Similarities between Cat6a Plenum and Cat6a Riser Cable

If you look around a server room where bulk Cat6a Cables are installed, you will find that both Cat6a plenum 1000ft and Cat6a riser cable are used interchangeably. Meaning, that in riser spaces, sometimes both the riser and the plenum cable are installed. The reason is the similarities in their specifications that allow them to be used as alternatives.

But what exactly are those similarities? We will investigate this in this blog. Further, we will also discuss the differences between the bulk Cat6a riser and plenum cable.

Let’s get right into it.

Bulk Cat6a Cable

The bulk Cat6a is the augmented category 6 ethernet cable. It comes in a 1000 feet of length with two different jackets to choose from. The first is the Cat6a Plenum and the second option is the Cat6a riser. Underneath the cable jacket, it is integrated with a bare copper conductor.

This cable was standardized by EIA/TIA according to the T568A and T568B wiring schemes. Bulk Cat6a cables are ideal for all high-speed ethernet applications. Such as gigabit ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, PoE, PoE+/++, etc.

Bulk Cat6a Plenum

Cat6a Plenum 1000ft is the variant with a communications multipurpose plenum jacket. It is designed for indoor plenum spaces. Which are open spaces with free airflow such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) ducts in dropped ceilings and raised floors.

This cable has all the basic properties of the Bulk Cat6a cable except for the fact that it comes with a thick plenum-rated jacket. And the jacket is made out of LSZH materials (Low Smoke Zero Halogens). Which is important for indoor plenum use. In case of a fire hazard, the jacket is designed exclusively for withstanding heat, and flame, and it is bound to prevent the propagation of the fire. It comes with a fire-retardant coating on its sheath.

Other than the jacket of the external protective sheath of the cable, Cat6a Plenum is the same as the Cat6a Riser Cable.

Bulk Cat6a Riser

Bulk Cat6a Riser Cable is designed to be installed in both indoor riser and outdoor spaces. It comes with a thick communications multipurpose riser jacket that is resistant to heat and flame. But in case of a fire hazard, it can emit toxic smoke which is the reason why it is not used in indoor open spaces.

For indoor installations, it must be installed in contained spaces such as within walls, elevator shafts, between floors, etc to prevent toxication of people and pets due to smoke in a fire hazard.

Although the cable is designed meticulously to prevent fire propagation and resist flame, it is necessary nonetheless to follow the safety precautions.

Similarities Between Bulk Cat6a Riser and Plenum 1000ft

Similarities in Cat6a plenum 1000ft and Bulk Cat6a riser are aplenty. Which is both cables are due to the fact that both are structurally the same from within.

For instance, both cables run the same 23 AWG bare copper conductors twisted in pairs. These conductors in effect, support the 10 GBit/s data transfer speed and 750 MHz bandwidth of the bulk Cat6a cable.

Further, both cables have the same protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI) and crosstalk. And are fairly resistant to external noise and relay a strong and clean signal.

Moreover, both the Riser and the Plenum cables can be installed in outdoor spaces as well as indoor riser spaces. Pertinent to note here is that both cables can only be installed in the riser-rated enclosed spaces in indoor use.

Differences between Bulk Cat6a Riser and Plenum 1000ft

When you subtract the similarities between Cat6a plenum 1000ft and the bulk Cat6a Riser cable from all of their characteristics, what you are left with are the differences between both. Let’s do it.

Earlier we mentioned that both of these cables have the same integration from within. Meaning, that they have the same conductors, twisted in pairs, and the same protective measures against interference.

What is different here is the cable jacket. Which is the plenum cable can be used anywhere from the indoor plenum and riser spaces to outdoor runs. Similarly, the Cat6 riser cable bulk can also be used anywhere except indoor plenum spaces.

Conclusion

In short, the similarities between the Cat6a plenum 1000ft and the bulk riser cable are that both cables use the same conductors. And protective measures against electromagnetic interference and crosstalk. Also, both of these cables can be used in riser-rated indoor spaces as well as outdoors.

And the main difference between them is that the plenum Cat6a cable can be used anywhere but the riser-rated Cat6a can only be used in riser and outdoor spaces.

We hope this blog helped in clearing your ambiguities regarding the similarities and differences between the bulk Cat6a plenum and Cat6a Riser 1000ft Cable.