Which cable supports 10 Gbps at 100 meters?

Which cable supports 10 Gbps at 100 meters?

• A. Cat5e
• B. Cat6a
• C. Cat6
• D. Plenum-Rated Cable

Answer: (B)

For Ethernet over copper at 10 Gbps, distance and cable performance matter. To support 10GBASE-T over the full 100 meters, the cable needs enough bandwidth and low enough crosstalk. Cat5e tops out well below 10 Gbps at 100 meters. Cat6 can carry 10 Gbps but only up to about 55 meters in typical installations because its higher frequency can’t sustain the signal over the full 100 meters. Cat6a doubles the bandwidth and tightens crosstalk performance, enabling reliable 10 Gbps operation up to 100 meters. The plenum rating relates to fire safety in air-handling spaces and doesn’t by itself guarantee 10 Gbps at 100 meters, so it isn’t the determining factor here. Therefore, Cat6a is the correct choice for 10 Gbps at 100 meters.

For Ethernet over copper at 10 Gbps, distance and cable performance matter. To support 10GBASE-T over the full 100 meters, the cable needs enough bandwidth and low enough crosstalk. Cat5e tops out well below 10 Gbps at 100 meters. Cat6 can carry 10 Gbps but only up to about 55 meters in typical installations because its higher frequency can’t sustain the signal over the full 100 meters. Cat6a doubles the bandwidth and tightens crosstalk performance, enabling reliable 10 Gbps operation up to 100 meters. The plenum rating relates to fire safety in air-handling spaces and doesn’t by itself guarantee 10 Gbps at 100 meters, so it isn’t the determining factor here. Therefore, Cat6a is the correct choice for 10 Gbps at 100 meters.