Types Ethernet Cables and How To Choose One

Cat 5 is the most basic ethernet cable: This cable is very old and difficult to locate. Only households with Internet plans with speeds less than 100 Mbps should use a Cat 5 cable. Upgrade to Cat 5e if you require a new cable entirely. This cable is considerably easier to find than a Cat 5 connection and will still be useable if you decide to increase your Internet speed in the future.

The current industry standard is Cat 5e cable. A Cat 5e cable can handle Internet plans with rates of up to 1,000 Mbps and helps eliminate unwanted signal transfer between cables, resulting in a better connection. A 12 ftCat 5e cable is estimated to cost less than $10, making it an excellent solution for most families. Cat 5e is an excellent choice for an inexpensive upgrade to your connection.

Another one to be aware of is the Cat 6 cable, which supports the same speeds as the Cat 5e but doubles your bandwidth. Having more bandwidth means faster download and upload rates. Shielding is another advantage of Cat 6 cables. Shielding is a protective barrier that prevents interference from reaching the wires inside the ethernet cable. Unfortunately, this capability is not available on all Cat 6 cables. When looking for Cat 6 cables, seek for “STP” or “shielded twisted pair” if you desire shielding. If your Internet package is less than 1,000 Mbps and you need more speed, a Cat 6 cable is a suitable option.

A Cat 6a cable may be useful if your Internet package offers speeds of up to 10,000 Mbps. Cat 6a increases your bandwidth and speed. Furthermore, all Cat 6a and higher cables include shielding to completely minimise interference. Even if higher cable and fiber-optic Internet connections become available, Cat 6a cables will maintain your high-speed Internet connection for years to come. If your Internet plan speeds surpass 1,000 Mbps and you want a cable that won’t be obsolete in two to three years, a Cat 6a cable is the way to go.

Cat 7 is one of the most recent Ethernet cables available. While this is newer technology on the market, Cat 7 offers little more than Cat 6a other from increased bandwidth. Cat 7 cables can provide up to 10,000 Mbps and 600 MHz of bandwidth, while Cat 6a connections can only support 500 MHz. Cat 7’s larger bandwidth provides for faster data transfers, so if you need to download or upload huge files, Cat 7 may be the correct choice.

Cat 7a is the most recent, best, and most expensive ethernet cable on the market. The Cat 7a cable, like the Cat 6a and Cat 7 cables, enables speeds of up to 10,000 Mbps, but its maximum bandwidth is considerably larger at 1,000 MHz. The Cat 7a is unquestionably more than the ordinary individual requires, but it is ideal for people looking to invest in the best connection available now that will be compatible with future technologies.