Ethernet Network Cable Categories and Classes to Choose a Quality One

Without a doubt, the best way to take advantage of the full potential of our Internet connection is by using an ethernet network cable. Often, WiFi networks do not offer all the bandwidth that we can take advantage of. Some of the reasons to use the Ethernet network cable are:

• A router that cannot offer the speed contracted by WiFi.
• Not having a WiFi device capable of supporting that speed.
• Interference with the WiFi networks of other neighbors.

On the contrary, if we choose the right Ethernet network cable, we can always make the most of our connection. The only drawback it has is that we will have to wire our entire house, this in new homes is not a problem because all the rooms have network sockets, however, if we have a house or office that does not have all the wired areas, we will have to do it ourselves.

Categories of network cables and shielding

The category of an ethernet network cable will determine the maximum speed that cable can reach. Here is a table with the most used categories currently:

Nowadays, the most common is to use Cat5e cables, since this type of cable is the one that comes completely free in routers, switches and other types of devices such as Wi-Fi Mesh systems. However, today due to price and performance it is highly recommended to use Cat 6 category cables, in addition, today the houses that are already wired do so with this type of Ethernet network cable.

Currently, practically all network cards integrated in PC motherboards have a Gigabit network card (10/100/1000), also those of fiber routers and modern laptops, we must make sure that the cabling is in good condition. One way to check if we have a connection higher than 100 Mb is by doing a speed test here :

If we do not exceed 100 Mbps or we have a CAT 5 network cable, or we do not have a Gigabit ethernet network card in our PC or laptop router.

When we talk about a network cable we are talking about two well differentiated parts:

1. RJ45 connector, which we have at each end.
2. The cable itself.

In addition to categories, cables are classified according to whether they are shielded or not. The shield is a shield that protects the cables underneath their plastic jacket. Its objective is to maintain the stability and quality of the transmission speed of our network. What is to be avoided is electromagnetic interference with transformers, motors and electrical cables. Depending on the shielding, we can classify network cables into the following classes:

• UTP cable ( Unshielded Twisted Pair or unshielded twisted pair ). It is the network cable that we always find free in routers, switches or Wi-Fi Mesh systems, they do not have shielding or shielding. It is the cheapest and most flexible of all.
• Foiled twisted pair (FTP) or shielded twisted pair cable: contains twisted pairs surrounded by a protective jacket made of aluminum. The pairs are not individually screened and have global protection that encompasses all of them.
• Shielded twisted pair (STP) or single shielded twisted pair cable : contains each of the twisted pairs of the cable covered by a protective jacket made of aluminum.
• SSTP cable ( Shielded Twisted Pair or screened twisted pair ) , in this case we have a double screen. On the one hand, each individual twisted pair is covered by its protective layer and then also has an additional protection that covers the entire set of pairs. These are the ones that best avoid electromagnetic interference and also the most expensive.

In this article we have a complete tutorial on which Ethernet network cable you should use at home and in the office.

How to distinguish the network cable we have

To distinguish the type of network cable we have Ethernet network cable, we can do it in two ways. One is to look in the package where that cable comes from, its specifications, however, that is not always possible, since when we buy one, we usually use it and get rid of the box.

Then there is no second alternative with which we can easily find out all the data of our network cable. That way, it is none other than looking at the outer layer of plastic that covers the entire cable. Now we are going to put a couple of practical examples so that you can see if you can distinguish the category of a network cable and more. Here you have the first:

In this case we have a CAT 7 ethernet network cable and SSTP shielding.

Now we go with the second:

The second is CAT 5E and is of the UTP type that does not have any type of shielding.

Will a better quality cable improve performance?

Currently, the minimum recommended is to buy a CAT 6 cable . Although it is true that we could use one of CAT 5E, some problems could arise if we use Multigigabit speeds in our home network, taking into account the price, we must go for Cat 6 cables. We must also talk that there are cables of a more basic range that we can distinguish because their RJ45 connectors are plastic, and usually UTP category. Then we have the highest quality ones with a metal connector and generally with a shield to avoid interference.

All the network cables that we can buy are certified to be Cat 5E, Cat 6 or Cat 7, in addition, they must pass a series of rigorous controls to obtain the corresponding certification. That is, as long as the cable has the certifications, it does not matter that it is cheaper than another with similar characteristics, in principle there should be no differences, especially in short cable sections. If we are going to carry out an installation with network cable in an office, then we must make sure that the cabling is of quality and of a recognized brand.

Another thing to keep in mind is that CAT 7 cables are not used in the home environment, however, since we already have Multigigabit equipment and even 10G networks, if you are a network enthusiast, a very good choice would be always wire with this category of cable. This cable is much more expensive than Cat 6, in addition, it is thicker and we will need compatible RJ-45s and a crimper compatible with Cat 7 cables. Finally, Cat 7 cables come in shielded pairs and also have a sheath metallic to protect it even more, this makes the cable much stiffer than Cat 6.

Regarding whether the quality of a network cable of the same category, but from different brands, is noticeable, the answer is that it should not, since they have passed the corresponding certifications. In principle you are not going to get higher speed or latency. The only exception is that that cable was not in good condition. However, there are times when these quality cables are necessary if you are going to carry out conduits and the distance is very great, in these cases we must pay attention to the certification tests, since it can make the difference between having a fast network or not. .

Possible problems and solutions related to network cables

When we talk about network cables, we can find ourselves in several situations, before starting with the possible problems and solutions, we must rule out software problems of our equipment, and also hardware problems.

Does not sync

The main reasons are:

• One of the connectors (or both) are badly crimped, there is no electrical communication between the source of communication and the destination.
• The network cable is too long, the signal is very attenuated and does not establish a physical link.
• The cable passes through electrical conduits and not enough signal reaches it, this is typical in UTP cabling if we pass it through these conduits.

Synchronize at 10Mbps instead of 1Gbps or more

The main reasons are:

• One of the connectors (or both) are badly crimped, it is necessary to use a tester to check which PIN has no communication. It is possible that one or more are affected, you will have to look at which connector is the one that is “open”.
• The network cable is too long, today we have switches that can carry the signal up to 250m in length, logically we need quality cabling.
• The cable goes through electrical conduits and there is not enough signal to synchronize at a higher speed.

Synchronize at 1Gbps but sometimes at 100Mbps

• The network cable is too long, the network is “flapping” and will be flapping due to the length, install a switch in the middle or change the cabling for a higher category one so that the signal is not attenuated so much.
• The cable runs through electrical conduits, and when too much electrical power is required, it disturbs the signal of the network cable. It is recommended that you buy shielded cables, or Cat 7 that is already shielded.

Network cables that we can buy

A well-known website for network cables, fiber cables and network accessories is Cablematic , on this website you can find a large number of models and network cable reels. We also have quality network cables at Amazon, such as the following:

If you need a basic Cat 6 network cable, this network cable from AmazonBasics will work perfectly in a home environment:

If you need the network cable to be shielded and Cat 6, this Digitus model is very interesting for its value for money:

And finally, those of Nanocable:

In the case of Cat 7 cables, we in our test lab with 10G switches and NAS servers with 10G connectivity, make use of these (2 units):

We currently have a wide range of network cables, our recommendation is that if you are going to install a Gigabit network, use Cat 6 cables, but if you want to be prepared for the future, go directly to Cat 7 cabling, either with these network cables short, or buying spools of wiring to wire your entire house.