SK0-004 · Question #732
A server administrator is reviewing plans for a new office addition. The plans call for Cat 5e cabling to be used for all servers. Which of the following is the maximum allowable length for Cat 5e…
The correct answer is B. 328ft (100m). The maximum allowable segment length for Cat 5e cabling in standard Ethernet deployments is 328 feet (100 meters), beyond which signal degradation causes unreliable communication.
Question
A server administrator is reviewing plans for a new office addition. The plans call for Cat 5e cabling to be used for all servers. Which of the following is the maximum allowable length for Cat 5e communications?
Options
- A164ft (50m)
- B328ft (100m)
- C656ft (200m)
- D3280ft (1000m)
How the community answered
(52 responses)- A2% (1)
- B90% (47)
- C4% (2)
- D4% (2)
Why each option
The maximum allowable segment length for Cat 5e cabling in standard Ethernet deployments is 328 feet (100 meters), beyond which signal degradation causes unreliable communication.
50 meters is half the allowable distance and is not the defined standard maximum for Cat 5e segments.
IEEE 802.3 standards define a 100-meter (328 ft) maximum for copper Ethernet cabling, including Cat 5e, for 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, and 1000BASE-T. This limit accounts for signal attenuation and round-trip propagation delay constraints. Exceeding this length without a repeater or switch results in increased bit error rates and potential link failure.
200 meters exceeds the IEEE 802.3 copper segment limit and would result in signal attenuation too severe for reliable data transmission over Cat 5e.
1000 meters (3280 ft) is the maximum distance for single-mode fiber optic runs, not for copper Cat 5e cabling.
Concept tested: Cat 5e cable maximum segment length standard
Source: https://www.tiaonline.org/standards/
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