If you are fitting out or rewiring an office in Derby, one of the first questions your installer will ask is whether you want Cat6 or Cat6a. The difference on paper looks small, but it affects cost, how the cable fits in your building and how long the network will last before it needs touching again. Here is an honest guide to making the right call.
Both cables carry ordinary office traffic without breaking a sweat. The real difference shows up at higher speeds and longer distances. Cat6 is rated to 250MHz and supports 1Gb/s over the full 100 metre channel, but it can only manage 10Gb/s over roughly 37 to 55 metres, depending on how tightly the cables are bundled and how much interference is around. Cat6a is rated to 500MHz and supports 10Gb/s over the full 100 metres.
Cat6a is also physically bigger. A typical Cat6 cable is around 6mm across, while Cat6a is often 7 to 8mm and noticeably stiffer. That matters more than people expect, as we explain below.
For a small office of five to twenty desks, where staff use cloud software, email and video calls, Cat6 is usually more than enough. Most business broadband connections in Derby and the surrounding area run well under 1Gb/s, so the cable is rarely the bottleneck. If your cable runs are short, your comms cabinet is central and you expect to move premises within five to seven years, spending extra on Cat6a may not pay back.
Cat6 is also easier to work with in tight spaces. In older buildings, such as the Georgian and Victorian offices around Friar Gate or converted mill spaces up the Derwent Valley, existing trunking and ceiling voids can be cramped, and the slimmer cable can save a lot of disruption.
Cat6a makes sense when you are planning for ten years or more, or when your equipment already needs more than 1Gb/s. Modern Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 access points often have 2.5Gb/s or 5Gb/s uplinks, and they are powered over the same cable, which warms it up. In a bundle of dozens of cables that heat builds, and Cat6a copes better.
It is also a common choice for newer commercial units, such as those on Pride Park, Raynesway or business parks near the A38 and A52, where long runs from a single comms room to the far end of an open plan floor are normal. If any run is likely to exceed 55 metres and you want 10Gb/s to it, Cat6a is the only copper option that will reliably deliver.
Cat6a cable and components typically cost 30 to 60 percent more than Cat6, but labour is a big part of any job, so the difference per installed point is usually smaller than that. As a rough guide, a tested data point in a straightforward Derby office might range from about £80 to £150 for Cat6 and £110 to £200 for Cat6a. The real figure depends on access, ceiling type, the number of points, containment needed and whether work has to happen out of hours.
Because Cat6a is bulkier, it can need larger trunking, basket tray or cabinet space, and that can add cost in an existing building. Ask your installer to check containment capacity before you commit. Whichever you choose, insist on every point being tested and certified, with the results handed to you.
Start with what you will plug in over the next decade, not just today. Count your access points, cameras and any heavy users, measure your longest likely runs, and consider how long you expect to stay in the building. Some offices take a mixed approach: Cat6a to ceiling access points and between cabinets, Cat6 to the desks. That often gives the best balance of cost and future proofing.
Yes, as long as each individual link uses matching components from end to end. Mixing within one run limits it to the lower standard, but having different cable types for different jobs is common and perfectly sound.
Not on its own. Your broadband speed is set by your connection and provider, so Cat6a mainly helps with traffic inside your building, such as file transfers, backups and fast Wi-Fi access points.
For a typical Derby office of 10 to 30 points, most of the work can usually be done in one to three days. Many installers will work early mornings, evenings or weekends to keep disruption to staff to a minimum.
Tell us about your project, send any drawings or schedules, and we'll come back the same day with a clear, itemised quote.
