Tom's Hardware > Forum > General Networking > Network General Discussions > Network Cable differences?
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airtaz   04-13-2009 at 04:35:05 PM

All I have used is Cat 5 cables for networking. I have to get a couple more now. I am seeing Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat7 cables now. Do these 3 work with the same products a Cat 5 would?

Thanks.

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sturm   04-16-2009 at 09:30:20 PM
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Yes they work the same. Cat5e is really all you need. Cat6 and 7 are for longer distance gig connections

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computabug   04-18-2009 at 11:12:26 PM
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I'm pretty sure the basic comcept behind them is the same, but the higher the Category is, the better quality the cable is i.e. it can transfer at higher frequency/speeds, or go longer distances at lower speeds without losing signal. Where'd you find CAT7? I didn't find any CAT7's in Canada.... I'd suggest you go with the CAT7 if you want to future-proof your network for faster speeds like 10G, unless you're happy with 1G.

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sub mesa   04-18-2009 at 11:45:36 PM
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Cat7 is for long-distance networks. Cat6A is the highest "normal" ethernet standard, created specifically for 10GBaseT networking: 10Gigabit copper ethernet. Right now everything is gigabit, but 10 gigabit is coming soon, right now only a few server adapters, but 10GBaseT might be standard on new motherboards in a year or two.

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sub mesa   04-18-2009 at 11:47:30 PM
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Cat5 - official for 100Mbps - works on gigabit for small distances
Cat5e - verified working for gigabit on small distances
Cat6 - official gigabit cabling
Cat6A - official 10GBaseT cabling
Cat7 - long distance (dunno if 10GBaseT works on Cat7 - it should)

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partyman973   04-19-2009 at 04:10:19 PM
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Regardless of the cable type, the longest recommended distance is 320 feet. Not sure what you are doing with your network, but I would imagine cat 6 would be more than adequate.

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sub mesa   04-20-2009 at 12:03:56 AM
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Some types permit 300 metres, which is about a thousand feet. But you won't be running 10 Gigabit over those. ;)

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