Cat5 and cat6 cables are used for computer network cabling, most commonly for Ethernet cabling. The "e," as in "cat5e," stands for "enhanced." Cat6 cable reduces interference between the conductors and is rated for higher transmission speeds and bandwidth than cat5 cable. There are specifications for cat 5, cat5e and cat6, but the next level would be cat6a, even though cat6e is being sold as an enhanced cat6 cable with higher speeds than plain cat6.
Performance
Cat5 cable has been widely used since 100 megabits per second (Mbps) networks became common in the 1990s. With higher network speeds going up to 1000 Mbps, or gigabit Ethernet, cat5e was introduced to address this speed requirement. Gigabit Ethernet represents the limit of the cat5 specification, so cat6 was introduced to handle still higher speeds. It is certified up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). There is no specification for cat6e, but suppliers are offering such cables as non-standard enhanced cat6 cables.
