Can I use standard CAT5, CAT5e, or CAT6 Ethernet cable with DSP products?
Yes. The GLM network uses standard Ethernet cables to connect together all the loudspeakers and subwoofers on the network. The data rate used in the GLM Control network is low by Ethernet standards and is therefore an easy signal to transmit reliably. The difference between the CAT cable types is the maximum transmission data rate: CAT5 is rated to 100M, CAT5e is rated to 350M, CAT6 and CAT6e are rated to 550M or 1000M depending on the source, and CAT7 is supposedly rated to 700M or presumably 1000M. Both CAT5 and CAT5e have 100 ohm impedance and electrical characteristics supporting transmission rates up to 100 MHz. There are some electrical differences between CAT5 and CAT5e: capacitance, frequency, resistance, and attenuation.
