When you have speed problems when accessing the Internet, you often look for culprits such as the router, its location or the operator’s own service that provides the Internet. But one that is not usually looked at and plays a fundamental role is the network cablealso known as wire Ethernet or RJ-45 cablethe physical connection for data transmission between the router and other devices.
Ethernet is a local area network standard that has been used since the 70s. It has evolved since then, of course, but has not done so by its outward appearance. The connector, seen from the outside, is the same as the one from decades ago and It’s easy to think that any cable you have at home with an RJ-45 connector will do the job, but that’s not the case.It depends on what type of Ethernet cable it is.
You might think that if you connect your laptop or computer via WiFi to the router, it is not necessary, but this is not the case either. In each Internet access installation, there is a device ONT (Optical Network Terminal) that acts as a bridge between the operator’s cable that enters the home and the router, to which it is connected via an Ethernet cable. This ONT is responsible for converting the optical signal carried by the fiber into a broadband signal that the router can interpret.. The Ethernet cable is essential in any Internet installation.
How to know which Ethernet cable you have and which one to choose
Knowing this is simple. Each cable must have a series of data printed on the plastic cover, including the category to which it belongs. Depending on this, your speed will be higher or lower. Knowing this information, we can know if it is sufficient for the bandwidth contracted with the operator. or if it falls short and is causing a bottleneck in your home network.
Currently, there are seven categories of Ethernet cable to choose from. They are as follows:
Ethernet Type | Speed | Frequency | Download speed |
---|---|---|---|
Ethernet Cat 5 | 100 Mbps | 100 MHz | 15.5 MB/s |
Ethernet Cat 5e | 1,000 Mbps | 100 MHz | 150.5 MB/s |
Ethernet Cat 6 | 1,000 Mbps | 250 MHz | 150.5 MB/s |
Ethernet Cat 6A | 10,000 Mbps | 500 MHz | 1.25 GB/s |
Ethernet Cat 7 | 10,000 Mbps | 600 MHz | 1.25 GB/s |
Ethernet Cat 7A | 10,000 Mbps | 1.000 MHz | 1.25 GB/s |
Ethernet Cat 8 | 40,000 Mbps | 2.000 MHz | 5 GB/s |
If you’re wondering why you can’t buy a cable lower than Category 5, it’s because They are too old and have fallen into disuse. Which one do you need? It will depend on the connection you have contracted, but for domestic use categories 5e or 6 are usually sufficientWhether you have a 300, 500, 600 Mbps or 1 Gbps connection, but what you should avoid is Category 5 Ethernetwhich will result in a reduction in speed.
But if you have a connection of 10 Gbpsthen you’ll want to aim higher if you don’t want your speed to be throttled by the cable’s capabilities. In that case, You need a category 6, 6A, 7 or 7A. They all allow that speed, the main difference being the frequency at which they operateThis indicates the network’s power and its ability to maintain speed over longer cable lengths. Typically, the peak speed obtained with a one-meter cable is higher than with a five-meter cable, but frequency influences this aspect.