Check if you use the best Ethernet cable for your Smart TV

Most current televisions allow us to connect to the Internet. This is very useful to be able to play streaming content, browse, install applications… We can connect both wirelessly and by cable. Although Wi-Fi is the most common, the truth is that the cable can be the best option in many cases. Now, are you using the correct cable for your Smart TV? We are going to talk about it in this article.

Best ethernet cable for a tv

Check if you use the best Ethernet cable for your Smart TV

There are many types of Ethernet cables that we can use to connect devices to the Internet. They are the cables that we use in the computer and connect to the router, for example. It can be of different colors, such as yellow or black. But not all are the same and from one to another there may be important differences that affect performance.

Basically we can say that the main difference is whether it is a Fast Ethernet cable or a Gigabit Ethernet cable. The former does not support more than 100 Mbps speed, while the latter reaches up to 1 Gbps. What does this mean? If you have a contract fiber optic rate of 500 Mbps, for example, if you use a Fast Ethernet cable you will not be able to reach that speed.

And how does this affect television? Using one cable or another can limit the quality of the signal that reaches you and, also, the speed. Although to play videos in Streaming normally it is not necessary to have more than 100 Mbps, you may notice certain cuts on occasion. But in addition, it will also affect you if you decide to download a file or carry out any action that requires a good amount of bandwidth.

Think, for example, if you are going to access a NAS server that you have at home and connect to television. It is interesting that you can take advantage of the maximum speed allowed and thus transfer files quickly, without interruptions or problems. Therefore, having a Gigabit Ethernet cable on your Smart TV is something very interesting.

Cambiar cable Ethernet

The category, key in a network cable

You should look at the cable itself, where you will see written information. For example you will see CAT 5E, which means that this cable is category 5E and is Gigabit Ethernet. All those that are of that category or higher (such as CAT 6 or CAT 7), will support up to 1 Gbps of speed without problems.

If you have a lower category cable, such as CAT 4 or CAT 5, then you will be limited to a maximum of 100 Mbps and you may have problems playing streaming videos in the highest quality, downloading applications or any file from your Internet television.

In addition, the category of the cable can influence the distance at which you will be able to connect the television. It is true that normally this does not affect you, because it is not common for you to connect the television tens of meters from the router, but it is one more factor that you should take into account to use the best Ethernet cable for TV.

You can see the main aspects to choose the Ethernet cable. You will find different options and you should always choose the one that suits what you need and thus ensure that the television, as well as any other device, works correctly without interruptions and with good speed.