Network cables, also known as RJ45 cables or simply Ethernet cable, are not all the same. Although we have become accustomed to the comfort of the WiFi connection, we still have to use cable to take full advantage of the contracted fiber optic speed.
The type of cable is decisive in the speed of the Internet. Making use of an inappropriate cable will limit the speed of the Internet and will be a problem. Therefore, we are going to give you some recommendations on how to improve the wiring of your home network.
Fast Ethernet vs. Gigabit Ethernet
The type of cable we use is going to matter a lot. If we use an old cable we could have only Fast Ethernet. This means that the synchronization with the router will be limited to 100 Mbps. If, for example, we have a 500 Mbps fiber optic contract, we would be wasting much of the bandwidth that we could achieve. Hence, it is essential today to have a cable that supports Gigabit Ethernet .
Ethernet cables
Network cables are divided into categories. Typically, if a cable has a higher frequency of MHz, the transmission speed is more efficient. The transmission speed changes depending on the category, which determines the effectiveness of the cable .
There are different types of cable organized by categories and, depending on which one you choose, the connection speed they are capable of transmitting will be different:
| Category | Maximum transmission speed (at 100 meters) | maximum bandwidth |
|---|---|---|
| Cat 5 | 10/100Mbps | 100MHz |
| Cat 5e | 1000Mbps / 1Gbps | 100MHz |
| Cat 6 | 1000Mbps / 1Gbps | 250MHz |
| Category 6a | 10000Mbps / 10Gbps | 500MHz |
| Cat 7 | 10000Mbps / 10Gbps | 600MHz |
| Cat 8 | 25Gbps or 40Gbps | 2,000MHz |
Cables prior to CAT 5 (CAT-3) are obsolete cables and totally inadvisable. If you find any at home, it is better that you take them to a recycling point before using them.
Check the status of your network cable
If we have a new cable, with the standards to obtain maximum speed, but it is damaged , in that case the speed would also be limited and we would not be able to enjoy the maximum that fiber optics offers. It is something that at a given moment can happen to users and not allow them to have the best possible speed.
For its installation, a maximum cable length of 100 meters of point-to-point connection is recommended, although it is recommended that it stay a little less. To avoid interference, it should not be placed across the same conduits as electrical cables.
broken network cable
Sometimes we may do an Internet speed test from a computer connected by cable and see that for some reason the speed does not exceed 100 Mbps. This may be due to a bad cable (or worse, a card of faulty network). If the cable connector is damaged, the speed is limited to 100 Mbps, which would be Fast Ethernet. This is so because the network card will not recognize all the pins , so it cannot manage all the cable information as if it were Gigabit Ethernet and it will lead to that limitation that we mentioned.
As we can see, either because we have an outdated cable or in poor condition, its replacement is key if we want to ensure a higher network quality and amortization of the speed that we have contracted to enjoy it in its entirety.