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Difficulty: Very hardNetwork and Peripheral Cables and Connectors

A network technician is installing a high-density 10GBASE-T Ethernet link between two core distribution switches located 75 meters (246 feet) apart in an industrial facility. The cable path must pass directly alongside heavy electrical machinery and high-voltage power conduits. Which cable category and physical construction must be specified to maintain 10 Gbps throughput across this distance while mitigating potential data corruption from electromagnetic interference?

  1. Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Category 6a terminated with RJ45 connectorsAnswer
  2. B
    Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Category 6 terminated with RJ45 connectors
  3. C
    Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Category 5e terminated with RJ45 connectors
  4. D
    Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Category 6a terminated with RJ45 connectors

Answer

Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) Category 6a terminated with RJ45 connectors
Category 6a cabling is engineered to support 10GBASE-T Ethernet speeds up to a maximum distance of 100 meters (328 feet). Additionally, selecting Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) foil/braided shielding protects signal integrity against external electromagnetic interference (EMI) induced by industrial power conduits and heavy machinery running parallel to the cable path.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate distance and bandwidth requirements
The scenario requires 10 Gbps throughput over a length of 75 meters. Category 6 copper is limited to 37-55 meters at 10 Gbps, whereas Category 6a supports 10 Gbps up to the full 100-meter limit.
Distance limitations determine the baseline copper cable category needed.
2
Evaluate environmental noise and shielding requirements
Routing near high-voltage lines and heavy machinery exposes the run to significant electromagnetic interference (EMI). Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) shielding is required to prevent near-end crosstalk and EMI noise.
Unshielded cables (UTP) are susceptible to signals generated by heavy electrical equipment.
3
Synthesize specifications to select the correct cabling standard
Combining Category 6a performance specs with STP shielding provides the necessary 10 Gbps bandwidth over 75 meters with full EMI protection.
Meets both physical environmental constraints and logical throughput demands.

Key Concept

Copper Ethernet Cable Categories, Distance Limits, and Shielding Specifications
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Topics

Network and Peripheral Cables and Connectors

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