Which ethernet standard cable do I use?

[Anonymous 99]

Hi.

My family and I are finally getting fiber optic so we will have faster WiFi speeds. And because of that we are going to put ethernet cables in the house so we don't need to rely on WiFi that much anymore.

 

So my question is which standard do we use for ethernet cables? I was thinking either Cat 6 or cat 6a or maybe even cat 8 but I don't think my dad wants to spend a lot of money for cables.

 

Our new speed is going to be 1000/250 and the cables need to be at least 10 or 15m long.

Sorry if I didn't explain it the best but I tried my best.

Thank you!

[BetteBalterZen]

1 minute ago, Anonymous 99 said:

Hi.

My family and I are finally getting fiber optic so we will have faster WiFi speeds. And because of that we are going to put ethernet cables in the house so we don't need to rely on WiFi that much anymore.

 

So my question is which standard do we use for ethernet cables? I was thinking either Cat 6 or cat 6a or maybe even cat 8 but I don't think my dad wants to spend a lot of money for cables.

 

Our new speed is going to be 1000/250 and the cables need to be at least 10 or 15m long.

Sorry if I didn't explain it the best but I tried my best.

Thank you!

Cat5e as a minimum

[trag1c]

Do you ever plan on upgrading to 10Gbit networking at any point? If so then go for CAT6a otherwise CAT6 is the way to go. You can technically use CAT5e but there's not much point since the price difference between CAT6 and CAT5e is negligible.

[Oshino Shinobu]

Cat6a is a good idea if you expect to be upgrading to 10Gb for the local network at some point. Cat6 would also work, but only up to 55m for 10Gb. 

 

If you don't plan on going to 10Gb in the future, Cat5e will do you fine, though Cat6 is often not much more expensive so you could just do Cat6 if the cost isn't too much more.

 

Cat8 is designed for short, high bandwidth runs in datacentres and is only rated for up to 36m, it's not really suitable or designed for your use case. Just to note, Cat7 shouldn't be considered either, it's not a TIA recognised standard and the standard that others recognise don't use the standard RJ45 connectors.

[Anonymous 99]

2 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

Cat6a is a good idea if you expect to be upgrading to 10Gb for the local network at some point. Cat6 would also work, but only up to 55m for 10Gb. 

 

If you don't plan on going to 10Gb in the future, Cat5e will do you fine, though Cat6 is often not much more expensive so you could just do Cat6 if the cost isn't too much more.

 

Cat8 is designed for short, high bandwidth runs in datacentres and is only rated for up to 36m, it's not really suitable or designed for your use case. Just to note, Cat7 shouldn't be considered either, it's not a TIA recognised standard and the standard that others recognise don't use the standard RJ45 connectors.

 

6 minutes ago, trag1c said:

Do you ever plan on upgrading to 10Gbit networking at any point? If so then go for CAT6a otherwise CAT6 is the way to go. You can technically use CAT5e but there's not much point since the price difference between CAT6 and CAT5e is negligible.

Hi. Thanks for your answers. I was just talking to my dad and he said that it I better if we get the best cable possible rather than changing the cable 5 years later. So I was thinking: fuck it I will just take the cat 8 but you said it is designed for data centers so do I get the cat 8 or the cat 6a

[trag1c]

Just now, Anonymous 99 said:

 

Hi. Thanks for your answers. I was just talking to my dad and he said that it I better if we get the best cable possible rather than changing the cable 5 years later. So I was thinking: fuck it I will just take the cat 8 but you said it is designed for data centers so do I get the cat 8 or the cat 6a

If thats the case then get the CAT6a. CAT8 you're going to be hard pressed to actually use it to its full abilities.

[Oshino Shinobu]

2 minutes ago, Anonymous 99 said:

 

Hi. Thanks for your answers. I was just talking to my dad and he said that it I better if we get the best cable possible rather than changing the cable 5 years later. So I was thinking: fuck it I will just take the cat 8 but you said it is designed for data centers so do I get the cat 8 or the cat 6a

Yeah Cat8's only rated at up to 36m and isn't designed for home or office really, it's for datacentres and telecommunications infrastructure. 

 

Cat6a will do fine, though it can be a bit of a pain to work with as each twisted pair has foil around them.

[Dedayog]

So you're upgrading to get better WIFI, but then using cables so you don't have to use that faster WIFI you just got?

 

You either wire the house to use the ethernet you already have, which is faster than your current WIFI.  Or you get faster WIFI and use it, cuz... it's faster.

 

You don't upgrade your plan and then run cables all over the house, that's a double dip of expense.

 

At least that's how I see it.

[Anonymous 99]

Just now, trag1c said:

If thats the case then get the CAT6a. CAT8 you're going to be hard pressed to actually use it to its full abilities.

Thanks a lot. I have one last question - do you recommend any particular company that makes ethernet cables and it is reliable?

[Anonymous 99]

3 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

So you're upgrading to get better WIFI, but then using cables so you don't have to use that faster WIFI you just got?

 

You either wire the house to use the ethernet you already have, which is faster than your current WIFI.  Or you get faster WIFI and use it, cuz... it's faster.

 

You don't upgrade your plan and then run cables all over the house, that's a double dip of expense.

 

At least that's how I see it.

Ethernet for TVs, PCs and other stuff and WiFi for phones. Unless I mixed something up. I don't know much about this.

[trag1c]

16 minutes ago, Anonymous 99 said:

Thanks a lot. I have one last question - do you recommend any particular company that makes ethernet cables and it is reliable?

I've always bought 1000ft rolls from monoprice. They seem decent. I don't know what t hey have for ready made cables but for bulk calbing and connectors its a quick and easy way to make your own cables.

 

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=41484

[Anonymous 99]

5 minutes ago, trag1c said:

I've always bought 1000ft rolls from monoprice. They seem decent. I don't know what t hey have for ready made cables but for bulk calbing and connectors its a quick and easy way to get make your own cables.

 

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=41484

Thanks

[Donut417]

9 hours ago, Anonymous 99 said:

uck it I will just take the cat 8 but you said it is designed for data centers so do I get the cat 8 or the cat 6a

Keep in mind that Cat8 only performs that fast under short distances. AND I dont think there are any pieces of networking equipment in existence that can achieve the speeds that Cat8 is rated for on Ethernet. 

 

Cat5e is rated for 2.5 Gbps at 100m

Cat 6 is rated for 5 Gbps at 100m or 10 Gbps at like 55m 

Cat 6a is rated for 10Gbps at 100m

 

Any of those cabling standards will work. You shouldn't need more than cat 6a because 10 Gbps internet is FAR off. Id probably just do the Cat 6. Also be mindful that 2.5 Gbps and 5 Gbps equipment is kinda new, meaning its expensive. Even 10 Gbps Ethernet gear is expensive vs used Fiber gear. 

[Lurick]

12 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Keep in mind that Cat8 only performs that fast under short distances. AND I dont think there are any pieces of networking equipment in existence that can achieve the speeds that Cat8 is rated for on Ethernet. 

 

Cat5e is rated for 2.5 Gbps at 100m

Cat 6 is rated for 5 Gbps at 100m or 10 Gbps at like 55m 

Cat 6a is rated for 10Gbps at 100m

 

Any of those cabling standards will work. You shouldn't need more than cat 6a because 10 Gbps internet is FAR off. Id probably just do the Cat 6. Also be mindful that 2.5 Gbps and 5 Gbps equipment is kinda new, meaning its expensive. Even 10 Gbps Ethernet gear is expensive vs used Fiber gear. 

Yup, 100% correct. I've asked multiple people much closer to development stuff than myself and they aren't even looking at doing anything with copper (RJ45) 25G or 40G stuff still because of heat and other issues.

[Chris Hasinski]

50 minutes ago, Lurick said:

Yup, 100% correct. I've asked multiple people much closer to development stuff than myself and they aren't even looking at doing anything with copper (RJ45) 25G or 40G stuff still because of heat and other issues.

That's why I think it's worth it doing 6 in most places and 6a wherever you have more than 55m. It's probably the end of the line for copper, so getting 10Gbit is as future-proof as you can get putting cables in the walls now, anything more is probably an overkill. Also the difference between 6 and 6a in pricing is not that much considering the price of the rest of the networking equipment, especially for 10Gbit, but YMMV.

[Dedayog]

34 minutes ago, Chris Hasinski said:

That's why I think it's worth it doing 6 in most places and 6a wherever you have more than 55m. It's probably the end of the line for copper, so getting 10Gbit is as future-proof as you can get putting cables in the walls now, anything more is probably an overkill. Also the difference between 6 and 6a in pricing is not that much considering the price of the rest of the networking equipment, especially for 10Gbit, but YMMV.

What's the realistic benefit of this though?

 

Pushing data in a home from a router or other PCs... at 10Gbit?  From the Plex HDD to the TV?

 

I'm asking, because I think it's a VERY VERY SMALL subset of people who actually can benefit from 10Gbit. 

[Lurick]

2 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

What's the realistic benefit of this though?

 

Pushing data in a home from a router or other PCs... at 10Gbit?  From the Plex HDD to the TV?

 

I'm asking, because I think it's a VERY VERY SMALL subset of people who actually can benefit from 10Gbit. 

For me at least it's down to having enough bandwidth to do whatever I need to online and locally without saturating the connection. I tend to, at times, move lots of large files while also doing stuff online so 10gig helps for that plus I've got my entire steam library on a network storage so 10 gig is perfect for that.

[Dedayog]

Just now, Lurick said:

For me at least it's down to having enough bandwidth to do whatever I need to online and locally without saturating the connection. I tend to, at times, move lots of large files while also doing stuff online so 10gig helps for that plus I've got my entire steam library on a network storage so 10 gig is perfect for that.

Sorry, way too vague to be meaningful.  You move large files?  Why, for what purpose? Work?  Fun?  Get bored and just feel like moving 10GB of files back and forth?

 

What are you doing online that needs it while you move some files?

 

I routinely download "stuff" and then shoot it to my Plex.  It copies over at 100Mb/sec to the HDD in the Server while I am downloading the next "stuff".  Am I saturating anything?  

 

Excuse the sarcasm up top

 

 

[Lurick]

7 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

Sorry, way too vague to be meaningful.  You move large files?  Why, for what purpose? Work?  Fun?  Get bored and just feel like moving 10GB of files back and forth?

 

What are you doing online that needs it while you move some files?

 

I routinely download "stuff" and then shoot it to my Plex.  It copies over at 100Mb/sec to the HDD in the Server while I am downloading the next "stuff".  Am I saturating anything?  

 

Excuse the sarcasm up top

 

 

Depends on the day, sometimes I'll have a bunch of ISOs I've downloaded over the past few days for work sitting on my computer that I want to get off but might need later so I'll store those, other times it's weekly backups of the computer, etc. and Steam might be doing updates as well or I don't want to wait on whatever other download might be going. It's less about I'm usually bandwidth constrained and more of a I don't want to be bandwidth constrained, plus my storage server can easily saturate a 10G connection so might as well make use of it

[Chris Hasinski]

For me it's about the total capacity of my network. I have an uncapped symmetric 10Gbit ISP connection. I can run Plex while PS5 downloads it's tens of gigabytes worth of updates, having a zoom call and docker pulling images at the same time. My girlfriend meanwhile can watch her 4k Netflix show and I don't have to worry about any of this maxing out my network. Also a NAS storage becomes a viable option when you have fast network connection, which can save you money on adding lots of storage for every single device you own.

That being said files are getting bigger all the time, especially for games, so 10Gbit today is probably an overkill, 10Gbit a few years from now will be just a decent connection. Having it today feels like having 32 GB of RAM in 2012 or a high-dpi display during 1080p dominance era. A little bit overkill, some early adopter issues, but it works miracles if stars align correctly. The difference is you can easily swap a monitor or add more RAM later, but cables in walls are a lot of work to re-do

[Donut417]

8 hours ago, Lurick said:

nd Steam might be doing update

Do you run your games off of network storage? 

[Lurick]

11 hours ago, Donut417 said:

Do you run your games off of network storage? 

Yup, 8x SSDs in RAID 10 in my case

[PhilAstisxh]

On 6/7/2021 at 3:57 PM, Anonymous 99 said:

Hi.

My family and I are finally getting fiber optic so we will have faster WiFi speeds. And because of that we are going to put ethernet cables in the house so we don't need to rely on WiFi that much anymore.

 

So my question is which standard do we use for ethernet cables? I was thinking either Cat 6 or cat 6a or maybe even cat 8 but I don't think my dad wants to spend a lot of money for cables.

 

Our new speed is going to be 1000/250 and the cables need to be at least 10 or 15m long.

Sorry if I didn't explain it the best but I tried my best.

Thank you!

I went in my house with CAT 7 because the price difference was basiclly nothing to CAT 6, works fine, you can use max. 100 Meters at once... 

Cat6 / 6a should work FINE... (even in future, I mean it goes up to 10GBit/ s)

[Donut417]

11 hours ago, Lurick said:

Yup, 8x SSDs in RAID 10 in my case

This might be my goal in my next gaming PC build. 

[King_PIN]

If I may ask instead of starting a new thread.  I have a 50' Cat8 cable sitting here and I was planning on using it to run from the router to my main computer when I get my 2.5g internet.  

It won't cause any issues correct?