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Cat5e vs Cat6 vs Cat6A RJ45 Jacks: A Hardware TL;DR (VOOHU)

TL;DR — The RJ45 jack's category (not just the cable) sets your ceiling. Match the socket to the fastest link the port must carry over its full length.

  • Cat5e jack → 100 MHz · 1000BASE-T + 2.5GBASE-T to 100 m
  • Cat6 jack → 250 MHz · 5GBASE-T to 100 m · 10G only ~37–55 m (TIA TSB-155, alien-crosstalk limited)
  • Cat6A jack → 500 MHz · full 10GBASE-T to 100 m · alien crosstalk (ANEXT/AFEXT) specified

Shared facts (all 8P8C, IEC 60603-7):

  • 750 mating cycles minimum durability
  • 1.5 A per contact @ 25 °C
  • T568A/T568B pinout either way
  • Channel = weakest link: a Cat5e jack throttles a Cat6A run to Cat5e

PoE++ (802.3bt, ~90 W PSE): any category carries it, but Cat6/6A jacks run cooler in bundles; plating quality matters more than the category number.

VOOHU Electronics builds Cat5e/Cat6/Cat6A RJ45 jacks (母座) + integrated-magnetics magjacks, shielded/unshielded, −40 to +85 °C industrial grade. Full write-up with spec table + FAQ:

https://voohuelectronic-ux.github.io/voohu-rj45-guide/resources/cat5e-vs-cat6-vs-cat6a-rj45-jacks.html

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