As a general rule of thumb, now that we're in 2014, would you generally recommend using Cat-6 (or even Cat-6a) instead of Cat-5E?
It's been eight years since the very useful "Wiring Your New House" guide was written -- time flies! -- and the 2006 version recommends Cat-5E. (Maybe there's a new version that I haven't seen?) Thank you, btw, for this incredibly helpful guide!
I'm a complete newbie, and I'm not building a supertech house. I've gutted an old house myself, while unemployed and on a shoestring, and it will probably be torn down whenever I sell it -- maybe within 10 years? But while it's gutted down to the bare studs, I want to at least put in an ethernet line and a coaxial line to each room. (Right now there's only one coax cable for Comcast/Xfinity cableTV/modem, running to a wifi router -- plenty for me.) I will either rent it or live in it myself. I live in a high-tech area, and I figure future renters might like having Cat-6 and cable-TV, but that's just a guess. (If it were just for me, wifi would be fine, and I don't watch TV.) I'd hire expert professional help if I could, but right now I'm struggling to pay bills, so this is DIY (DIMyself?) or nothing.
More specifically:
For ethernet cable, I'm looking at: "Cat 6 Bulk Bare Copper Ethernet Network Cable STP, Stranded, In-Wall Rated (CM), 550MHz, 24AWG". (On Monoprice it is product # 8094, $176 for 1000' including shipping.)
For coax cable, I'm looking at: "RG6 (18AWG), Quad Shield, CL2 Bulk Cable - White; 18 AWG copper clad steel center conductor is surrounded by foam polyethylene dielectric. Sweep testing ensures 3.0GHz performance. 75 - Ohm, 18AWG Solid .040 inch Bare Copper Conductor, CM/CL2 Rated." (On Monprice it is product # 7482, $173 for 1,000' including shipping.)
Those specs are 'greek to me'. Do they sound like reasonable choices, for a low-cost, relatively low-tech installation? (I've thought about using even cheaper Cat-5e that I find on CraigsList, but for an extra $100 it seems prudent to go to Cat-6, while the drywall and ceilings are done. But please correct me if I'm wrong.)
Many thanks for any insights and suggestions! Much appreciated.