance. 

Cat6 is the short form of Category 6 cable, Riser is the outer jacket of the cable with fire-resistive properties, and ETL-listed is the certification for safety regarding fire and electrical hazards. In the below section, I’m going to split all the cable parts and explain them briefly for your clear understanding. 

Category 6 Cable Specifications

Cat6 riser cables are designed with improved construction that shows the best results when you use this cable for gigabit (1000 Mbps) speed. Later on, the bandwidth of the cable is 550 MHz which identifies the cable is capable of transferring bulk information without any data turbulence. 

The Cat6 riser cable has a 23 AWG conductor size which is one of the major advantages the larger the diameter of the conductor the more seamless data will float inside the cable. The conductors are made up of Bare copper. 

Cat6 riser cable internal structure is enhanced with tightly shielded twisted pairs to further improve the crosstalk within the cable. It also has the Spline (Plastic material structure) twisted separator which the cat5e ethernet cable lacks. 

The main reason for spline is to reduce the pair crosstalk, the UTP cat6 riser 1000ft cable has 5-6 twists per inch in twisted pairs so it is more advanced to fight against the EMI or electrical noises. Now let’s talk about the Cat 6 riser cable speed. 

Speed of Cat6 Riser Cable

The cat6 riser 1000ft cable delivers two types of speed according to the length variations. The larger length of the Cat6 riser cable will limit the speed of the cable to 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps). There is good news about the Cat6 riser cable 1000ft, at shorter lengths the cable speed is 10 Gbps. 

This cable can be used for the 10GBASE-T (Future Ethernet) applications. Furthermore, the cat6 riser copper ETL-listed cable is just a tested ethernet cable and is tested to meet the stringent fire safety and electrical performance. In order you need a Cat 6 riser cable you can buy this cable at a cost-effective price. 

What Is The Ideal Installation Cable Length?

100 meters (328ft) is the ideal length for installing ethernet cables. But. the length of the cable depends on the cable category — confused? Let me explain, all the ethernet cables are not for longer runs like CCA cables. Similarly, the copper cables can be used for longer transmissions. But it is not like that you can increase the length of the cable. 

For Cat6 riser bare copper cable, it is recommended to limit the cable length to 100 meters or less. The reason is that at longer lengths the cable becomes more susceptible to signal interference. In UTP cat 6 riser cable the electrical noise is only restricted by twisted pairs. And there is no other additional shield present in the cable to avoid external interference. 

How To Get 10GBASE-T With Cat6 Riser Cable

The 10G is the speed, and BASE-T is for twisted pairs. This is a standard for Cat6 ethernet cable speed. But there is a brief difference in getting the 10G speed from the Cat 6 riser cable. 

• Installation distance should be 50-55 meters (164ft is recommended or low)
• High-quality Cat6 riser bare copper cable is required for optimum speed.
• The server should meet the cable speed specs to get the full potential of the Cat 6 riser cable. 
• Properly terminated with RJ45 and there should be no kink or damage to the internal conductors. 
• The speed should be revised and updated if using the lower server speed. 

These are the standards that are necessary for the Cat6 riser 1000ft cable to pour out the 10 Gigabit speed. You are familiar with the ethernet standards 

• 10 Mbps (Ethernet)
• 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet)
• 1000 Mbps (Gigabit Ethernet)
• 10 Gbps or above (10G Ethernet or Future Ethernet)

The bulk cat6 riser cable is backward compatible with Cat5e speed specs and can be used for 100 and 1000 Mbps speed ratings. It uses an RJ45 connector for termination and follows EIA/TIA-568A and B wiring standards. 

Why Riser Jackets Are Only For Vertical Spaces?

The riser is an indoor jacket and it is denoted as CMR (Communication Multipurpose Riser). The composition of the riser is PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) which is indeed a fire resistive jacket that halts the fire progression. Though its fire-resistive properties it lacks LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogens) and emits less toxic smoke. 

There are two major installation locations — Horizontal and Vertical. The horizontal spaces are quite airy and oxygenated. The riser is not for horizontal spaces and if it is used as a substitute for plenum cables the result might be fatal if there is a fire incident. The riser cable cannot be used outdoors without conduit. The valid destinations to install riser cables are 

• Vertical Shafts
• Elevator Shafts
• Inside Walls
• Data Centers
• With Patch Panels
• Office Buildings
• Home Networks

How To Choose Network Cables

Selecting network cables is an important task as your whole cabling infrastructure will depend on the category type you selected for your server. For example, the Cat6 riser copper ETL listed cable is the certified cable tested against fire and electrical safety standards. 

There are some steps that you should go after to choose the right cat6 riser bare copper cable for your networking needs. 

• Cable Category (Cat6 Riser Cable 1000ft)
• Installation needs (Riser or Plenum)
• Length of the cable (Bulk 1000ft)
• Cable Quality (Bare Copper or CCA)
• Always keep your server speed in mind while choosing the cable (Gigabit).
• Environmental factors are crucial so adopt a shielded (F/UTP Cat6 Shielded Cable) or Utp Cat6 Riser Cable
• The future upgrade of server speed

Most consumers go with the cost-effective LAN cables but to save some bucks ($) they might need to spend more. So, if you are not sure which type of cable you need to buy, whether it’s Cat6 riser, bare copper, or CCA. The choice is yours. Choose smartly and Happy Networking.