If you are wiring a new office or upgrading an aging network, the cable inside your walls will outlive most of the equipment plugged into it. Choosing correctly the first time is far cheaper than pulling cable twice.
Cat5e supports gigabit speeds and remains common in older buildings. It is the least expensive option, but it offers the least headroom for future upgrades.
Cat6 is the practical default for most new commercial installations. It handles 10 Gigabit over shorter runs and provides meaningfully better crosstalk performance than Cat5e.
Cat6a is the choice when you need 10 Gigabit across a full 100 meter run, or when you are supporting dense Wi-Fi access points and high resolution IP cameras. It costs more and is bulkier to install, but it protects the investment for a decade or more.
Our general guidance for Dayton area clients: run Cat6 as a baseline, and step up to Cat6a for camera runs, wireless access point drops, and any backbone between IDF closets.
Not sure which fits your building? Emery Communications can walk your facility and give you a straight answer before anything gets pulled.
