A category 8 cable is terminated into category 6A outlets with category 5e patch cords. What is the maximum supported performance level?
When category 8 cable is terminated into category 6A outlets with category 5e patch cords, the maximum supported performance level is Category 5e. The overall performance of a cabling system is limited by its weakest component. In this case, the category 5e patch cords are the limiting factor, so the entire system is only rated for category 5e performance. To achieve the full benefits of category 8 or 6A cabling, all components (cable, outlets, and patch cords) must match or exceed that category rating.