Which ethernet should I buy?

[WestTexan]

Recently got fiber internet and I am planning to buy a 20m long ethernet cable to connect it to my PC in another room. The only problem is that I know nothing about Ethernet cables. What should I be looking for?

 

50mbs upload

50mbs download  fiber speeds

[jaslion]

A basic cat 5a  cat5e cable is plenty good.

 

Edit:

Cat5e I mistyped. Thanks @mariushm for catching that.

[mariushm]

He means cat5e. 

 

Even the cheapest, most basic cat5e cable is capable of 1 gbps. 

Cat6 cables are good for 10 gbps up to 55 meters (but I wouldn't use them for more than 30 meters or so for 10 gbps) 

Cat6a cables are good for 10 gbps up to 100 meters.

 

You'll probably have a hard time finding ready made cables that are rated less than Cat6.

 

If possible, try to get one that's not  CCA (copper clad/coated aluminum) - these are cheaper ethernet cables that use aluminum wires coated with a layer of copper instead of full copper, because copper costs more.

The downside is that these wires are less good (have higher resistance compared to pure copper wires) and the cables are more sensitive to bending and over long distances (as in much more than 20 meters, let's say at more than 40 meters or so) some ethernet cards may have issues with the cable because by default, they're configured in "green modes", to save power, and they transmit the data with less power and the router or computer on the other can have difficulty decoding the data at the other end due to the losses in the wires.  This can be solved by disabling the power saving features of the network card from its settings, but it's just easier to spend a few more cents on a proper ethernet cable in the first place, if it's for long distances. 

[WestTexan]

3 minutes ago, mariushm said:

He means cat5e. 

 

Even the cheapest, most basic cat5e cable is capable of 1 gbps. 

Cat6 cables are good for 10 gbps up to 55 meters (but I wouldn't use them for more than 30 meters or so for 10 gbps) 

Cat6a cables are good for 10 gbps up to 100 meters.

 

You'll probably have a hard time finding ready made cables that are rated less than Cat6.

 

If possible, try to get one that's not  CCA (copper clad/coated aluminum) - these are cheaper ethernet cables that use aluminum wires coated with a layer of copper instead of full copper, because copper costs more.

The downside is that these wires are less good (have higher resistance compared to pure copper wires) and the cables are more sensitive to bending and over long distances (as in much more than 20 meters, let's say at more than 40 meters or so) some ethernet cards may have issues with the cable because by default, they're configured in "green modes", to save power, and they transmit the data with less power and the router or computer on the other can have difficulty decoding the data at the other end due to the losses in the wires.  This can be solved by disabling the power saving features of the network card from its settings, but it's just easier to spend a few more cents on a proper ethernet cable in the first place, if it's for long distances. 

so to sum it up short

 

Any Cat5e cable that is not CCA should do me perfect. How do I know if its not CCA? What is the other version called?

[jaslion]

3 minutes ago, WestTexan said:

so to sum it up short

 

Any Cat5e cable that is not CCA should do me perfect. How do I know if its not CCA? What is the other version called?

Just look up full copper cat5e and you should be good to go.

[mariushm]

There's no other version name ... it's either full copper solid core (one thick wire), or "stranded" (a bunch of thin copper wires bundled together) 

It should say on the cable sleeve that it's CCA. 

 

If you buy cable and connectors separately you can test the wire by stripping the insulation and scratching the wire to remove the copper coating. Aluminum also curls when it burns so if you have a gas lighter on you, that could also be used to test. 

 

Distributors of electronic components or networking equipment should have proper cables, even with datasheets or spec sheets.

 

For example Digikey has around 700 cables after filtering for you ( 15 - 40 meters, cat5e to cat7 ) : https://www.digikey.com/short/54r3cbr9

 

You can check the datasheet where it's available and it will say what kind of wire is used.

For example on the cheapest 15$ cable from the link above it says 

AWG	24
AWG Stranding	7 Cond./0.20 mm ± .02 mm
Conductor Material	Stranded Bare Copper

 

but it's no guarantee that some cable won't be CCA so always look at datasheet or on the sleeve if you really want it not to be CCA. 

 

Anyway, at 20 meters, even CCA cables should be fine, 20 meters is not such a long distance. 

 

[whispous]

58 minutes ago, WestTexan said:

Recently got fiber internet and I am planning to buy a 20m long ethernet cable to connect it to my PC in another room. The only problem is that I know nothing about Ethernet cables. What should I be looking for?

 

50mbs upload

50mbs download  fiber speeds

Only 50 on a fiber connection? Is this the most affordable plan or something?

 

I would have expected (UK resident) to be in the hundreds down.

[WestTexan]

2 hours ago, whispous said:

Only 50 on a fiber connection? Is this the most affordable plan or something?

 

I would have expected (UK resident) to be in the hundreds down.

There are other plans for 1GBs but that's out of my budget.I've been using LTE plan with LTE router for years and I dont even get 10mbs. 50 is a big improvement for me. Its about 40 GBP a month

 

South Africa 

[WestTexan]

On 7/27/2021 at 8:33 AM, jaslion said:

A basic cat 5a  cat5e cable is plenty good.

 

Edit:

Cat5e I mistyped. Thanks @mariushm for catching that.

 

On 7/27/2021 at 8:41 AM, mariushm said:

He means cat5e. 

 

Even the cheapest, most basic cat5e cable is capable of 1 gbps. 

Cat6 cables are good for 10 gbps up to 55 meters (but I wouldn't use them for more than 30 meters or so for 10 gbps) 

Cat6a cables are good for 10 gbps up to 100 meters.

 

You'll probably have a hard time finding ready made cables that are rated less than Cat6.

 

If possible, try to get one that's not  CCA (copper clad/coated aluminum) - these are cheaper ethernet cables that use aluminum wires coated with a layer of copper instead of full copper, because copper costs more.

The downside is that these wires are less good (have higher resistance compared to pure copper wires) and the cables are more sensitive to bending and over long distances (as in much more than 20 meters, let's say at more than 40 meters or so) some ethernet cards may have issues with the cable because by default, they're configured in "green modes", to save power, and they transmit the data with less power and the router or computer on the other can have difficulty decoding the data at the other end due to the losses in the wires.  This can be solved by disabling the power saving features of the network card from its settings, but it's just easier to spend a few more cents on a proper ethernet cable in the first place, if it's for long distances. 

On 7/27/2021 at 9:30 AM, whispous said:

Only 50 on a fiber connection? Is this the most affordable plan or something?

 

I would have expected (UK resident) to be in the hundreds down.

 

https://m.takealot.com/baobab-cat5e-networking-patch-cable-20m/PLID52348594

 

This one should do fine? Its fine if it is a patch cable? I have no idea what that is

[mariushm]

Just now, WestTexan said:

 

https://m.takealot.com/baobab-cat5e-networking-patch-cable-20m/PLID52348594

 

This one should do fine? Its fine if it is a patch cable? I have no idea what that is

That website doesn't work for me, they probably have some kind of filter or protection thing to reject all visitors from my country. So I can't tell you anything about it. 

 

If it's cat5e then it will do up to 1 gbps like I said, regardless of the actual wire composition. 

 

A "patch cable" is a generic term for any ethernet cable that has the connectors preinstalled "from the factory" on both ends of the cable. 

[WestTexan]

4 minutes ago, mariushm said:

That website doesn't work for me, they probably have some kind of filter or protection thing to reject all visitors from my country. So I can't tell you anything about it. 

 

If it's cat5e then it will do up to 1 gbps like I said, regardless of the actual wire composition. 

 

A "patch cable" is a generic term for any ethernet cable that has the connectors preinstalled "from the factory" on both ends of the cable. 

thank you! One last question,this is from the site

 

Baobab Cat5e Networking Patch Cable - 20M.

 

Features:

- Suited for 10Mbps / 100Mbps network

 

I'll be getting 50Mbs / 50Mbs .I shouldn't worry about this though as it is a cat5e cable.Right?

[mariushm]

7 minutes ago, WestTexan said:

thank you! One last question,this is from the site

 

Baobab Cat5e Networking Patch Cable - 20M.

 

Features:

- Suited for 10Mbps / 100Mbps network

 

I'll be getting 50Mbs / 50Mbs .I shouldn't worry about this though as it is a cat5e cable.Right?

If it doesn't say anything about 1 gbps, I'd avoid it. 

 

In order to get 100 mbps between a network card and a device or another network card, only 4 out of the 8 wires must be properly connected to the connectors, the other four wires are unused. At 1000 mbps all 8 wires are used. 

So "suited for 10mbps/100mbps network" is a bit of a weird statement ... as ANY network cable Cat5 or higher can do 100 mbps or more

 

The cable is probably fine and has all 8 wires in the connectors, and the message probably wants to say something like "Also good for older computers and networks that can only do 100 mbps"  but unless the site has some close-up pictures showing the network jacks with all the 8 wires in it, I'd be reluctant to order one online due to that statement.

 

So yeah, you have 50 mbps internet plan, but if the cable is really only 100 mbps, it will force the connection between your computer and your router/modem down to 100 mbps ... it sucks if you're gonna have other things connected to same router or modem, slowing transfers between your computer and the other devices to 100 mbps maximum. 

 

Let's say for example your router / modem has wireless access point and you connect your phone to it, and you want to transfer files from your phone to your computer, or the other way around .... your phone could connect to router at 433 mbps or something like that, but your computer would be stuck at 100 mbps maximum. 

 

 

[WestTexan]

53 minutes ago, mariushm said:

If it doesn't say anything about 1 gbps, I'd avoid it. 

 

In order to get 100 mbps between a network card and a device or another network card, only 4 out of the 8 wires must be properly connected to the connectors, the other four wires are unused. At 1000 mbps all 8 wires are used. 

So "suited for 10mbps/100mbps network" is a bit of a weird statement ... as ANY network cable Cat5 or higher can do 100 mbps or more

 

The cable is probably fine and has all 8 wires in the connectors, and the message probably wants to say something like "Also good for older computers and networks that can only do 100 mbps"  but unless the site has some close-up pictures showing the network jacks with all the 8 wires in it, I'd be reluctant to order one online due to that statement.

 

So yeah, you have 50 mbps internet plan, but if the cable is really only 100 mbps, it will force the connection between your computer and your router/modem down to 100 mbps ... it sucks if you're gonna have other things connected to same router or modem, slowing transfers between your computer and the other devices to 100 mbps maximum. 

 

Let's say for example your router / modem has wireless access point and you connect your phone to it, and you want to transfer files from your phone to your computer, or the other way around .... your phone could connect to router at 433 mbps or something like that, but your computer would be stuck at 100 mbps maximum. 

 

 

Final question, will any cable that says cat6 or 7 regardless of the letter afterwards,(like e or a) work fine? 

[Lurick]

27 minutes ago, WestTexan said:

Final question, will any cable that says cat6 or 7 regardless of the letter afterwards,(like e or a) work fine? 

Avoid anything that's not Cat6 or Cat6a

Cat7 isn't a standard officially and the spec calls for TERA connectors which are not compatible with RJ-45

Anything Cat8 that's cheap falls in line with Cat7, it's either fake or bad marketing. Cat8 that meets the spec is VERY expensive right now because nothing can use it.

[WestTexan]

1 hour ago, Lurick said:

Avoid anything that's not Cat6 or Cat6a

Cat7 isn't a standard officially and the spec calls for TERA connectors which are not compatible with RJ-45

Anything Cat8 that's cheap falls in line with Cat7, it's either fake or bad marketing. Cat8 that meets the spec is VERY expensive right now because nothing can use it.

Thank you for the heads up.I've decided to go with a cat6 cable.