Cabling and Technology Information
|
52
1000BASE-T cable requirements
The Category 5 networking cables that work for 100BASE-TX connections should also work for 1000BASE-T, as
long as all four-pairs are connected. But, for the most robust connections, you should use cabling that complies
with the Category 5e specifications, as described in Addendum 5 to the TIA-568-A standard (ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A-
5).
Because of the increased speed provided by 1000BASE-T (Gigabit-T), network cable quality is more important
than for either 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX. Cabling plants being used to carry 1000BASE-T networking must comply
with the IEEE 802.3ab standards. In particular, the cabling must pass tests for Attenuation, Near-End Crosstalk
(NEXT), and Far-End Crosstalk (FEXT). Additionally, unlike the cables for 100BASE-TX, the 1000BASET cables must
pass tests for Equal-Level Far-End Crosstalk (ELFEXT) and Return Loss.
When testing your cabling, be sure to include the patch cables that connect the switch and other end devices to
the patch panels on your site. The patch cables are frequently overlooked when testing cable and they must also
comply with the cabling standards.
10GBASE-T cable requirements
The Category 6 networking cables that work for 1000BASE-T connections may work for 10GBASE-T, as long as the
distance is less than 55m and the cable installation has been tested for compliance to IEEE requirements. But, for
the most robust connections, you should use cabling that complies with the Category 6A or Category 7
specifications, as described in the TIA-568-C (ANSI/TIA-568-C.2) and ISO/IEC 11801 standards. 10GBASE-T is a
sophisticated technology that relies upon high quality cable installations. It is sensitive to Alien Near End Crosstalk
(ANEXT) which can arrive upon the cable due to cables placed in close proximity to the data cables. It is
recommended that cable dressing be done carefully and in compliance with recommendations in the TIA TSB-
155A.
Like 1000BASE-T, 10GBASE-T requires testing of all the crosstalk and return loss parameters described
above, and also ANEXT.
In addition to ANEXT, 10GBASE-T is more sensitive to external electrical noise in the environment. It is
recommended that radio transmitters and other sources of high frequency continuous wave radio
frequency be kept away from LAN cables.
When testing your cabling, be sure to include the patch cables that connect the switch and other end
devices to the patch panels on your site. The patch cables are frequently overlooked when testing cable and
they must also comply with the cabling standards. For 10GBASE-T, Category 6 patch cables are sensitive to
movement once link has been established, and could cause link to drop if moved. Therefore, Aruba
recommends using Category 6A patch cables, or using cable management options to tie down (dress) the
Category 6 patch cables so they cannot move.
For Conducted and Radiated Immunity in accordance with EN55024, the Aruba switch is limited to
Performance Criteria A with shielded cables (CAT6A).
Technology Distance Specifications
Technology
Supported cable
type
Multimode fibermodal
bandwidth
Supported distances
1000BASE-T
Twisted-pair copper
N/A
up to 100 meters
1000BASE-SX
Multimode fiber
160 MHz*km
2 - 220 meters
