[RESOLVED] Cat 5e or Cat 6e Cable?

My wireless connections has been giving me some problems so I am thinking of just running a cable from the router to my desktop.

I have a Asrock 4CoreDual-SATA2 board that has a built in 10/100 Ethernet. This would be hooked into an Apple Airport Extreme Base Station that has Gigabit Ethernet.

Now I know that Cat 5e is for 10/100 Ethernet and Cat 6e is for Gigabit Ethernet. Since I have a 10/100 am I limited to the 5e or can I use the 6e as I may decide to upgrade down the line? Are they even interchangeable?

Also, I always thought that the color of the cable did not matter but I have been told that yellow is for one thing and black for another, etc... Is the color just for IT people so they know what they are looking at or can I use what ever color I feel blends in with where I am placing the wiring?

Thanks for your input.

Doc

Cat 5e or Cat 6e should work fine for your current setup. Cat 5e will probably work OK with Gigabit ethernet as well.

There are two types of cable (many colors are available). One type is the sort used for patch cords, while the other type - plenum cbale - is used where the cable will be installed in a space where toxic fumes from the cable in a fire might be transferred to other areas in a building. This type of cable is not as flexible, and you probably won't be needing to use it.

Cat 5e works fine with 10/100/1000. What I use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_5_cable

Cat 6
Provides performance of up to 250 MHz, more than double category 5 and 5e.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_6_cable

Cat 6 is your if you wish.

The jacket colour is purely cosmetic. Any sane non-trivial deployment will have their own internal standard for what colour means what, but for the home environment just get whatever you like.

Thanks all for your input

Doc