alt Hacker News> 2.5Gb equipment isn't significantly more expensive and any Cat6 should handle it. Fiber is cheap enough too if you want some 10Gb devices
You don't need Cat6 for 2.5G. Regular Cat5e that has been installed everywhere for years is fine for 2.5G.
Cat6 is enough for 10G ethernet within the lengths you find in a typical residential house. You don't need fiber.
For short runs even 10G works on quality Cat5e.
I think some home lab fans overestimate network cabling requirements. With Cat6 I could string a cable from one end of my house and back and not even be close to breaking the spec for 10G. For 2.5G ethernet cheap Cat5e will get you anywhere you need to reach in a residential home.
- Equipment with 10Gb ethernet ports is much more expensive than similar fiber equipment, and it runs hot at the ports - 10GBASE-T RJ45 runs at 2.0W – 5.0W per port, often enough to burn your finger. Especially if something's going to be inside your walls, generating less heat is a plus
- Fiber's somewhat easier to run since it's lighter; it's easier to break but the bend radius is much more forgiving than you might assume. I have yet to damage a fiber cable myself.
- More electronic isolation between equipment is always a benefit, which fiber naturally gives
The tradeoffs lead me to prefer running fiber for 10G which then branches out to 2.5G ethernet for most equipment in the house, but if I didn't have these Tyan boards prompting me to try out 10G equipment then I would probably stick to 2.5G ethernet for everything for simplicity. If you're aiming for 10G then I don't think ethernet would make sense in most situations for both upfront cost and heat generation/power usage.