The Different types of Ethernet Cables

Ethernet is a set of protocols for LAN defined by the IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers) 802.3 standards. Ethernet cables helps to transmit data using Ethernet protocol by connecting computer hardware devices together. Various types of Ethernet cables are available which are be indistinguishable by untrained eyes. Most of them look similar, but structural differences, the type of wire used, bundling style and connection structures in them makes the overall performance different. Selecting the right type of cable is an important decision to be made by consulting a good network cabling contractor.

The main types of Ethernet Cables:

Modern technology has developed different categories of Ethernet cables which differ in specifications like shielding from interference, speed of data transfer, and the bandwidth frequency range required to achieve that speed. The cable category will be clearly printed on the cables sheath from which its specifications can be identified. This guide describes some details about the cable types recognized as common industry standards. 

• Category 3 Ethernet cables:It’s an older version of Ethernet cable that is limited to 10mbps speed and maximum frequency only up to 16MHz which makes it too slow for today’s computing requirements. It’s mostly used in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) due to its slow transmission speed. This unshielded twisted pair cable was at the peak of its popularity in 1990’s. But after the invention of category 5 cables cat 3 cables fell out of favour. 

  

  Fig 1: Category 3 UTP Cable

  
  
• Category 5 Ethernet cables:It completely replaced the Cat3 cables. Like Cat3 it’s also a UTP cable but has high data transfer rate than Cat3. A cat 5 cable allows up to 100mbps transfer speeds (Fast Ethernet) and is used as a voice cabling format. It is the most common type of Ethernet cable used since the mid 2000’s. The way of cable wrapping changed from Cat3 to Cat5 to reduce the amount of cable twists per foot in-order to reduce crosstalk and interference. In addition to Ethernet data, it can be also used in transferring telephone signals and video signals.
   

  

  Fig 2 : Comparison between Cat 5 and Cat 5e Cables

  
  
• Category 5e Ethernet cables:It’s an enhanced version of Cat 5 cable, which can give up to 1000mbps data transfer speed. This high level of speed is referred as ‘Gigabit Ethernet’. It’s well suited for both home and business needs. It has become the most widely used Ethernet cable available in the market. Cat 5e components were designed with high speed Gigabit Ethernet in mind. Cat 5e cables have completely replaced Cat 5 cables in the new installations. Cat 5 and 5e differs in all aspects of performance like frequency, attenuation, capacitance etc. Both Cat 5 and 5e consists of four twisted pairs of wires. While Cat 5 cables utilizes only 2 pairs for Fast Ethernet, Cat5 e make use of all the four pairs of wires for enabling Gigabit Ethernet speeds. Due to its low cost and high performance, Cat 5e cables are now the most common type of cable sold in the market.

  

  Fig 3: Category 5e Normal UTP

  

  Fig 4 : Category 5e Shielded UTP

  
  
• Category 6 Ethernet cables:It’s a cable standard designed for Gigabit Ethernet, which are made up of larger gauge wires, that work for 10/100/1000Mb Ethernet. The major difference between Cat 5e and Cat6 is in transmission performance. Cat 6 cables lack the popularity of Cat 5e style. Gigabit Ethernet speeds can be handled by Cat 5e cables, while Cat 6 cables are certified to handle Gigabit Ethernet with a bandwidth of 250 MHz. Cat 6 cables have high signal-to-noise ratio and so they can perform better in environments with high electromagnetic interference.

  

  Fig 5 : Category 6 Ethernet Cable

                                    
• Category 6a Ethernet cables: It allows 10,000 Mbps data transmission rates and works for frequencies up to 500 MHz. The high frequency enables them to avoid alien cross-talk. Cat 6 cables are usually available in STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) form. It’s backward compatible with older versions like Cat 5e and Cat 6. 

  

  Fig 6 : Category 6a Ethernet Cable

• Category 7 Ethernet cables:It’s a fully shielded cable that can support up to 10 Gbps (10000 Mbps) and frequency f up to 600 MHz. These types of cables consist of a Screened Shielded Twisted Pair (SSTP) of wires which makes them thicker, bulky and not easily bendable.

  

  Fig 7 : Category 7 Ethernet Cable

          The type of cable to be used in the network cabling should be selected based on your requirements, as there are many varieties of cables easily available all across. The selection of the right type of cable is more complex than connecting the cables and the devices. Consider the factors like the price and quality of cables, the number of equipments to be connected to the network and their performance, and the type of cable that will best work with the equipments. Selection of cheaper cables like Cat 5e can reduce the cabling installation expenses and selection of future-proof cables like Cat 7 can reduce the cabling maintenance expenses in future.