Cat6a Shielded vs. Unshielded: Which Is Better?

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Cat6a Shielded vs. Unshielded: Which Is Better?


Cat6a cables are gaining popularity as users are demanding ever higher bandwidth and network speeds. It has matured into our every day use, and ranked as the cable of choice to get 10 Gigabit Ethernet for users of VoIP, CCTV, and other data networks. However, the debate concerning selecting Cat6a shielded vs. unshielded cable is heated up these days. What’s the differences between Cat6a shielded vs. unshielded? What’s their merits and drawbacks? The answer is right in this article.


Cat6a (Category 6a) cable is one of the latest iteration of Gigabit Ethernet cabling, which is designed as an upgraded version of Cat6 cable. Cat6a is capable of supporting data transfer rates of up to 10Gbps at a maximum bandwidth of 500MHz. And it also has additional and tighter twists, with additional insulation to reduce cross talk. Cat6a is soon becoming the most cost-effective solution: emerging applications are demanding it, standards are recommending it, and many barriers are no longer relevant. Moreover, it is also backwards compatible with Cat6 and Cat5e—speeds are always limited and will perform to the lowest category cable or connector that is installed in the link.
Basically, Cat6a cable comes into two flavors: Cat6a shielded twisted pair cable (UTP) and unshielded twisted pair cable (STP). Cat6a Shielded and Cat6a Unshielded cable differ in design and manufacture. But both are designed to provide reliable connectivity of electronic equipment. Let’s explore the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Cat6a Shielded Cable

Cat6a shielded twisted pair (SFP) cable has a shielded in cables to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio-frequency interference (RFI) from affecting the performance of the cable. It also prevents cable signals from interfering with surrounding cables and equipment. All Cat6a shielded cables have a special grounding wire—drain wire. The shielded must be grounded to work. Cat6a shielded cables are ideal for high-speed 10G networks. Properly installed Cat6a shielded cables automatically curb EMI and crosstalk, helping to ensure data integrity and high-speed performance.similar