Cat5e vs Cat6 vs Cat6a
The comparison everyone searches for: speed, bandwidth, distance, and which to install.
Twelve guides on every category of Ethernet cable — specs, comparisons, installation, and values — from the buyer behind the library.
Twelve guides covering every category of twisted-pair Ethernet cable — what the categories mean, how shielding works, plenum vs. riser, termination, and what used cable is worth. Written for IT managers, electricians, contractors, and anyone sitting on spools of the stuff.
New boxes, partial spools, building pull-out — Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a and more. If you are holding cable, we want to talk. Sell your cable →
Every legitimate Ethernet cable prints its identity on the jacket: category (CAT5E, CAT6, CAT6A), conductor (23 AWG SOLID), shielding (U/UTP, F/UTP), fire rating (CMP, CMR), the UL or ETL listing number, and footage marks counting down every two feet. Learn to read it and you can identify, value, and list any cable in thirty seconds: category sets the tier, footage sets the quantity, the fire rating sets the premium, and the listing proves it is real. No print, no identity — unmarked cable prices as mystery stock no matter what the seller claims it is. When we ask for “photos of the jacket markings,” this is what we mean — one clear photo replaces ten questions.
Network cable is the most-traded wire in the secondary market by box count: every office build-out, every renovation, every data center refresh leaves cable behind. Contractor overstock, distributor surplus, building pull-out — it flows constantly, and most of it gets misidentified, mixed, or dumpstered. Our goal is to become the biggest buyer and seller of Cat cable on the internet, and we wrote these guides so sellers know what they are holding and buyers know what they are getting. An informed seller sorts by category and photographs the jacket; an informed buyer checks the print and weighs the box. That is the whole market, and now you know it.
The comparison everyone searches for: speed, bandwidth, distance, and which to install.
Everything about Cat6 — construction, specs, and why it became the default.
10-gigabit to the full 100 meters: when Cat6a earns its premium.
Data-center-grade cable: what the top categories actually buy you.
UTP vs STP/FTP: when shielding matters and when it is wasted money.
CMP vs CMR: the fire-rating distinction code actually cares about.
In-wall runs vs patch cords: why conductor type decides the job.
Every category’s speed at every distance, in one reference table.
RJ45 termination done right: T568A vs T568B, and the mistakes that fail certification.
New boxes, partial spools, pull-out — how to get today’s price from Ironcrest.
Copper recovery: what old and damaged network cable is worth by the pound.
When the job calls for fiber instead of twisted pair — and when it doesn’t.
We built this hub because we are working to become one of the biggest buyers and sellers of network cable in the secondary market — contractor overstock, distributor surplus, decommissioned building pull-out, data center teardowns. Every guide here is written from the receiving dock: we know what the jacket print means because we read ten thousand of them. When you are ready to sell — a single box or a trailer of pull-out — you already know who to call.
Jacket markings (category, footage, plenum/riser), box labels, and quantity. The jacket print is the entire specification.
Call or text 312-880-8174 or use the quote form. Tell us the category, footage, and whether it is new or pull-out.
A real offer based on your photos and today’s market — not a calculator, not a guess.
The complete hub — every guide in one place.
The comparison everyone searches for.
New or pull-out — get today’s price.
New boxes, partial spools, or building pull-out — send photos for today’s price.