Cat6 vs Cat6A

Both categories are defined in the ANSI/TIA-568 cabling standards. Category 6 is specified to a lower frequency and handles the fastest Ethernet speeds only over shorter runs; Category 6A is specified to a higher frequency, supports those speeds over the full horizontal distance the standard allows, and is built to reduce crosstalk between neighboring cables. It is thicker, needs more pathway space and costs more to install.

For a growing business the decision is about the life of the building fit-out, not today's laptops. Wi-Fi access points for the newest generations, meeting-room systems, cameras and anything powered over Ethernet benefit from the extra headroom, and the labor to pull cable is the same either way. Many designs use Cat6A for access points and rooms and Cat6 elsewhere.

Ask a cabling contractor what speed and power each outlet will need to support, whether the pathways and panels have room for the larger cable, how the links will be certified, and what the price difference is across the whole project rather than per foot. Ask them to show where Cat6A pays for itself and where it does not.