How to choose an Ethernet cable for home network
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Hi! I want to set up a stable wired network at home. Wi-Fi doesn’t always cope, especially when I play games or watch movies in 4K. I started reading about Ethernet cables, but there are so many options that I got confused. Someone advises taking Cat 5e, others immediately talk about Cat 6 or even Cat 7. I can’t understand how important this “category” is and does it affect the speed? My Internet is 1 Gbps, but I’m planning upgrade. Is it worth overpaying or will something simpler suffice?
Hi! If you have 1 Gbps, then a Cat 5e cable will suit you without any problems. It just supports data transfer at this speed – this is the cat 5e speed standard. Everything at home is on 5e, both online games and 4K movies work perfectly. The main thing is that the cable length does not exceed 100 meters – then there will be no signal loss. If you are not going to switch to 10 Gbps in the coming years, there is no point in overpaying for Cat 6 or higher. It is better to spend extra money on good router. And also – avoid unshielded cables if there is equipment nearby that can interfere with the signal. Protection from interference is important here.
I also recently chose a cable for the office. At first I thought about taking something more expensive, but then I realized that everything depends on the tasks. It is important to consider both the length of the cable and the conditions in which it will be located. For example, it is better to take a shielded one into the wall, and a regular one will suffice for a room. The main thing is not to buy a very cheap one, because the crimping quality may be poor. But if the Internet does not exceed 1 Gbps, you can not bother and take a proven option. Well, yes, it is always worth thinking about the future if updates are planned in the future.
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