Prepare for the ESA Certified Alarm Technician Exam with our comprehensive quiz. Test your knowledge using multiple choice questions, hints, and explanations. Get ready and confidently tackle the exam!

Practice this question and more.


Which cable category is the most widely installed?

  1. CAT 6

  2. CAT 5e

  3. CAT 3

  4. CAT 7

The correct answer is: CAT 5e

The category of cable that is most widely installed is CAT 5e. This category offers enhanced performance over its predecessor, CAT 5, and supports data rates up to 1 Gbps while providing sufficient bandwidth for most residential and business applications. Its popularity is largely due to its balance of cost and performance, making it suitable for a variety of networking needs, including voice, data, and video transmission. While other cable categories exist, such as CAT 6 and CAT 7, which offer higher performance and bandwidth capabilities, they are not as commonly deployed in existing infrastructures. CAT 3, an older standard primarily designed for voice communication and low-speed data applications, has largely been phased out in favor of higher-speed alternatives, including CAT 5e. The widespread adoption of CAT 5e installations continues to make it a staple in network cabling today.