| Category (Cat) | Higher Cat numbers will support a higher bandwidth. Therefore, by using a higher Cat number you are future proofing your system to some extent. Example:- Cat 5e : up to 1 GB
- Cat 6: up to 10 GB
Use Cat 5e or higher. |
| American Wire Gauge (AWG) | The lower the AWG number, the less temperature rise there wil be in the cable when using PoE. This is particularly important for bundles. Local building regulations may rule out the use of 26 AWG or higher, depending on the installation. Check with your local building regulations.Use AWG 24 or lower. |
| Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) or Foiled Twisted Pair (FTP) | Using shielded cable means less problems with interference from other sources. This means that your installation will be more robust if you use shielded cables. |