Ethernet cables are of various types (Cat6, Cat6A, Cat7, Cat8, etc.): the performance depends on the type. Each cable contains 4 pairs of twisted copper wires with potential shielding. Home and office applications use cat6 or cat6A A lot use Cat7 to provide additional shielding at higher speeds, and Cat8 is a very high-speed unit (primarily used in data centers).
This manual describes what they are and their main characteristics (speed, bandwidth, shielding, distance), as well as their optimal applications (home, office, gaming, datacenter, outdoor). Outdoor requirements in the UK (UV and water resistance, appropriate jackets) are also covered.
The overview of types of Ethernet cable presented below will aid in choosing the right Ethernet cable that you should use in and between home and office networks with either an indoor or UK-based outdoor Ethernet cable.
What are Cat6, Cat6A, Cat7, and Cat8 cables?
Cat6 (Category 6):
Cat6, launched in the year 2002, is the successor of Cat5e. They employ four pairs of twisted copper (typically, unshielded twisted pair, UTP) in a heavier jacket. Rating Cat6 has a Gigabit (1 G Miracle) highest bandwidth at 100 meters and can operate at 10 G (debase) in shorter (under 55 m) cable lengths.
Standard Cat6 is able to transmit 250 MHz. Cat6 is backwards compatible with older Cat5e/Cat5 systems and shares the standard RJ45 connector. They are frequently used in home and simple business networks in routers, switches, PCs, etc.
Cat6A (Augmented Cat6):
Cat6A gives twice the performance of Cat6. It possesses four pairs of twists and usually has more shielding (usually foil and braids on all pairs). In practice, cat6A has a bandwidth of 500 MHz and reaches 10 Gbps up to 100 m.
Cat6A is recommended for new offices that require full 10G capability and can support 10G even at a maximum channel length of 100 meters, which performs better than Cat6. The tighter twists and shielding of Cat6A cables usually mean that they must be paired with a jacket that is thicker and they need connectors that are finer.
Cat7 (Category 7):
Cat7 cables were shelled in Cat6. They operate on four pairs of unfoil shielded and one overall shield (S/FTP). Cat7 has 10 Gbps at 100 m with a rated bandwidth of 600 MHz. Even in lab tests, Cat7 is capable of operating at 40 Gbps at 50 m and 100 Gbps at 15 m, although in practice a 10G system is normally used.
The shielding of Cat7 provides good immunity to interference (EMI/crosstalk) and therefore is stable with a high-performance system such as a datacenter. Nevertheless, Cat7 typically incorporates special connectors (GG45, rather than the standard RJ45) unless they are backwards-compatible. Cat7 cables are less flexible and more expensive; they are less commonly used as towers, but again, in a high-end network, not generally in the home setting.
Cat8 (Category 8):
The latest standard, called cat8, is very high speed. It supports 25 Gbps or 40 Gbps Ethernet speed (25GBASE-T and 40GBASE-T). Cat8 can support speeds in the range of 30 m. Its bandwidth is only as high as 2000 MHz – much more than previous cables. Cat8 cables are widely surrounded (S/FTP) to regulate high-frequency crosstalk.
They are primarily used as switch-to-server connections at data centers, where short but high-speed runs are required. At lower speeds, such as 10BaseT, Cat8 is also backwards compatible. Nonetheless, its bulky cables and shorter length make it ineffective as a standard in-home wiring option.
An example would be the Lynx Cabling guide recommending that houses do not work with the thickness of Cat8 and radius of bend and to use instead Cat6A most of the time when setting up a network in an office or at home.
Each of these cables is based on the same fundamental 8P8C (RJ45) connector, except as noted (GG45/TERA variants of Cat7). Internal twisting of pairs of copper wire minimizes interference. Each pair and / or entire bundle may be enclosed by shielding (foil or braid) to prevent noise.
More shielding is used by default in higher-category cables (Cat7/8), and Cat6/Cat6A can be either unshielded or partially shielded. Considering the above, going from Cat6 to Cat6A to Cat7 to Cat8 will have an increment of speed/greater bandwidth; however, there is more shielding, the cable is thinner, and there is also a shorter practical run length at the highest levels.
Key points from these specs:
- Speed & Distance Its Cat6 will work most reliably at 1 Gbps to 100 m but powers off at 10 Gbps at about 55 m. Cat6A and Cat7 are capable of 10 Gbps and the entirety of 100 m channel. Cat8 reaches 25-40 Gbps, but with only limited range (30 m).
- Bandwidth: Bandwidth (MHz) is, essentially, the capacity of data that can be carried. Cat6 – 500 MHz, Cat6A – 600 MHz, Cat7, and Cat8: some 2000 MHz. A higher MHz rating indicates a better potential data rate for newer transceivers.
- Shielding: Cat6 is typically unshielded (UTP) or with foil that is of low quality. Cat6A is usually fully shielded (F/FTP or S/FTP) to avoid the crosstalk caused by 10G. By default, Cat7/8 cables are shielded completely (S/FTP), providing better noise resistance.
- Construction consists of all Cat6-Cat8, both 4 pairs of 23 AWG and copper. Cat8 builds are not as thin and bendable, as they need more shielding and pair weight than is used in Cat6. Cat6A is longer than Cat6; it is even fatter than Cat7/8, which makes it difficult to install.
These technological variants indicate that larger categories enjoy higher speeds and resistance to EMI at the expense of bulk, firmness, and frequently price. Cat6A has been interpreted in most instances as the affordable trade-off point of new high-speed networks: it supports 10 Gbps at 100 m and is generally widely supported, without the strange connector and rigidities of Cat7/8. The additional shielding provided in Cat7 is also oriented more to targeted environments. Cat8 is primarily used in data center inter-switchover linkages where run lengths are brief (in any case).
Differences at a Glance
- Cat6: 250 MHz, 1 Gbps at 100 m (10 Gbps at 55 m). Usually UTP (unshielded). Budget friendly; very suitable to home and small office settings.
- Cat6A: 500 MHz, 10 Gbps at 100 m. Usually shielded (F/FTP). more powerful, 10G network, longer range.
- Cat7: 600 MHz, 10 Gbps at 100 m. Always shielded (S/FTP). The oversizing of buildings is utilized in the high-performance applications. May need special connectors.
- Cat8: 2000 MHz, 25-40 Gbps at 30 m. Fully shielded. It is useful only for short-haul, high-speed data center connections, which are not commonly required on a home/office scale.
Summary
In brief, Cat6 vs. Cat6A vs. Cat7 vs. Cat8: each step up offers higher speed and bandwidth, but also more shielding and cost. Cat6 is fine for 1 Gb/s home/office use, Cat6A for full 10 Gb/s at 100 m (and outdoor/industrial runs), Cat7 for extra shielding in performance-critical systems, and Cat8 for short 25–40 Gb/s links (data centers). For most UK homes and offices today, Cat6 or Cat6A cables are the practical choice. Always use the cable category that matches your network gear: a 10Gb switch needs Cat6A or better; a 1Gb home router only needs Cat6.
