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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => Console Connectivity Solutions => Topic started by: Andrew Broughton on November 14, 2018, 05:28:05 PM

Title: CAT6 Ethercons
Post by: Andrew Broughton on November 14, 2018, 05:28:05 PM

I read something from a cable manufacturer today...
"We build our cables with the Neutrik CAT6a Ethercons. No one uses the CAT6 Ethercons as they do not mate with anything."


Is this true? Anyone know what's up with the CAT6 Ethercons?

Title: Re: CAT6 Ethercons
Post by: Philip Roberts on November 14, 2018, 09:10:20 PM

Yep. The Cat6 ethercons only work with other Cat6 ethercon. The Cat5e and Cat6a will work together.

This is one of the few things I don’t like about Neutrik’s products.

Philip

Title: Re: CAT6 Ethercons
Post by: Milt Hathaway on November 15, 2018, 07:14:10 AM

Quote from: Andrew Broughton on November 14, 2018, 05:28:05 PM

Is this true? Anyone know what's up with the CAT6 Ethercons?

As someone who often works in and maintains a system that was installed using only CAT6 Ethercons in the wall plates and panels: Yes, that's true and they suck. Not only do we now have piles of cables with their shells removed so that they fit everything else (consoles, RIOs, switches, etc.) in the system, the CAT6 chassis mount connector suffers from a design defect that allows the internal connector to be easily pushed back away from the connector body when bare RJ45 connections are attempted.

Once the budgets recover from the initial install costs, we might get to rework the entire install. Maybe.

(Side rant: The is the same venue where the designer spec'd a two channel Clearcom system, and ever single connection (wall plate, cables, etc.) throughout the venue is 6 pin XLR and every single pack in inventory is a two channel pack. Fuck that guy.)

Title: Re: CAT6 Ethercons
Post by: Andrew Broughton on November 15, 2018, 02:12:11 PM

I wonder why Neutrik doesn't just discontinue that connector. It sounds like it's just wrong!

Title: Re: CAT6 Ethercons
Post by: John L Nobile on November 15, 2018, 02:20:35 PM

The Neutrik site has numerous descriptions about not using Cat6 with anything else. Here's just one

https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nke6s

Title: Re: CAT6 Ethercons
Post by: Andrew Broughton on November 15, 2018, 02:23:35 PM

I pity any manufacturer who accidentally used one of those!

Title: Re: CAT6 Ethercons
Post by: Andrew Broughton on November 19, 2018, 05:06:23 PM

What's the difference between the CAT5 ether cons and the CAT6a ones? Isn't the shielding just in the RJ-45?
They don't seem to make a CAT6a version of the NE8MC-B that can be installed AFTER the RJ-45 is terminated...

Title: Re: CAT6 Ethercons
Post by: Nick Boulton on May 10, 2019, 03:12:55 AM

Quote from: Andrew Broughton on November 19, 2018, 05:06:23 PM

What's the difference between the CAT5 ether cons and the CAT6a ones? Isn't the shielding just in the RJ-45?
They don't seem to make a CAT6a version of the NE8MC-B that can be installed AFTER the RJ-45 is terminated...

Apologies for the thread necromancy, but Neutrik have released the NE8MX which is a compatible cat6a shell for pre-assembled RJ45 cabling.