


Said shielding protects the twisted pairs of wires inside the Ethernet cable, which helps prevent crosstalk and noise interference. They’re tightly wound and usually outfitted with foil or braided shielding. The Cat 6 Ethernet cable supports higher bandwidths than Cat 5 and Cat 5e cables. Cat 5e is currently the most commonly used cable, mainly due to its low production cost and support for speeds faster than Cat 5 cables. However, manufacturers build Cat 5e cables under more stringent testing standards to eliminate unwanted signal transfers between communication channels (crosstalk). The “e” in Cat 5e stands for “enhanced.” There are no physical differences between Cat 5 and Cat 5e cables. We’re skipping these categories because they are very old, technically not even official Ethernet standards, and they have been discontinued or are too slow to be usable.

Or, you could take a look at what each Category is suitable for in our handy list below: Cat 1 through Cat 5 If you want, you can just choose the latest Cat number (8 at the moment) for future-proofing and not worry about the rest. You’ll notice that Ethernet cables typically have two speed ratings, one at around 10 to 30 meters and one at 100 meters, because performance does typically drop off over long distances. More advanced Cat numbers may also indicate more reliable performance, as well as better performance over distance.
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As is the case with most technologies, newer cables typically support higher bandwidths and therefore increased download speeds and faster connections. A general rule of thumb is that higher numbers represent faster speeds and higher frequencies, measured in megahertz (MHz). “Cat” simply stands for “category.” The number that follows indicates the specification version supported by the cable. When you start looking at specific Ethernet cables to match your needs, you’ll quickly notice that they’re divided by “Cat” numbers. On its own, a fast Ethernet cable won’t make a big difference, but a good cable can work together with other high-end network devices to ensure that your connection is as strong as possible. They can also provide better shielding, which can help protect your data while it’s in transit. However, if you are looking for a replacement cable, it’s a good idea to choose one of the more recent versions to take advantage of both speeds and future-proof your setup. If that’s not the case and you only surf the internet’s shallow waters, you may not notice as much difference. If your subscription only supports 50Mbps downloads, purchasing a 10Gbps Ethernet cable could be overkill.Īlso, if you frequently move big files between computers or stream extremely high-bandwidth video, a better Ethernet cable can make a huge difference. Doing so will give you a starting idea of what you’ll need in terms of wired connectivity.
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If you don’t know your internet subscription’s actual speed, connect your PC directly to the modem and load this speed test. Latest Ethernet standard will supercharge your home network, eventually Google to run a 4,000-mile cable between Virginia and France
