The name ‘Riser cable” is a generic term for different Categories of ethernet cables with a communications multipurpose-riser (CMR) jacket on them such as Cat6 Riser cable. CMR-rated Ethernet Cables are an important part of every office or home network because, without them, you can't provide the necessary infrastructure. These are twisted pair cables and their primary purpose is to connect network devices to a network switch or network hub. In this article, you can learn everything you need to know about Riser Ethernet cables, how it works, what its types are, and how to choose the right one.
Riser Ethernet Cable: What is it?
Many people use riser Ethernet cables every day without even realizing what they are. Any ethernet cable with a riser-rated jacket is called a riser ethernet cable. A riser jacket is made out of fire-resistant material to withstand high temperatures in vertical rising spaces within buildings. A riser Ethernet cable has a few features that make it different from other types of cables. First, it is designed for installations in specific locations. Namely, riser-rated spaces. A riser-rated space is a vertical rising space in a building such as an elevator shaft, or within walls. Secondly, CMR-rated jackets are designed to be highly resistant to high temperatures to reduce the risk of fire hazards. And finally, a riser jacket can emit toxic smoke if it catches fire. But because they are installed in spaces where the smoke is contained, it is not considered a safety hazard. These cables should never be installed in plenum spaces because if they catch fire, the emitted toxic smoke can create a life-threatening situation for the inhabitants of the building. Other than the properties of the jacket, a riser cable is just like any other ethernet cable. For example, the data transfer rate and bandwidth capacity of Cat6a Riser cable and Cat6a Plenum are the same, except for the properties of the jackets.
What is a Riser-rated Jacket: Complete guide
As mentioned earlier, the riser-rated jackets are fire-resistant. This fire resistance comes from a Teflon tape that covers jackets. The primary purpose of the design of this cable is for use within walls. The riser-rated jacket provides flexible options. It can be installed in all spaces of a building, including outdoors, except plenum spaces. The price of riser cables 1000ft is lesser than plenum-rated cables and that is yet another feature of these cables that make them so popular in the networking industry.
Must Read: Pros and Cons of using Bulk Cat6 Riser Cable
What are the different types of riser cable?
The riser-rated cables are differentiated only by the types of categories. Other than that, riser cables are all the same as long as they are in the same category with the same features. For instance, Cat5e riser cable, Cat6 riser cable, Cat6a riser cable, Cat 7 riser cable, and Cat8 riser cable feature the same CMR rated jacket but only the category specs make them different. So, you can say that the above-mentioned categories of riser ethernet cables are the types of riser cable.
How to choose the right riser cable for your requirements:
There are many types of riser ethernet cables that you can choose from but we will look at only the best of them. To choose the right ethernet cable for your requirements, you need to understand and declare your requirements. And then, get the cable that is recommended for your networking needs. Cat5e Riser Cable: This cable can transmit data at speeds of up to 100Mbps and has a bandwidth capacity of 350MHz. This cable is ideal for use in home networks. All of your household networking requirements will be fulfilled by this cable unless you have a large-scale crypto mining rig installed in your home. In that case, you will need a Cat8 ethernet cable. Cat6 Riser Cable: This cable has a data transfer rate of 1 Gbps and a bandwidth capacity of 550 MHz. The ideal application of this cable is in moderated business and all types of home networks. Almost all office networks with moderate requirements will be satisfied without minimum hassle. Cat6a Riser Cable: This riser-rated cable is for extreme high-performance networking requirements. It can support data transmission at bolt speeds of up to 10Gbps and has a voluminous bandwidth capacity of 750MHz. Cat7 Riser Cable: This riser cable is almost similar to the Cat6a cable but a little more costly. The applications of thos cable are the same as the above-mentioned cat6a cable.
Conclusion
Just like any other cable, riser cables come in different types and sizes. The right cable type can save you a lot of money and time in the long run.
