TIA/EIA-568-B.1-2001 is the governing document.
the standard is (c) 568-b
CAT 5/CAT 6 with RJ-45 connectors
Most LANs use UTP cable, category 5 or better.
Cat-5 cable, sometimes called Ethernet cable, is short for Category 5 cable, a current industry standard for network and telephone wiring. Cat-5 cable is unshielded wire containing four pairs of 24-gauge twisted copper pairs, terminating in an RJ-45 jack. If a wire is certified as Cat-5 and not just a twisted pair wire, it will have "Cat-5" printed on the shielding.
Cat-5 and Cat-6 wiring allows you to connect up to 4 telephone numbers to one jack, since there are 4 pairs in the cable.
'Cat cables' is a shortened term for 'category cables', which encompasses various standardised cables for Ethernet networks like the Cat 6 cable, or the Cat 5, or the Cat 5e. The wiring around the cat cables is usually colour-coded for ease of use by users and engineers.
5 connections of twentyfour is ......
Cat 6 network + guide to networks Chapter 5 Review Question 5
AR 606-5
(CRM) process
Cat 5 and Cat 5e are discriptions of the wire. Therefore if you wanted to upgrade you would have to change the wiring. In a home use the increase in performance really wouldn't be of any advantage. Personally I don't feel even in a business performance that it is cost effectived to upgrade cost versus the performance gain is not worth it. If you had say cat 3 sure going to cat 5 would be well worth it. Stick with the cat 5 heck most computer equipment don't have the capability to use all the capacity of the cat 5
Generally speaking, UTP of Cat5, Cat5e, or Cat 6 is physically terminated with either an RJ-45 plug or RJ-45 jack. The wiring pattern depends on whether you are using 568A or 568B as your cable standard.