The buzz about Cat 6

As industry bids adieu to Cat5E and Cat 6 takes center stage, Voice&Data gauges the reasons for this uptake and deployment challenges in the structured cabling arena.

By Krishna Mukherjee

Gone are the days, when a robust connection was the only requirement in the structured cabling arena. Now it is speed, reliable connection and many other things that matter. The need of this generation is fast and reliable connection at least 1Gbps at any given point of time and 10Gbps in some areas. This requirement cannot be fulfilled by Cat 5E, and so deployments of newer technologies like Cat 6 and Cat 6A.

Today, majority of installations are done on CAT 6 cabling solution, as it not only gives stable connectivity at 1 Gbps but can give connectivity up to 10 Gbps in some cases. In data center type environment CAT 6A solution is preferred, which gives consistent speed of up to 10 Gbps on 100 Mtrs channel, according to cabling solution provider Legrand.

Why Cat6 or Cat 6A?

According to experts, the growing need for faster data transmission and stable performance across a wider frequency range has given rise to increased adoption of Cat 6A. “As 10Gbps defines the Category 6A, it holds ground in the copper cabling category: it represents the latest stage in the evolution of copper cabling and has been designed to address the requirements of high speed, advanced Ethernet network,” says David Shalts, Regional Sales Director, RiT.

Also, the boom in data centers has raised the bar on technology thereby resulting in increased absorption of Cat6A. Uptake of 10G systems is on the increase, generally by the larger enterprises that are looking to implement the latest cabling technology to ensure longevity.

“Cat 6 system in copper forms the default choice of the customer with SingleMode and OM3/OM4 seeing increased deployment. Customers are aware of the need to deploy higher spec solutions like Cat6A to future proof their network for high speed applications such as 10G (on copper),” says Martin Isaac, Marketing Manager – India/Asean, Premise Networks, Molex India.

The continued demand for bandwidth is leading to increased opportunities for fibre and the development of pre-terminated fibre solutions, where there is no need for on-site termination. Experts say, OM3 is a cost effective option for data centers as it delivers 40G under 100M’s, which means OM3 can do 1G/10G/40G. And OM4 is implemented if lengths are over 100M.

However, with talk of the standards potentially moving from 40G/100G to 400Gb/1Tb in the future, this may change and OM4 may become the preferred standard. But, this has not commenced yet, or indeed been ratified. Each time a new standard is released we hear that fibre will replace copper as a platform of choice. With the release of the 40G/100G standard we see that the allowable copper length is currently seven metres. This, combined with issue of alien cross talk, implies that the implementation of copper platforms at higher performance rates is becoming increasingly difficult.

Meanwhile, shielded cables (S/FTP) are gaining popularity in LAN deployments since screened cabling brings valuable and improved performance such as noise immunity–which is vital in high-speed communication. These also provide enhanced security, a rising concern, and supports the highest bandwidth Ethernet 10 Gbps and above.

Talking about future deployments, there is an increase in use of Cat 7 cables and the talk is already on about Cat 8 standard. Intelligent physical layer management systems (IPLM), which currently forms a small percentage of structured cabling demand, is also gaining popularity. These systems map, monitor, and manage real-time patch-field connectivity, and continuously record networked asset movements and configuration changes occurring throughout the enterprise and data center.

“Vendors have started propagating fiber-to-the-x (including FTTN, FTTH, FTTC, and FTTK) as the next big wave in the industry that will promote the usage of optical fiber replacing all or part of the usual metal local loop used for the last mile. Convergence will increase and with IP everywhere, more structured cabling will be used to wire IP cameras, BMS, and access controls. A driver for convergence is data collected from sensors, meters, and monitors, which when analyzed can provide vital strategic input,” according to leading structured cabling company TE Connectivity spokesperson.

Fix cabling issues

Poor cabling has been an issue for quite long for the entire industry. A poor cabling system can be because of two problems – the quality of the product or the installation provided. While one school of thought believes in upgrading the cabling system, another says testing of products is necessary to ward off any cabling related issues.

According to Gaurav Ahluwalia, Managing Director, R&M India, individual testing of all products is necessary to make sure that there is minimum or nil error. “We conduct our own training program called Qualified Partner Program (QPP) to make sure that proper knowledge about the specifications and installation procedure for R&M products are followed… and installations can have an overview and are controlled with a proper training program,” he adds.

However, some industry experts say that upgrading the cabling systems to category 6A structured cabling systems will help in fixing the problem. “While category 5E cabling systems is supporting up to 1 Gbps, other applications such as Power Over Ethernet (POE) support is minimal due to copper wire diameter and cable mechanical structure. While loading the data line with power, heat dissipation should be taken into account,” says Shalts.

To avoid unnecessary downtime on the network due to the associated cabling problems, TE Connectivity has deployed the latest managed connectivity solution to take care of the ATP from the physical layer point of view.

It has used modular components that are pre-terminated and tested at the factory prior to shipment, especially in data centers, products like MPO (Modular Push on Connector) for Fiber and MRJ 21 components for copper, which it claims are highly reliable and flexible for MACs.

“Use the latest products (copper and fiber), approved by standards and tested for the performance by Third party as a complete system. Also, have a system approach and look at the end-to-end solution. Select the installation partner who is trained and certified by the supplier, so that the quality of the installation is high and to have a close look at the warranty process followed by the manufacturer,” says TE Connectivity spokesperson.

Challenges

Experts believe while the structured cabling industry is on the boom, the challenges it faces are not related to technology but quality engineers/ man power and market scenarios.

The most important factor in structured cabling installations is the quality of installation; it is the single most important factor that affects the delivery of bandwidth and ultimately the performance of the network. The concern of the industry is that quality engineers are not evolving at the same rate as the growth of the e market.

According to Legrand, “Right from unskilled manpower to harsh internal and external environment, there are many challenges one can face at the time of product deployment. Most of the time it is unskilled manpower, which ruins the game. Also, scenarios like whether it is a bare space or upgradation of current structure can be a hurdle to overcome, problems are in plenty. Time lines given can also be a cause of concern, where customer gives unrealistic time lines to match.”

While working with a network installer one must ensure that he is vendor-certified or trained engineer and offers an effective network solution that is easy to implement and support. While many vendors offer a variety of warranties today, ensure that your network is not just certified for components but also for performance.

“The next challenge comes during the installation process; as cabling is a complex deployment, it is important that proper installation techniques are used. We conduct regular training programs to educate our partners on various stages of installation and ensure that they are adequately trained. We also put on emphasis on manufacturing solutions that are easy to deploy and maintain,” Shalts says.

The main challenges that are faced during deployment should be in the knowledge of the installer. The

installer has to be qualified to install the complete solution effectively, without this knowledge a huge

amount of errors and downtime will be faced with the network, adds Ahluwalia of R&M India.