Category 6A cable provides 500 MHz bandwidth. The improved performance of Cat 6 provides 250 MHz bandwidth. The Category 6 specification improves upon the Category 5e specification by extending frequency response and further reducing crosstalk. The category 5 was deprecated in 2001 and superseded by the category 5e specification. The bandwidth (100 MHz) and physical construction are the same between the two, and most Cat 5 cables actually meet Cat 5e specifications, though they are not specifically certified as such. The category 5e specification improves upon the category 5 specification by revising and introducing new specifications to further mitigate the amount of crosstalk. This has exposed the manufacturers or installers of such fake cable to legal liabilities. The industry has seen a rise in non-compliant / counterfeit cables, especially of the Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA) variety. The category 5 specification requires conductors to be pure copper. The category and type of cable can be identified by the printing on the jacket. Permanent wiring used in structured cabling is solid-core. The stranded form is more flexible and withstands more bending without breaking. The cable is available in both stranded and solid conductor forms. These documents specify performance characteristics and test requirements for frequencies up to 100 MHz. The specification for category 5 cable was defined in ANSI/ TIA/EIA-568-A, with clarification in TSB-95. The specification for category 5 cable is defined in ISO/IEC 11801, IEC 61156 and EN 50173.

2 pair cat 5 cable