T568A and T568B Wiring Schemes -- What's the Difference?

Patch Cord Quick Price Reference

Our off-the-shelf patch cord offering is extensive. Please feel free to refer to the chart below to get a quick feel for our on-line pricing.

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Standard Cat 5E Patch Cables
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	3 FT	5 FT	7 FT	10 FT	15 FT	25 FT
Black	$1.26	$1.69	$2.15	$2.78	$3.98	$6.18
Blue	$1.26	$1.69	$2.15	$2.78	$3.98	$6.18
Gray	$1.26	$1.69	$2.15	$2.78	$3.98	$6.18
Green	$1.26	$1.69	$2.15	$2.78	$3.98	$6.18
Orange	$1.26	$1.69	$2.15	$2.78	$3.98	$6.18
Purple	$1.26	$1.69	$2.15	$2.78	$3.98	$6.18
Red	$1.26	$1.69	$2.15	$2.78	$3.98	$6.18
White	$1.26	$1.69	$2.15	$2.78	$3.98	$6.18
Yellow	$1.26	$1.69	$2.15	$2.78	$3.98	$6.18

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Standard Cat 6 Patch Cables
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	3 FT	5 FT	7 FT	10 FT	15 FT	25 FT
Black	$2.18	$2.66	$3.12	$3.92	$5.18	$7.69
Blue	$2.09	$2.66	$3.15	$3.98	$5.18	$7.57
Gray	$2.11	$2.70	$3.12	$3.92	$5.18	$7.69
Green	$2.09	$2.66	$3.12	$3.92	$5.18	$7.57
Orange	$1.78	$2.66	$3.12	$3.92	$5.18	$7.69
Purple	$1.90	$2.66	$3.12	$3.92	$5.18	$7.57
Red	$2.09	$2.70	$3.12	$3.92	$5.18	$7.69
White	$2.09	$2.70	$3.12	$3.92	$5.18	$7.57
Yellow	$1.99	$2.66	$3.12	$3.98	$5.18	$7.69

T568 A or T568 B Wiring Schemes- What's the Difference?

Based on TIA/EIA-568-B.1-2001, the T568A and T568B wiring schemes define the pinout, or order of connections, for wires in eight-pin modular connector plugs and jacks.

The only difference between T568A and T568B is that pairs 2 and 3 (orange and green) are swapped. Both configurations wire the pins "straight through", i.e., pins 1 through 8 on one end are connected to pins 1 through 8 on the other end, and the same sets of pins are paired in both configurations: pins 1 and 2 form a pair, as do 3 and 6, 4 and 5 and 7 and 8.

Cables that are terminated with differing standards on each end will not function normally, however mixing T568A-terminated patch cords with T568B-terminated horizontal cables (or the reverse) will not produce pinout problems in a facility, although it may slightly degrade signal quality, This effect is marginal and certainly no greater than that produced by mixing cable brands in-channel.

T568 A or T568 B- Which One Should I Use?

• If the installation is residential, choose T568A unless other conditions apply (see below).
• If there is pre-existing voice/data wiring (remodel, moves, adds, changes), duplicate this wiring scheme on any new connection.
• If project specifications are available, use the specified wiring configuration.
• If components used within the project are internally wired either T568A or T568B, duplicate this wiring scheme.

T568A and T568B Wiring Assignments:

This specification applies to typical twisted pair network cabling including Category 5E (CAT5E) and Category 6 (CAT6).

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