The Common Jacket Types Popular in Market

The world of networking cables is so diverse that there are various amounts of networking cables available in the market, and with each networking cable comes the numerous amounts of jacket types. According to that, I have decided to present the different jacket types to clarify the confusion between the different jackets.

First of all, a jacket is the outer sheath of the cable that protects the wire and the cable core from the different issues revolving around moisture, mechanical, flame, and chemical. Out of the numerous jacket types, the most commonly bought jacket types are CMP and CMR, also known as Plenum and Riser.

The Most Common Ethernet Cable Jackets

Fact: CMP is the only jacket type that is permitted in the Plenum Spaces

CMP denotes Communications, Plenum and is one of two top networking cable jackets for its fire strict properties which gives only this cable a permit to be used in the plenum spaces (construction spaces of the building i.e. air vents raised floors) of the building. CMP itself can replace any other jacket type and no other jacket type can fulfill the requirements of a CMP jacket type!

Fact: CMP can satisfy all of the other jacket types requirements; hence, it can replace any jacket type

CMR denotes Communications, Riser and is the second of the two top networking cable jackets which are used mostly in a the vertical setting, connecting the different floors of the building and sometimes in a horizontal setting from room to room if only the cable doesn’t pass the plenum space. This jacket type can be used instead of CL3R, CL2R, CATVR, CM, CMG, CL3, CL2, CATV, CMX, CL2X, CL3X,  and CATVX;  and just like for the other cables, CMP can replace this jacket too.

CM or CMG denotes Communications and are most commonly used as a commercial-grade communication cable which can substitute CL3, CL2, CATV, CL3X, CL2X, and CATVX. This cable is in-wall rated and is permitted for the usage of only 1 to 2 family residential riser applications.

CMX denotes Communications, Residential and is a residential grade jacket type. Such cables with this jacket type are limited to residential purposes or for other smaller applications where a very little amount of cables are used.

Cable TV Jacket Types for Video Cables (Community Antenna Television and Radio)

CATVP denotes Cable TV, Plenum and is the highest in the hierarchy. It befalls the category of Community Antenna Television and Radio Distribution Cables and can be used instead of any other cable in this category: CATVR, CATV, and CATVX.

CATVR denotes Cable TV, Riser and can be substituted for CATV, CATVX. Alongside CMP, CATVP and CMR can also satisfy the requirements of this cable.

CATV denotes Cable TV and can be substituted for CATVX. Alongside CMP, CATVP, CMR, CATVR, CM, and CMG can also satisfy the requirements of this cable.

CATVX denotes Cable TV, Residential where “X” is a residential suffix and this cable cannot be substituted for any jacket. Alongside CMP, CMP, CATVP, CMR, CATVR, CM, CMG, CATV, and CMX can also satisfy the requirements of this cable.

In a Plenum, the the cable must be rated CATVP; CMP, being higher rated, is a permitted substitution as well.

In a Riser, the requirements are a bit different.

For Riser: In one or two-family dwellings, CATV or CATVX may be used or any of the higher-rated substitutions: CM, CMG, CMR, CMP, CATVR, and CATVP. In a commercial building or multifamily dwelling, any of those cables are permitted if they are installed in metal raceways or located in a fireproof shaft having fire-stops at each floor. In those commercial buildings or multifamily dwellings, where there is no raceway or fire shaft, if the vertical run of the cable penetrates more than one floor, CATVR must be used or any of the substitutes: CMR, CMP, or CATVP.

Hierarchy of Video Cables

1. CATVP / Cable TV, Plenum
2. CATVR / Cable TV, Riser
3. CATV / Cable TV
4. CATVX / Cable TV, Residential

Class Jacket Types for Audio Interconnects and Speaker Wires

Class jacket types fall under the category of Audio Interconnects and Speaker Wires, and these jacket types exhume whether they can be installed in-wall or in other specific setting.

CL2 and CL3 are the only current Classes that are most commonly used today and they are referred to as Class 2 and Class 3. These classes are always suitable for in-wall installation but most of the times there is a suffix after the number that makes us wonder whether this change will be suitable for in-wall installation now? Well, it’s a maybe depending on the suffix.

CL2 and CL3 cables are typically used for low-voltage applications other than power or communications; such as speakers, audio/video signals, or computer data. These cables are designed to provide protection from both fire and electric shock. CL2 circuits are limited to up to 100VA of power at 30V, and up to 0.5VA between 30V and 150V. CL3 circuits can provide up to 100VA of power up to 150V. For most applications, CL3 cables can be installed in CL2 circuits, but CL2 cables cannot be used for CL3 circuits.

For now, CL3 can be substituted for CL2, CL3X, and CL2X. Alongside CMP, CL3P, CMR, CL3R, CM, and CMG can also satisfy the requirements of this cable. On the other hand, CL2 can be substituted for CL2X. Alongside CMP, CL3P, CL2P, CMR, CL3R, CL2R, CM, CMG, and CL3 can also satisfy the requirements of this cable.

Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 are for Remote-Control, Signaling, and Power-Limited Circuits.

CL3P denotes Class 3, Plenum and it is suitable for in-wall installation and so does CL2P denoting Class 2, Plenum. The prior of the two, because of belonging from the higher class, can be substituted for CL2P, CL3R, CL2R, CL3, CL2, CL2X, CL3X; whereas the latter of the to can only be a substitute for CL2R, CL2, CL2X. Alongside CMP, CL3P can also satisfy the requirements of CL2P.

CL3R denotes Class 3, Riser and as with the case of CL3P, this is also suitable for in-wall installation and the same goes for CL2R denoting Class 2, Riser. Where CL3R can be substituted for CL2R, CL3, CL2, CL3X, and CL2X, CL2R can be substituted for CL2 and CL2X. Alongside CMP, CL3P and CMR can also satisfy the requirements of CL3R; and CL3P, CMR, and CL3R can also satisfy the requirements of CL2R.

CL3X and CL2X denotes Class 3, Residential and Class 2, Residential, respectively; where the suffix “X” is a residential suffix signifying a lower grade than the plain jacket of the Class itself. Although CL2X and CL3X may be installed in raceways, but if they are under 1⁄4 inch diameter, they may only be installed in a 1 to 2 family a residential dwelling without a raceway.

In this, CL3X can be substituted for CL2X. Alongside CMP, CL3P, CMR, CL3R, CM, CMG, CL3, and CMX can also satisfy the requirements of this cable. As for CL2X, it cannot be substituted for any jacket. Alongside CMP, CMP, CL3P, CL2P, CMR, CL3R, CL2R, CM, CMG, CL3, CL2, CMX, and CL3X can also satisfy the requirements of this cable.

In a Plenum, CL2P or CL3P are required, and CMP is a permitted substitution.

In a Riser, it’s a bit different solution.

For Riser: If you’re in a single or two-family dwelling, CL2, CL3, CL2X, and CL3X may be used. In a commercial building or multifamily dwelling, any of those cables are permitted if they are installed in metal raceways or located in a fireproof shaft having fire-stops at each floor. In those commercial buildings or multifamily dwellings, where there is no raceway or fireproof shaft, if the vertical run of the cable penetrates more then one floor, CL2R or CL3R must be used or any of these substitutes: CMR, CMP, CL2P, or CL3P.

Hierarchy of Class Jacket Types

Class 3

1. CL3P / Class 3, Plenum
2. CL3R / Class 3, Riser
3. CL3 / Class 3
4. CL3X / Class 3, Residential

Class 2

1. CL2P / Class 2, Plenum
2. CL2R / Class 2, Riser
3. CL2 / Class 2
4. CL2X / Class 2, Residential

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Why is AI & Machine Learning critical for Enterprise Networking?

At this uphill stage of technology, more and more enterprises are using networking than ever before; and at the same time, you’re witnessing the explosion of network with two dimensions. The first dimension is in terms of scale: more and more devices are coming onto the network and the second dimension is in terms of complexity: the network is getting more and more complex.

In this new world, where we are having the tsunami of new devices coming on the network, the network complexity is now exceeding human scale. Artificial Intelligence is a field that has been around for over 50 years. John McCarthy, who is regarded as the father of IT, coined the term Artificial Intelligence out of the other names for this field’s proposals such as computational intelligence, synthetic intelligence or computational rationality; and the initial definition of Artificial Intelligence given by him was "the science and engineering of making intelligent machines."

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From its advent in the famous Dartmouth conference in Summer 1956 which started AI as a field, the exciting thing that is happening now after all these years is all these advances that have been coming. And because of the advances in Artificial Intelligence as well as Computation, networking, and so forth allow us to do the various things that we could never do before.

Information Technology or IT operators want simplicity and they also demand consistency. With Artificial Intelligence and its sub-field of Machine Learning, we can now help them build exactly what they want and help them in making what they care about; streamlining the operations for them. With the revolution of technology on the rise, Artificial Intelligence is the top IT field today and it will soon change the shape of networking with its probable smart future.

We are living in exciting times where we can feel the smart future within the hands reach but it is still a bit farther than that. If you think about it long, then the industrial revolution comes in mind which helped human remove the limitation of physical capabilities. This makes us think of all we can achieve from the AI and ML; think about the digital revolution, it’ll help businesses remove the limitation of human capabilities. And to be honest, that’s the power of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

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What is the difference in AWG of CAT6 and CAT6a Plenum?

CAT6 Plenum cable is the standard for the sixth generation of twisted pair networking where it provides a spectacular result in the field of performance and speed. The reason behind it is, of course, the massive data transmission speed of 10 Gbps over a 100 meters wired network and the noise ratio is also reduced as compared to the previous categories with a performance frequency that can go up to 550 MHz.

Cat6 Plenum Cable

Contrary to Category 6, Category 6’s augmented - the advanced version - provides does even more in the sense of noise cancellation by providing a performance frequency of up to 850 MHz. This improvement in the bandwidth, signal-to-noise ratio, and crosstalk guarantees better broadcasting in the presence of any interference in the surrounding.

About American Wire Gauge
AWG is inversely related to the wire diameter, meaning the smaller the gauge, the larger the diameter of the wire. The large diameter of the wire means less electrical resistance for the signal it carries. Copper network cables with a smaller gauge are available in longer lengths because they allow signals to travel further, by offering less resistance. Also, less resistance means it’ll generate less heat.

What AWG is in Category 6 and 6a Plenum?
Category 6 consists of 22 to 24 American Wire Gauge, meaning the width of the wire would be a bit fatter than its predecessor. Contrary to this, the width of the wire of Category 6a cable would be even faster than the predecessor of the same category, as it is a 16 to 20 American Wire Gauge. This is one of the ways you can identify between the two wires - the width. Note that both these cables use the same connector of RJ45, just like the predecessor.

Cat6a Plenum Cable

What is the Plenum Jacket Type?
Just like Category 6 Standard, CAT6a Plenum Cable also comes in many variants of jacket types and the most common jacket type is Plenum. This is the reason you should know what is the difference between Plenum and non-Plenum cable so you can use them in a suitable setting.
Plenum jacket type is used in the plenum setting, which is the horizontal setting in the building and could be a viable host to heat such as air vents and raised up floors. In such places, it is recommended to use this jacket type as it has extra protection from heat and thus it protects from damage from fire - further saving from threatening causes like toxic gasses and visible smoke that can get out from the burning of the cable.
Therefore, if you are not installing the networking cable in the vertical setting then Plenum is recommended - otherwise, you might use non-Plenum cables.

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There will be 24 Million IoT Connections By 2024 - ABI Research

Internet of Things is growing with a steady pace in today’s time and there is no questioning as to what the future holds for it. With the introduction of 5G and Wi-Fi 6, which are built solely for IoT and Big Data, we are inching closer to the transformation of the “smart future”.
The new satellite constellations are being launched and there is a hope that this would help in improving the connectivity options of the IoT market. With these deployments, many applications would eventually benefit due to the large coverage it will provide.

The global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research’s Harriet Sumnall says that by 2024 there will be 24 million IoT connections made not via 5G or Wi-Fi 6 but actually but via satellite.

  

    “Terrestrial cellular networks only cover 20% of the Earth’s surface, while satellite networks can cover the entire surface of the globe, from pole to pole. The expansion of the satellite constellations that are currently in orbit and those due to take place will allow for connectivity to be more global. While the market using satellite connection is still immature, it shows great opportunities for growth.”

With such transitions to be seen, various applications will be affected inclusive of asset tracking and the two most important markets that lie in the satellite space maritime and aviation tracking. The reason behind them being so dependant on the satellite space is the lack of terrestrial infrastructure that is available in their location.
Like Aerial & Maritime, some vendors provide the ship tracking AIS and cost-effective aircraft surveillance ADS-B using nano-satellites and in this field of thought, satellites have been a game-changing technology with its high-end tracking capabilities in a cost-efficient manner. In the coming time, it is expected to see Software Defined Radio technology with the possibility that non-satellites can be used for these actions.

The big names in the satellite providers, such as Globalstar and Inmarsat, are facing new competition from the start-ups like Amazon and SpaceX which are launching Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites: which are currently costly for the set-up but in the long run they will result in being cost-effective from larger traditional satellites providing the coverage that other vendors are offering.

 

Sumnall says that with these offerings, the traditional satellite providers will have to rethink their strategies and will have to drive their prices down to come back in the competition with these newcomers.

    “Once the market becomes more successful and has matured, the pricing strategies will drop overall, allowing the satellite IoT connectivity options to compete against terrestrial connectivity options.”

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What’s new in CAT6 & CAT6a Plenums?

CAT6 Plenum is the sixth generation of networking cables with capabilities far beyond the time of its introduction in 2002. The specifications of this category were truly futuristics with its instinctive approach towards the next generation.

It won’t be wrong if we say that this cable saw the future and adapted it because 10 gigabytes of data transfer speed over the course of 100 meters and at the time when even internet was finding its way towards the surface was truly phenomenal.

Before we truly delve inside these two cables, it's better to understand the jacket type as well. In this scenario, Plenum is the jacket type of these two cables. The word plenum comes from the plenum space concept which is basically spaces that are meant for heat and cold air to pass through them, these spaces mostly include the air vents.

Now, the cables when putting in such spaces can be harmful to the environment for the very reason that they are less protective of the heat and hence can burn and produce visible smoke and toxic gasses. With such cases to be of an issue, there came plenum cables. These cables with their fire strict properties protect the environment.

Category 6’s Standard Plenum is one of the top 3 networking cables in the world right now and the very reason behind it is that they are very effective and are useful for a long term cycle. The specifications for this cable is a speed of 10 gigabytes that can travel the course of 100 meters giving the performance of up to 550 MHz.

CAT6a Plenum is the augmented type of Category 6. What’s different with its advance competitor per se, is the performance frequency. Although the speed of both these cables, standard and ‘augmented’, are similar, the difference in frequency is the real deal in the considerations of the consumers. This category’s augmented plenum gives a high bargain with a frequency of up to 850 MHz.

The real question is what’s new and if we compare these specifications to the predecessors we can easily determine that the predecessor lacked in speed where we are getting a speed of 10 gigs, the predecessor gave only 1 gig and also in the frequency department with twice to thrice as much frequency than the predecessor.

Hence, this is the very reason why these two networking cables are two of the top three networking cables in the market today and why they are really known to be the futuristic ethernet networking cables.

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WiFi 6 vs 5G: What Does It Mean for IoT?

It’s 2019, and we are on the verge of technological breakthroughs with the works on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, IoT, Virtual/Augmented Reality, and Big Data being currently the buzzword in the field of technology. With such buzzwords, there are two new revolutionary technologies making their way to help heed these products and to make the lives of the scientists, the developers, and end-users easier; these two devices are WiFi 6 and 5G.

WiFi 6 is more than just a name, it is the next generation of the wireless standard that is following the current protocol of 802.11ac with 802.11ax. This generation of WiFi will be up to four times faster in the predecessor. With internet services getting faster than ever, it will take full device-dense areas and it will also offer much greater bandwidth than its advantage of this to provide the fastest new speeds.

https://www.1000ftcables.com

5G, on the other hand, is the name of the fifth-generation of wireless technology which will replace the fourth-gen 4G LTE. In comparison to the WiFi 6, 5G covers larger areas, while WiFi 6 handles things on a smaller scale. This fifth-generation is already providing limited devices with a whopping 1 Gbps speed and it is expected to be 100 times faster than 4G LTE, which seems a lot.

The reason behind the massive speed of 5G is its usage for the next-gen tech. This enables much greater capacity and bandwidth to networks, similar to WiFi 6 which will enable the outburst of devices as networks like 5G and WiFi 6 will handle higher usage of data without a slowdown.

These new generation of wireless technologies are coming to transform how we use IoT devices. It is because, with addition to their speeds, these devices will provide signal strength in congested areas; which previously already had too much wireless traffic making it practically impossible to be always on the devices. But with this, this overcrowding problem will become a thing of the past.

In the coming future, with these devices, we will see entire smart homes connected to the WiFi or 5G network. Many home security systems already use the cellular network to monitor and report, but with the help of 5G, it will make it much simpler to not only monitor but to even install it into the smart devices. The efficiency of this new technology will potentially lower the costs on both the devices and networks, so if we look into the business side, this would enable even the small businesses to take advantage of these new technologies.

Hence, these wireless technologies are the playgrounds for the new innovations in the fields of IoT as we move further to becoming the “smart generation”.

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IoT in Controlling Our Future

The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the major technological fields that is taking over the world as we know it. It is an extension of the internet from beyond surfing the web to fully controlling the things around us.

From a sci-fi movie that seemed impeccable back in the day to living inside the world that is forming into that very sci-fi - it won’t be wrong to say that the Internet of Things are finally showing what the world is going to look like in not a decade but even in a few years.

Embedded with different kinds of hardware such as electronics and connecting them with the internet can give you full control over the devices. If you ever saw a movie where the lights were turned off by sound or rather a touch of your phone, it is now possible thanks to the IoT.

IoT isn’t limited to the lights; in fact, that is merely the least of what you can achieve with IoT. Internet of Things gives you control over everything involving technology, where you can get any desired output. For instance, you can turn on your car from your phone through the internet; you can sit in the car and open your garage door through the internet; in the future maybe you can drive outside from your phone through the internet; and of course, sitting inside the car, you can shut down the door through the internet as well.

As new as it sounds, this concept isn’t new at all; rather, it had been around for a very long time. This concept came around as early as 1982; when the Coke vending machine was modified at Carnegie Mellon University becoming the first internet-connected an appliance which could tell whether the newly added things were cold or not.

Since then, the evolution of the Internet of Things started and now we have reached to one of the points in time that the IoT is taking over all the appliances and devices related to technology and helping shape the future in a better way. Or is it?

Although, this may sound mesmerizing and safe, with more leniency comes more danger. Connecting to the internet is not secure as hacking will always remain a risky feature. Even with today's technology, hackers can take over the securest websites on the internet, and this could be one of the biggest threats proposed to both your privacy and your security.

IoT is one of the up and coming fields that are going to skyrocket in the nearest future as more and more people are trying out new things and ways to not only connect more devices but also make it as secure as possible.

Whatever the case, in the next few years and definitely in the coming decade, the internet will be all around us; connecting us with the people and the hardware with such ease, but it is for you to decide how you will handle the threat it can propose and what devices you will be willing to pair with it.

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What has Changed From CAT5e to CAT6a Plenum Cables?

CAT5e Plenum Cable’s introduction back in 1998 was one of the major introductions in Category series which paved the way for the next generation of augmented twisted pair cabling known as the sixth generation of augmented Plenum Cable aka. Category 6a Plenum cable.

In the midst of 1998, this cable was introduced with a high-end speed of 1 gig that could travel over the course of 100 meters and not only that but it also provided a frequency of up to 250 MHz. This was an amazing introduction to the category series which actually made the Category 6 look to make a better spec networking cable.

Before indulging into the talk of the generations, the jacket type plays an important part as well. In this scenario, The plenum is the jacket type of these networking cables. The word Plenum comes from the Plenum space concept. This concept revolves around the construction spaces of the building such as air vents which are home to heat and air conditioning.

Such spaces are the zone of heat and can burn the cable hence producing toxic gasses and visible smoke. The plenum jacket type of networking cable was introduced to deal with this problem. This jacket type has fire strict properties which help to protect the cable from burning. This is the reason the plenum spaces in the building always use the plenum cables and the reason why plenum cables can replace the non-plenum cables but not the other way around.

 

Knowing about the plenum jacket type, we can buy the cables as per our interests by looking at the specifications. If we move a bit further and look into the category 6’s augmented plenum spec sheet we come to know that it was really a massive improvement and upgrade on the lines of faster speed and better frequency.

The specifications of CAT6a Plenum Cable includes a faster speed of up to 10 gigabytes that can be used for over the course of 100 meters and better performance of this networking cable with a frequency of up to 850 MHz. If we see the time difference of 4 years between the two generations of networking cable, we can easily deduce that this was a massive upgrade.

So, if the question is really there of what has changed between the two generations, then it is a clear answer that faster speed and performance have changed but this is not all, there’s much more to the story. With better specs, comes better usage. With such speed, you can stream and transfer data in much less time and hence you can do so much more than a speed of 1 gigabyte will restrict you to.

All in all, if you really have a big budget then you should go big and enjoy better speed and performance with CAT6a Plenum Cable but if you have a low budget and a smaller network then you should definitely go with a fifth-generation of twisted pair Ethernet networking cable aka. Category 5e Plenum cable.

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What is CAT6 Plenum Cable?

CAT6 Plenum Cable is one of the most distinguished and futuristic cables that was introduced in 2002 and took the networking world by surprise by it’s faster than ever data transfer speed and a massive improvement on the lines of the performance frequency.

Category 6 is the sixth generation of networking cable and it is often referred to as the futuristic type of cable since its introduction in 2002. The reason behind that reference is its specifications that provide better quality and experience.

The specifications of Category 6 Standard Plenum Cable includes a data transfer speed of 10 ten times that of its predecessor, a speed of 10 gigabytes for a long haul of 100 meters and a frequency which provides a performance twice as much of up to 550 MHz.

This networking cable contains four pairs of wire and uses all four pairs for the purpose of signaling to obtain a high level of performance. Another important fact to consider is that the end the connector of this networking cable is the same, RJ-45 standard, as the previous generations of Ethernet cable.

Furthermore, the jacket type of networking cable is a very important aspect to focus on as well. There are two types of jackets that are folded onto the networking cable: Plenum and Non-Plenum. There are various other types further along the lines of non-plenum cables such as Riser, PVC, etc but the main jacket type that is taking over at the current moment is the Plenum.

Plenum has a very important task to perform and it is better understood under the shade of a concept known as the plenum space concept. Plenum space is any space inside the building that isn’t for human occupancy and is a breathing zone of heat such as the air vents, the raised floors for wired connections, etc.

These spaces can damage the cable by burning it and hence it can result as a harmful thing for the environment and the people. The reason behind which are the toxic gasses and visible smoke that is produced by the burning of the cable. Breathing in such gasses can make you sick and the fire hazard can corrode the building.

To deal with this problem, plenum jackets on the cables were introduced. This jacket type has fire strict properties to protect the cable from burning. This is the reason why this jacket type is getting more and more common.

Another thing to look into is that you can’t replace plenum cables with non-plenum cables but you can replace non-plenum cables with plenum cables. According to law, you can’t use non-plenum cables in plenum spaces or else you’ll be violating the law. This is because of the very reason of how dangerous it can get.

The uses of CAT6 Cable are a lot as it’s a massive upgrade even if we just compare it to its one down predecessor. This massive speed of 10 gigabytes can offer you a faster sharing of files, as well as a faster LAN connection and it can do much more. It is known as a multimedia cable as well, because of the reason that you can share videos, pictures, audio in a much shorter time.

In short, Category 6 Plenum is a safer, faster, and a better networking cable by a long shot. It is because of this reason why this networking cable is known as one of the top three networking cables in the world.

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