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Ethernet Cable Categories Compared (Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7)

See how each category improves on the last, in order.

Cat5e - the most common, budget-friendly option

Supports 100MHz bandwidth and reliably delivers 1Gbps (Gigabit) speeds up to 100m. Since most home gigabit internet plans and router LAN ports top out at 1Gbps anyway, Cat5e is often all a typical household needs.

Cat6 - more bandwidth, conditional 10Gbps

Supports 250MHz bandwidth, delivering 1Gbps at the full 100m and up to 10Gbps (10GBASE-T) if the run is kept under about 55m. Thicker conductors and tighter twists than Cat5e make it more resistant to interference, and it's a popular choice for households running a NAS or home server.

Cat6a - full 10Gbps across the entire 100m

Supports 500MHz bandwidth and is designed to hold a stable 10Gbps connection across the entire standard 100m run. The cable is thicker and heavier than Cat6, often shielded, and is the recommended minimum if you're building out a 10-gigabit switch or NAS setup.

Cat7 - fully shielded, but proprietary connectors get in the way

Supports 600MHz bandwidth and individually shields each wire pair (S/FTP) for the best interference resistance of the four, but needs specialized connectors like GG45 or TERA β€” not standard RJ45 β€” to actually reach that performance. Plugged into ordinary RJ45 gear, it only performs at Cat6a levels, making it overkill for most homes outside specialized industrial or data-center environments.

Which cable does your home actually need?

A typical gigabit internet plan and router are well served by Cat5e or Cat6. If you run a NAS or home server and move large files often, Cat6a is worth the upgrade since it holds 10Gbps reliably at full length; Cat7 is generally not worth chasing for home use, since its proprietary connectors make it awkward to pair with everyday consumer equipment.

How cable length affects performance

Every Ethernet category loses signal strength β€” attenuation β€” past a certain distance. If you need to run a cable further than 100m, adding a switch partway along the route to repeat and boost the signal is the more reliable approach than trying to push one cable the whole distance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep using the old Cat5 cable I already have at home?

Cat5 (the older standard that came before Cat5e) reliably supports only up to 100Mbps, so if you want to actually use the speed a gigabit internet plan offers, it's worth upgrading to at least Cat5e.

Does upgrading just the cable make my internet faster?

No β€” the cable is only one part of the path. Every piece of connected equipment, including your router's LAN ports, your computer's network card, and any switches in between, needs to support that same speed before you'll actually see an improvement.