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🚫Do Not Install CAT6 Infrastructure Cable Before Reading This

  • Writer: Ciaran Hamilton
    Ciaran Hamilton
  • Dec 1
  • 3 min read

Don't install Cat6

Why CAT6A Should Be Your Default — and When CAT6 Still Makes Sense (Barely)


When planning a new office build, renovation, or technology refresh, cabling is usually treated as an afterthought—something simple, inexpensive, and “good enough.” But the truth is this:


Your cabling determines the speed, reliability, and lifespan of your entire network.


And choosing the wrong cable today can cost you 10× more later when your technology outgrows it.


Before you let anyone pull CAT6 in your building, stop and read this.


📦 CAT6 vs. CAT6A—Understanding the Differences

CAT6 Cable (Legacy Standard)

  • Up to 1 Gbps (or 10 Gbps only up to 55m)

  • More susceptible to crosstalk & interference

  • Not ideal for high-power PoE (thermal issues in bundles)

  • Designed for older network loads

  • Limited long-term scalability


CAT6 is not “bad”—it’s simply old.


CAT6A Cable (Modern Standard)

  • 10 Gbps at the full 100m

  • Greater shielding → less crosstalk/interference

  • Supports PoE+, UPoE, and 90W PoE++

  • Handles higher thermal loads without degradation

  • Built for Wi-Fi 6/6E/7, AV-over-IP, IoT, smart building systems

  • Future-proof for the next 15–20 years

CAT6A isn’t an upgrade—it’s the new baseline.


⚡ Why 2025+ Offices Need CAT6A as the Default

1. Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 Access Points Demand >1 Gbps

Modern APs exceed gigabit throughput. Several models REQUIRE 2.5G–10G uplinks.

CAT6 bottlenecks them immediately.


2. AV-over-IP & 4K/8K Video Systems Need More Bandwidth

At Tecnetics, we deploy increasingly data-heavy collaboration systems.

CAT6A handles these loads cleanly.CAT6 fails frequently at longer distances.


3. High-Wattage PoE Devices Are Everywhere

Cameras, APs, LED processors, touch panels, speakers, access control…

CAT6 overheats under PoE++ demands.CAT6A is engineered for it.


4. Smart Building Sensors & IoT Are Exploding

Your office will have more connected devices five years from now than it does today.

CAT6A supports dense device ecosystems.CAT6 was never designed for this era.


5. Upgrading Later Costs More Than Doing It Right Now

Opening ceilings, disrupting workflow, patching drywall…Replacing cable after construction is painful.

You will never say: “We should have run smaller cable.”


🔍 Is There Any Reason to Install CAT6 Today?

(Yes — but only in specific, low-impact situations.)

Despite the clear advantages of CAT6A, CAT6 still has limited use cases in modern infrastructure. Here’s when CAT6 might be appropriate:

✅ Acceptable Uses for CAT6

1. Low-Data IoT Devices

Examples:

  • Door contacts

  • Motion sensors

  • Basic temperature/humidity sensors

  • Simple automation triggers

These push tiny amounts of data and don’t require PoE+ or high bandwidth.

2. Dry Contact or Relay-Based Systems

Some infrastructure uses the cable purely as a conductor—not for networking.

CAT6 is fully adequate here.

3. Temporary or Short-Term Tenant Spaces (3–5 years)

If you know the infrastructure will be replaced soon, CAT6 can save cost now.

4. Legacy Building Systems That Will Never Scale

Certain badge readers or legacy automation endpoints won’t ever require 10G or PoE++.

For these, CAT6 is fine.

❌ When You Should Not Use CAT6 (99% of Modern Office Tech)

Never use CAT6 for:

  • Wi-Fi access points

  • Cameras

  • Video conferencing hardware

  • LED processors

  • AV-over-IP

  • Digital signage

  • VoIP phones

  • Access control door controllers

  • PoE+ or PoE++ devices

  • High-density IoT systems

If the device has networking, video, computing, or PoE involved → run CAT6A.

The Tecnetics Perspective: Build for the Technology You Haven’t Installed Yet

As integrators working across AV, IT, security, and digital infrastructure, we see the real-world failures caused by undersized cabling:

  • Wi-Fi upgrades that stall because cabling can’t support multigigabit

  • AV-over-IP streams failing on 55m CAT6 runs

  • PoE cameras dropping power due to heat in cable bundles

  • New systems forced into 1G because the plant can't handle 10G

When you invest in CAT6A, you give your office:

  • Higher bandwidth

  • Higher reliability

  • Longer lifespan

  • Lower long-term cost

  • Freedom to adopt future technologies

Your infrastructure becomes an asset, not a limitation.

🏁 Final Word: Don't Let CAT6 Limit Your Future

Cabling is the only component you can’t easily rip out later. Everything else—switches, APs, servers, cameras—can be upgraded in minutes.


Your cabling? That’s your 15-year foundation.


Before you approve CAT6…Stop. Take a breath. And run CAT6A instead.


Your future network, your future technology, and your future costs depend on it.

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