Cable Performance Requirements for Copper Cable Testing
- Permanent links are those which typically run from wall plates to wiring closets or patch panels. Permanent links, as the name suggests, are intended to be the permanently installed part of the network infrastructure.
- Channel link refers to the total cable run including permanent links and patch cables to hubs or switches.
Cat5 Cabling
Cat5 cables are specified at various frequencies throughout the range, at 1, 10, and 100Mhz. The following tables show the main performance requirements for Cat5 copper cables.
| Permanent Links | |
| Frequency | NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 60 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 45.5 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 29.3 dB |
| Frequency | PS_NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | N/A |
| 10 Mhz | N/A |
| 100 Mhz | N/A |
| Frequency | ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 57.7 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 37 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 17 dB |
| Frequency | PS-ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | N/A |
| 10 Mhz | N/A |
| 100 Mhz | N/A |
| Channel Links | |
| Frequency | NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 60 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 44 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 27.1 dB |
| Frequency | PS_NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | N/A |
| 10 Mhz | N/A |
| 100 Mhz | N/A |
| Frequency | ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 57 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 37 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 17 dB |
| Frequency | PS-ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 54.4 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 34.4 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 14.4 dB |
Cat5e Cabling
Cat5e cables are specified at various frequencies throughout the range, at 1, 10, and 100Mhz. The following tables show the main performance requirements for Cat5e copper cables.
| Permanent Links | |
| Frequency | NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 60 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 48.5 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 32.3 dB |
| Frequency | PS_NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 57 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 45.6 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 29.3 dB |
| Frequency | ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 58.6 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 38.6 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 18.6 dB |
| Frequency | PS-ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 55.6 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 35.6 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 15.6 dB |
| Channel Links | |
| Frequency | NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 60 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 47 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 30.1 dB |
| Frequency | PS_NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 57 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 44 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 27.1 dB |
| Frequency | ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 57.4 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 37.4 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 17.4 dB |
| Frequency | PS-ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 54.4 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 34.4 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 14.4 dB |
Cat6 Cabling
Cat6 cables are specified at various frequencies throughout the range, at 1, 10, and 100Mhz. The following tables show the main performance requirements for Cat6 copper cables.
| Permanent Links | |
| Frequency | NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 65 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 57.8 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 41.8 dB |
| 250 Mhz | 35.3 dB |
| Frequency | PS_NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 62 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 55.5 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 39.3 dB |
| 250 Mhz | 32.7 dB |
| Frequency | ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 64.2 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 44.2 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 24.2 dB |
| 250 Mhz | 16.2 dB |
| Frequency | PS-ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 61.2 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 41.2 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 21.2 dB |
| 250 Mhz | 13.2 dB |
| Channel Links | |
| Frequency | NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 65 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 56.6 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 39.9 dB |
| 250 Mhz | 33.1 dB |
| Frequency | PS_NEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 62 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 54 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 37.1 dB |
| 250 Mhz | 30.2 dB |
| Frequency | ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 63.3 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 43.3 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 23.3 dB |
| 250 Mhz | 15.3 dB |
| Frequency | PS-ELFEXT |
| 1 Mhz | 60.3 dB |
| 10 Mhz | 40.3 dB |
| 100 Mhz | 20.3 dB |
| 250 Mhz | 12.3 dB |
Cable Length
The standard specifies a maximum length of 90 metres for Permanent links and 100 metres for Channel links. It is possible that everything will work with longer lengths, but if you want to be sure that your installations will remain compliant with future standards then you should never exceed 90 metre cable lengths.
Wiremapping
In all cases all the pins must be properly connected.
Propagation Delay
Permanent link propagation delay at 10Mhz must not be greater than 498 nanoseconds.
Channel link propagation delay at 10Mhz must not be greater than 555 nanoseconds.
Delay Skew
Permanent link delay skew at 10Mhz must not be greater than 44 nanoseconds.
Channel link delay skew at 10Mhz must not be greater than 50 nanoseconds.