In the information era, almost everyone surf online. Ethernet network and Ethernet cable are equipped in everywhere. Although network cables look the same, actually, there are different categories. This article will compare the common used cables (CAT5E, CAT6, CAT6A and CAT7).

Ethernet Cable Overview

Ethernet cables also called as patch cables and twisted-pair cables are commonly used with RJ45 connectors. They are widely used in local area networks because of the low price. Twisted - pair cables are most popular transmission medium in network engineering.

CAT5E Cable VS CAT6 Cable

Cat5e and Cat6 network cables work on the same principle, and both have the same type of RJ-45 plug which can be plugged into any Ethernet jack on a computer, router, or other similar devices. Although they have many similarities, they have some differences, as shown in the following table:

It can be seen from the table that Cat5e cable is used in Gigabit Ethernet, with a transmission distance of up to 100m, and can support a transmission speed of 1000Mbps. Cat6 can provide up to 10Gbps transmission speed in 250MHz bandwidth. 

The transmission distance of Cat5e cable and Cat6 cable both are 100m, but when using 10GBASE-T application, the maximum transmission distance of Cat6 cable can reach 55 meters. The main difference between Cat5e cable and Cat6 cable is the transmission performance. Cat6 cable has an internal splitter to reduce interference or near-end crosstalk (NEXT). Compared with Cat5e cable, it also improves far-end crosstalk (ELFEXT) and has lower return loss and insertion loss. Therefore, the performance of CAT6 cable is better.

Cat6 VS Cat6a VS Cat7 Cable

As shown in the table, Cat6 cable supports transmission speeds up to 10G and bandwidth up to 250MHz, while Cat6a cable can support bandwidth up to 500MHz, which is twice that of Cat6 cable. Cat7 cable supports up to 600MHz bandwidth, and also supports 10GBASE-T Ethernet. In addition, compared with Cat6 cable and Cat6a network cable, Cat7 network cable greatly reduces crosstalk noise.

Cat5e cable, Cat6 cable and Cat6a cable all have RJ45 connectors, but the connector of Cat7 cable is special, and its connector type is GigaGate45 (CG45). Cat6 cable and Cat6a cable have been approved by TIA/EIA standard, but Cat7 cable does not.

Cat6 cable and Cat6acable are suitable for home use. On the contrary, if you are running multiple applications, it is best to choose Cat7 network cable, because it can not only support multiple applications, but also has better performance.

Conclusion

This article summarizes the differences between Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a and Cat7 cables in terms of performance, transmission speed, and bandwidth. They all have different characteristics and applications. If you are considering installing a network cable, please be sure to consider these factors to facilitate you make the right choice.