CAT 6 Pinout For A Straight-Through ApplicationThe CAT 6 network cable is used for high-bandwidth applications at enterprise level. The CAT 6 pinout depends on the specific application for which it is used. Cat 6 cable is used for two purposes. One of these is as a straight-through connection to connect a computer Ethernet port to a hub/switch. The second is as a crossover connection to connect two computers without a hub figuring in. CAT 6 cable is available as bulk plenum cable which is priced normally for a 1000 feet length spool or as non-plenum cable which is priced in retail per foot length. Each such cable consists of 8 copper wires encompassed in individual and composite sheaths. Regardless of the type of CAT 6 cable used the CAT 6 pinout is same but is different for the above two different applications. The CAT 6 pinout for a straight-through connection is described below. As a straight- through connection - Two different TIA/EIA standards are available for wiring. TIA stands for Telecommunications Industries Association and EIA stands for Electronic Industries Association. One of these wiring standards is TIA/EIA-568-A and the other is TIA/EIA-568-B. You can follow any of them so long as you are consistent. This means that if you follow one standard you need to continue to do so all the time without moving to the other standard. As per standard T568-A, the CAT 6 pinout for a straight-through application is as follows. The white/green color coded wire end goes into pin1 of the wiring end of an RJ-45 connector. RJ stands for Registered Jack and RJ-45 plugs are inserted into RJ-45 sockets on ports of computers and hubs. Next, the green wire end goes into pin2, the white/orange goes into pin3, and the blue wire end goes into pin4. Further, the white/blue wire end goes into pin5, the orange into pin6, the white/brown into pin7, and the brown wire end into pin8 of the RJ-45 connector. The assembly of the other end of the cable into the corresponding RJ-45 connector follows the same sequence. You can alternatively follow the T568-B standard for which the straight-through connections use the following scheme. The white/orange color coded wire end goes into pin1 of the wiring end of an RJ-45 connector. Next, the orange wire end goes into pin2, the white/green goes into pin3, and the blue wire end goes into pin4. Further, the white/blue wire end goes into pin5, the green into pin6, the white/brown into pin7, and the brown wire end into pin8 of the RJ-45 connector. The other end of the CAT 6 pinout follows a repeat of the above sequence. Follow the requisite wiring precautions and you are done. |