Introducing trueCABLE's New Cat6 Patch Cable - Optimized for High-Performance Network Upgrades in 2024 and Beyond

Written by Don Schultz, trueCABLE Senior Technical Advisor, Fluke Networks Copper/Fiber CCTT, BICSI INST1, INSTC, INSTF Certified

Sick of poor performing and questionable quality patch cords? Tired of wondering if your patch cords are the source of your communications issues? Non-reusable plastic bags getting you down? Would you simply prefer to open up the bag, plug in the patch cord, and have full confidence that it will work and is not the source of current or future issues? Willing to pay just a bit more for premium quality? You need to keep reading.

But first, please watch this video and then continue reading:

Our Patch Cables Have Finally Arrived!

We at trueCABLE have been talking about it for the better part of two years. After extensive research, testing, development, and serious amounts of coffee we have finally created and released our new Cat6 unshielded patch cable (U/UTP).

It should be noted that development of a “simple” patch cord might seem a pedestrian pursuit. I can assure you that it is not. Striking the right balance between:

• Price
• Performance to the ANSI/TIA 568-D.2 for Cat6 patch cords
• 100% repeatable quality
• Options offered
• Usability across multiple use environments

…is a considerable challenge as many of these factors compete with each other. That is why the long development period--not to mention my bent for meticulous perfection often intruded into the process!

If these new Cat6 patch cords were not good enough for me, I would not consider our new patch cords good enough for anyone else. I have high standards.

We nearly gave up on the task, quite frankly. Why? Keep reading and prepare to be shocked a bit.

If you are confused when and where patch cords (also called patch cables and equipment cords) are used, please see What is an Ethernet Patch Cable?

Current State of the Patch Cord Market

I have one picture that will really summarize the current state of patch cords commonly available….

So called “Cat8” patch cord FAILING a TIA Cat6 patch cord test!

The majority of the patch cords on the market, right now, will not pass component level testing with a Certification device. They fail, and some dramatically so. You heard me right: the majority are technically defective in some way. More often than not, it is the imported patch cords that fit into the “garbage” category. Where does this information come from?

“To get an idea of equipment cord quality, the Communications Cable and Connectivity Association (CCCA) completed large-scale, electrical performance testing of Category 6 copper patch cords, which tested nearly 500 samples that included 379 cords from offshore, lesser-known manufacturers and 120 cords from well-known North American manufacturers. Of the 379 offshore patch cords, 322 of them failed electrical performance parameters specified in TIA 568-C.2 standards with 78% failing by a margin of 3dB or more and 45% failing by a margin of 6dB or more. These cords would have likely led to significant network problems once included in the channel. All the patch cords from recognized North American manufacturers showed 0% failure rate.”- Fluke Networks

Another source would be me. I will back my assertion up with two years of extensive testing, and even put my BICSI INSTC Certification on the line. I have found CCCA’s assertions to be correct. In fact, CCCA might have understated the situation a bit. It is worse than many think.

So, the current state of the patch cord market is not good, to say the least. The issues are performance and PoE related, or both. I have much more to say about this in an upcoming exposé blog that will compare trueCABLE against large and common competitor’s patch cords. It will be quite enlightening and entertaining, I assure you.

trueCABLE Cat6 Patch Cables

Given the foregoing information, trueCABLE was not about to release “just another patch cord”. We wanted a patch cord that had the following characteristics:

• 100% Certification PASS with a Fluke DSX-8000 using TIA Cat6 Patch Cord tests and PCA adapters before the patch cord is even bagged up for sale. This means our patch cords are “component rated”. What is “component rated”? Please see Ethernet Quality: Channel Level vs Component Level Rating.
• Full PoE++ testing to 4PPoE, 802.3bt, 100W DC
• Solid termination assemblies that do not lose performance or result in an failed patch cord when tight bends are made when plugging into equipment
• Common lengths and colors, taking into account professional installers and the average DIY person alike
• Thin enough for easy routing, but not too thin as to cause serious issues with PoE handling and performance degradation over normal patch cord distances
• Pricing that was in-line with other component rated patch cords currently available on the market

We achieved our goals! We ended up with the following characteristics:

• Each and every cord is Cat6 Component Rated to ANSI/TIA 568-2.D
• 10G speed (when patch cord is used alone as the entire channel, otherwise 5G when combined with a permanent link)
• Unshielded twisted pair (U/UTP)
• 28AWG stranded copper conductors
• Thin format for easy rack and modular furniture routing
• Snag-free boot that is easy to use and fully stabilizes the termination so that even rather extreme bends at the termination do not cause performance loss 
• Lengths from 6” to 25 feet
• Colors initially offered will be black, blue, and white
• CM Rated PVC cable jacket (Communications, General)
• UL Listed
• Zipper bags! Yeah!

Blue 25 foot version. Reusable bag!

Blue 6” version

Close-up of the 8P8C (aka RJ45) connector

Here is the trueCABLE Cat6 28AWG Unshielded Patch Cord Specification Sheet that will detail all of the performance and build characteristics.

Quality Patch Cables Really Do Matter

As I mentioned earlier, there will be a detailed blog and video exposė coming soon. We will compare our Cat6 28AWG Unshielded Ethernet Patch Cables against the competition, and results will be stark and revealing. I will also detail two separate scenarios where patch cords that appeared to be functional caused significant issues. You will want to read that blog.

How good are trueCABLE’s Cat6 UTP 28AWG patch cords? Well, pictures say a thousand words. In fact, here are two pictures that say about 2,000 words.

Yes, that is pass using the proper TIA Cat6 patch cord test with PCA adapters!

Another full pass even when the terminations are stressed!

Each and every patch cord that we sell will be required to pass the correct TIA Cat6 Patch Cord Test, using a Fluke DSX-8000 with PCA adapters

The connector provides full support for the conductors to the termination (as shown by arrows)

It cannot be overstated how important it is to make sure the terminations are durable. Patch cords have three components:

• Two 8P8C (aka RJ45) connector plugs
• The cable itself

Of those three components, the most likely point of failure is at the terminations. I have tested patch cords that pass patch cord testing when removed from the bag, but fail after being (even mildly) stressed at the terminations. In other words, simply plugging the patch cord into a typical installation and then unplugging it was enough to induce performance loss to the point of failure. trueCABLE patch cords are designed in such a way that the conductors are fully supported all the way to the termination and the cable boot is fused to the jacket at the rear of the strain relief boot assembly. This makes for a far more durable and reliable patch cord!

Installation Guidelines and Considerations

Given that our new patch cords are 28AWG, they can bend quite a bit tighter than others as they are “thin format”. How tight?

ANSI/TIA 568 formula:

4 X OD for the bend radius. Our Cat6 28AWG UTP patch cords OD (outer diameter) is 3.80mm, which gives you the following:

• 0.60” bend radius, or 1.20” bend diameter (in a circle)
• 1.52 cm, or approximately 3 cm bend diameter (in a circle)

A picture will help!

Nylon ties applied for demonstration only. Don’t use nylon ties to bundle ethernet cable!

Performance & Application Guidance:

• Use for Cat5e and Cat6 unshielded structured cabling systems (when used for patching into keystone jacks and patch panels)
• Maximum speeds is 5Gbps when using for patching into longer solid copper permanent links
• Maximum speed is 10Gbps when used for direct attach applications (patching one piece of live equipment directly to another)

Environmental & Installation Guidance:

• Feel free to use these CM rated patch cords anywhere residentially, but not outside unless inside a weatherproof enclosure
• These patch cords may be used commercially in server racks, work areas, modular furniture, cable trays, etc. Don’t install them into HVAC plenum areas or inside walls (riser).
• Installation into conduit is NOT recommended when carrying PoE power
• Bundle with Velcro straps. Avoid the use of nylon ties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before we wrap up, we would like to address a few common questions related to Patch Cables!

What is a patch cable used for?

Patch cables, otherwise known as patch cords and equipment cords, are used primarily to patch Ethernet patch panels and end user equipment into permanently installed solid copper structured cabling. Secondarily, patch cables are useful for patching one piece of powered equipment to another like to plug in a Wi-Fi router directly into a gaming console or TV.

What are the disadvantages of patch cable?

Patch cables, when referring to copper twisted pair “Ethernet” patch cables, is constructed of stranded copper conductors. Stranded copper conductors don’t handle long distances and PoE as well as solid copper twisted pair Ethernet cable. As a result, solid copper Ethernet cable should be used for the permanent part of your installation and patch cables should be used where flexibility and frequent handling are required so you get the best of both worlds!

What is patch cable vs Ethernet cable?

Patch cables, strictly defined, are communications cables that have MALE connectors on both ends. This could be copper twisted pair Category cable, coaxial cable, or even fiber optic cable. Over time, copper twisted pair Category cable and patch cables in general have become conflated with the term “Ethernet cable” because that is their primary function. The fact is, Ethernet is a protocol and can run over many types of communications cables.

Are all Ethernet cables, patch cables?

No. Ethernet is a protocol, not a cable. Patch cables refer to how a cable is constructed more than anything else. Adding to this, solid copper twisted pair Category cable used for Ethernet networks should never be used for patching applications. Patching applications for Ethernet are best served with stranded copper (as opposed to solid copper) conductors for long term durability and flexibility.

Is Cat 7 faster than Cat6?

Not necessarily. It depends upon the application speed you intend to run. In other words, you can install Cat8 everywhere and only still run 1Gbps networking speeds. In that case, Category does not matter at all. That all said, technically Cat7 can achieve higher bandwidths and therefore higher application speeds than Cat6 assuming the Cat7 cable is of high quality. It is quite possible to have a Cat7 cable that won’t even perform to Cat5e performance levels! So, by default, one cable is not faster than another just sitting there. You have to push higher application speeds to go faster and the question is if your cable can handle that higher application speed.

Can you run Ethernet patch cable through walls?

You could, but it is not a good idea. It will make your installation more difficult because there is a connector on both ends just waiting to get snagged and hung up on some obstacle. It might even be illegal for your installation. Most commercial environments demand the use of riser rated communications cable when installed in walls and patch cords are often not riser rated. Even if riser rated, Ethernet patch cable is built using stranded copper conductors which is not conducive to achieving maximum speeds over distance. Solid copper Ethernet cable is preferred for permanently installed cabling and patch cable is preferred for short patching distances into your permanently installed cabling system.

How do I get Ethernet without a port on my wall?

Essentially you have one option and that is to use patch cords, which come pre-terminated with 8P8C (aka RJ45) connectors on both ends. You would simply use the patch cord to patch from one piece of equipment directly to another and skip the permanently installed cabling.

Summing Up…

With trueCABLE’s new Cat6 Unshielded patch cord you don’t have to wonder or guess about quality. They are Cat6 pre-Certified with test equipment that many installers cannot afford or even know how to use correctly. This adds a huge amount of value immediately, especially when the installation involves hundreds of patch cords. Do they cost a bit more? They do, but what is your time and sanity worth to you? Ever lose a PoE powered device due to a poorly constructed patch cord? A simplistic and yet common case like that can cost you a camera or Wi-Fi AP which might run into the hundreds of dollars. Minimize downtime and hassle and simply get a patch cable that you know will work!

HAPPY NETWORKING!!

trueCABLE presents the information on our website, including the “Cable Academy” blog and live chat support, as a service to our customers and other visitors to our website subject to our website terms and conditions. While the information on this website is about data networking and electrical issues, it is not professional advice and any reliance on such material is at your own risk.