RJ45 modules for 25 Gigabit Ethernet

Every now and again one reads about RJ45 modules for 25 Gigabit Ethernet. The frequency range is said to be 1 MHz up to 1250 MHz. However, the relevant cabling standards do not recognize such a restricted frequency range. Read on to find out what the standards say about RJ45 modules for 25 Gigabit Ethernet.

Standard-compliant cabling is based on the specifications of the relevant standard, especially ISO/IEC 11801 and EN 50173. For the transmission of 25 Gigabit Ethernet 25GBASE-T, each of the three standards command category 8.1 or 8.2 components which meet the standard’s specifications over the entire frequency range up to 2000 MHz.

ISO/IEC TR 11801-9905 which was published in 2018 is a guide to evaluate whether existing cabling that contains category 6_A, category 7 or category 7_A components can also be used for 25 Gigabit Ethernet with restrictions. For new cabling installations ISO/IEC 11801-9905 explicitly recommends class I or class II channels up to 2000 MHz and thus category 8.1 components or category 8.2 components respectively. As class II does not use the RJ45 connector interface and class II plugs are not compatible to RJ45 jacks, class II cabling is very rarely installed.

25GBASE-T which was subsequently added to the IEEE 802.3 standard for Ethernet uses a frequency range up to 1250 MHz, but neither ISO/IEC 11801-1 nor EN 50173-1 recognize a category 8.1 with a limited frequency range. Both command that category 8.1 components meet the standard’s specification in the entire frequency range without restrictions or limitations. Cabling that uses components with a restricted frequency range is not recognized by the standards. Depending on the project agreement and the quality plan according to EN 50174-1, installing such components can lead to serious problems including recourse claims.

If it is not decided yet whether the cabling has to transmit more than 10 Gigabits per second or if customers just want to have the possibility to transmit higher data rates in future applications, category 6_A RJ45 modules and system cable that can transmit 25 Gigabit Ethernet as a cabling system offer maximum protection of the Investment as the data rate can be upgraded from 10 to 25 Gigabits per second any time in the future.

With their customers in mind Telegärtner decided to offer two modules which both can transmit 25 Gigabit Ethernet: The AMJ Cat.8.1 for new cabling that is meant to transmit 25 or 40 Gigabit Ethernet from day one on and the new AMJ-SL 25G which exceeds category 6_A in that way that it can transmit 25 Gigabit Ethernet in the channel in applications of tomorrow and the days after.

A cabling system whose components exceed all of the standards’ specifications and thus offer a usable headroom offers planning dependability and peace of mind as well as the full standard-compliant network performance and protection of the investment users rightfully expect.