When terminating Cat 5e/6, what must be remembered to maintain the performance of the installed cable?

To maintain the performance of the installed Cat 5e or Cat 6 cabling, it is crucial to keep the pairs twisted to within 1/2 inch of the termination point. This practice helps to preserve the cable's characteristic impedance and minimizes crosstalk between the pairs. The twisting of the pairs is essential for reducing electromagnetic interference and maintaining the data transmission quality.

By keeping the pairs twisted until they are very close to the termination, you effectively maintain the cable's physical and electrical properties, allowing for optimal performance. Once the pairs are untwisted beyond this point, the benefits of the twisted pair design diminish, leading to potential signal degradation and reduced data transmission speeds.

This approach aligns with industry standards and practices to ensure that the installed cabling system can perform effectively within its specified parameters.