Maximum Cat5e or Cat6 Cable Length

100 meters, same as always. The newer Cat cables do not have a design point of getting the same signal further: they are designed to be able to carry high speed signals the same length as the the target of the slower signals.

It is true that with a good cable you could probably "get away with" carrying a lower speed signal further, but the maximum *recommended* is the same as always. If you need further than that, there is fibre, or several manufacturers have "long reach ethernet" (LRE).

Peter wrote in part:

Since this is CDLE, I presume you'e talking 10/100/1000baseT[X]

When people ask this question, they often intend to run that cable outdoors. The recommended max distance is ZERO due to lightening considerations. Run fiber.

Indoors, the recommended max is 100m (330 ft): 90m solid plus 10m patchcord allowance. This holds for switched devices. There are shorter limits (5m) if you're talking about 100baseTX hubs, if you can find such a thing.

-- Robert

(snip)

The limit isn't 5m, it is 205m wire and two repeaters. The rules allow for 100m repeater to host, leaving 5m. If you know the lengths are less than 100m, such as for a small building, you can go over 5m.

-- glen

"repeater" pretty much implies half duplex, though, and if you are using half-duplex then more complex rules apply about number of repeaters and number of segments.

(snip)

Yes they do, but wire delay counts the same now matter where it is in the path.

Among others, if you have short enough wire, I believe you can even get three 100baseTX repeaters in the path. (I haven't done the calculation recently, though.)

-- glen