There are a handful of categories that are common but have slight differences which primarily deal with the speed of which information passes through the cable. Here are some of the most popular ethernet cable categories today:.
Cat5 Cable is one of the original categories of ethernet cable and will process and transfer information at a speed of megabits per second. Cat5e Cable is slightly faster than a standard Cat5 and also is designed so there is little interference with other electrical cables or devices.
This cable gives you an advantage with crosstalk compared to Cat5 cable. Cat5e ethernet cables are rated for MHz and 1Gb speeds. Cat6 Cable transfers information at a speed of up to 10 gigabits per second, significantly faster than a Cat5 or Cat 5e. It is known for being a bit stiffer though which can be challenging if you have to pull the wire through walls or around corners.
It's spec is rated for 1Gb up to meters Feet and Mhz. Cat6A Cable is simply an advanced version of Cat6. It can handle up to twice the bandwidth of a standard Cat6 while providing an increase in data transmission up to Mhz.
Cat6A cable is great for a consistent 10Gb network. Even though Cat6 cable can do 10Gb at shorter distances Cat6A cable will always give you a more reliable connection.
When powering 10Gb that is a very important features. The design of this cable also protects against electrical noise interference as well as electromagnetic radiation. Cat7 cables are meant for long-distance. This is not necessarily a cable you would use to run from your TV to your router a few feet away, but one that offers 10 gigabits per second of speed across distances up to meters. It also is considered shielded which means there is almost no possibility of electrical interference with the cable when terminated properly with shielded connectors.
Cat7A Cable cables are also for great long distance installations. This cable is able to power devices up to meters. In This Article. How Ethernet Cables Look. Types of Ethernet Cables. Ethernet Cable Alternatives. Frequently Asked Questions. The 13 Best Ethernet Cables of Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up.
There was an error. Tell us why! More from Lifewire. How to Connect a Router to the Internet. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Lifewire. That speed comes with a price, however, as a Cat 6 cable is more expensive than Cat 5 and Cat 5e variants. Cat 6a cables come shielded, and their sheathing — which is thick enough to eliminate crosstalk — makes for a much denser, less flexible cable than Cat 6.
Cat 7 cables support higher bandwidths and significantly faster transmission speeds than Cat 6 cables by utilizing the newest widely available Ethernet technology. Cat 7 cables reach up to Gbps at a range of 15 meters, making them one of the most capable categories of Ethernet cables. Cat 7 cables always are shielded, and they use a modified GigaGate45 connector, which is backward compatible with RJ45 Ethernet ports. That modified GG45 connector is a proprietary component, though, and while the backward compatibility helped a little, there are still issues with following previous Ethernet standards.
That difficulty led to the development of Cat 6a, and a lot of marketing confusion, since some sellers started referring to Cat 6a as the new Cat 7.
Always check the specs before you buy — and when in doubt, we suggest just going for Cat 8 instead. This improvement may be useful in some instances, but Cat 7a cables are far more expensive than any other option. Consider using Cat 7a only in very niche cases. Cat 8 is an emerging technology, although cables are currently available for purchase. This standard promises a maximum frequency of 2,MHz and speeds of up to 40Gbps at 30 meters. Even more, Cat 8 supports two connectors.
Thus it only allows for three connected cables with a combined length of 30 meters. As an added bonus, it also skips the connector mess of Cat 7. Luckily, Ethernet cables are made to snap snugly into place, so it's hard to pull them out accidentally. Ethernet cables come in a range of lengths and colors, but both sides of the cord are the same, regardless of the brand of cable or device you're hardwiring. Another common accessory to pair with an Ethernet cable is a network switch.
This add-on lets you convert an Ethernet connection into multiple ones, allowing you to, for instance, hardwire both your Xbox and Chromecast to the internet at the same time.
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