Gigabit Internet first became available in the late 1990s, when it supplanted Fast Ethernet as a faster and more modern architecture. Gigabyte Ethernet transmits data at 1,000,000,000 bits per second and is a widely-used and reliable choice today. Category (CAT) 6 cables are the current popular standard for Gigabit Ethernet. Superior performance is available with CAT6 cables for Gigabit Ethernet and other applications.Networx™ 550 MHz CAT6 Booted Patch Cables are manufactured using the highest quality materials and best manufacturing practices conforming with Telecommunications Industry Association / Electronics Industries Alliance (TIA/EIA) standards. Networx™ is committed to producing the best-performing and highest quality cables available on the market today. Migrating an entire network from standard CAT5e cables to high performance CAT6 cables at one time can be a labor intensive and time consuming process. It can also be expensive. Networx™ 550 MHz CAT6 Booted Patch Cables are fully compatible with CAT5e cables, which allows network operators the freedom to upgrade cables as needed or on a staggered basis to reduce downtime and cost. The CAT6 standard requires that cables have a minimum rating of 250 MHz; each Networx™ 550 MHz CAT6 Booted Patch Cables is tested to 550 MHz. Each Networx™ CAT 6 patch cable is constructed from the premium quality 550 MHZ bulk cable, which contains 4 unshielded twisted pairs and 24 American Wire Gauge (AWG) stranded conductors. The conductors are sheathed in a durable and insulating polyvinyl chloride (PVC) jacket. The Networx™ 550 MHz CAT6 Booted Patch Cable reduces near end crosstalk (NEXT) interference with the use of short body Cat 6 RJ45 modular connectors, which are staggered. Networx™ CAT 6 cables also feature RJ-45 connectors with contacts plated in 50-micron inch gold, offering superior signal conductivity.