An IT technician is tasked with upgrading the network infrastructure of a small business to support higher speed applications such as video conferencing and large file transfers. The current network uses Cat 5e Ethernet cables. Which type of cable should the technician recommend to significantly increase the speed capacity of the network?
The correct answer is Cat 6a because it supports speeds up to 10 Gbps over distances up to 100 meters, which is ideal for a modern small business requiring high-speed applications like video conferencing and large file transfers. In contrast, Cat 6 supports 10 Gbps but only up to 55 meters in high crosstalk environments, making it less reliable for consistent high-speed delivery across a business premise. Cat 5e, supporting up to 1 Gbps, currently does not meet the requirements for higher speed applications. Cat 7, although capable of up to 10 Gbps, is typically used for specific cases due to its shielded system and is not a common upgrade path from Cat 5e.
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What are the differences between Cat 5e, Cat 6, and Cat 6a cables?
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What is crosstalk, and why does it matter for network cabling?
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Why is Cat 6a generally recommended over Cat 7 for small business upgrades?