How To Choose The Right Ethernet Cable?

How do I know what Ethernet cable I need? Many people have such a question when they are buying the network cable. It is true that buying Ethernet cables is not that easy. You have to make the right decision among a vast selection of different Ethernet cable types including Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat7, etc. They all have different performance, colors, prices, as well as quality from different suppliers.

Does it matter what Ethernet cable I use? Yes, it matters more than you imagine. On the one hand, you may pay too much if you buy the over-specification one. On the other hand, you may suffer from low speed and bad performance if you buy the unqualified one. Therefore, it is significant to choose the right network cable, not only ensuring the best performance but saving your money.

Here are some aspects you need to consider before buying Ethernet cables. Hopefully, knowing these facts can help you make the right choice about the best cable to buy.

Ethernet Cable Types

Ethernet cables come in different categories. Before wiring up your network system, you must know how many types of Ethernet cables are there. Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, and Cat7 are the most common Ethernet cables in our daily life. Through the chart below, you can learn about the comparison of their performance.

What Type of Ethernet Cable Do I Need?

First of all, you should consider the speed of your home networking connection. If you are using gigabit internet, the older version like Cat5 may not be suitable. You should choose the newer cable like Cat5e or Cat6. If you have a slow network speed, Cat5 is always the best choice.

UTP or STP Cable?

The Ethernet cable category also comes in two different specifications - UTP and STP. UTP cables stand for unshielded twisted-pair cables, which are thin and flexible and easy to install. So they are commonly used in home and office network connections. However, their performance can be markedly impaired in areas with great electromagnetic interference. It is because UTP cables don’t have enough protection against the interference. Cat5, Cat5e, and Cat6 both belong to UTP cables, which are relatively cheaper and easy to install.

STP cables stand for shielded twisted-pair cables. Besides transmitting data as fast as UTP cables, they have extra shielding that can avoid electromagnetic interference. And as cables are much thicker than UTP cables, they are more expensive and difficult to install. Thus, STP cables are usually used in large enterprises or factories where the professional can install and maintain them properly. Cat6 also has an STP version, and Cat6e and Cat7 are STP cables, too. These three categories work more efficiently but have a higher cost at the same time.

Difference between Cat5 and Cat6

What is the best Ethernet cable for home use? This should be one of the most frequently asked questions by people. As we have mentioned above, Cat5, Cat5e, and Cat6 are UTP cables so they are more suitable for home use. But Cat5 is becoming obsolete for its slow speed can’t meet the demands of today’s devices and systems. 

Cat5e is an upgraded version of Cat5. It is ideal for the Ethernet of 1000Mbps with a faster transmission speed and larger bandwidth. Compared to Cat5e, Cat6 has larger bandwidth of more than 250Mhz and higher cost. It can transmit data faster and reduce more crosstalk than Cat5e. Therefore, Cat6 is more likely used in the office or for those who need to transmit larger data very often. But for the common domestic network connection, Cat5e is qualified enough and it can save your cost.

UTP CAT5

UTP CAT6

What Is Cat7 Cable Used for?

Cat7 cable may not be as familiar as Cat5e and Cat6 to many people for it is commonly used for the Gigabit Ethernet. With the max bandwidth of up to 600MHz, Cat7 provides a super-fast transmission speed at 10000Mbps/ 10Gbps. As it has such superior performance, Cat7 is more suitable for cabling infrastructure and large enterprise networks. Besides, if you are planning to build a smart house, Cat7 is also your best bet! The only problem is that Cat7 has an extremely high price so you should consider your budget as well.

What Is The Best Ethernet Cable for Gaming?

Now the gaming era has come, whether you believe or not. Thus, a good Ethernet cable for playing online games is critical. As we all know, online games need a flawlessly fast speed without any delay and crosstalk. Cat5e and Cat6 both can work with gaming network but they are just not stable enough. For the better gaming experience, Cat7 is your best bet. Meanwhile, Cat7 is also the best Ethernet cable for streaming for its extraordinary performance.

Does Cable Length Matter?

Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, and Cat7 all have a maximum distance of about 100 meters. However, the length of the Ethernet cable will affect the transmission speed. To avoid signal loss and boost the transmission, it is important to keep the cable run as short as possible. 

Conclusion

After reading the paragraphs above, you may find many important factors when choosing the right Ethernet cable. A suitable Ethernet cable also needs to be of good quality. How to buy the best Ethernet cable? New King Cable is your best bet.

We have been manufacturing cables for almost 20 years. Now, Our products are widely sold to different countries. Besides, we can customize the cable upon your requests. If you are interested, please feel free to contact us at Sales05@kexuncable.com.