In this day and age, your internet speed is everything. With so many of us working and operating out of our homes, we need to be on constant zoom calls, in meetings, and logged into platforms all while the kids are streaming movies or playing online games.
When we’re talking about Cat6 verses Cat7, we’re essentially discussing the speed at which your network cables can carry data. The better and faster the cable, the better your internet connection.
I’m going to run you through the differences between Cat6 vs Cat7 here, but there are more cabling options than that. Ethernet cables actually ran from Cat3 all the way up to Cat8.
The Network Installation Professionals at Cabledan have been designing, installing, testing, fixing, and extending Data Networks for over 20 years in areas of Greater London and the Surrounding Home Counties. Let us help you understand the use for each type of Ethernet Cabling for Data Networks.
Cat cabling is a way of categorizing your network Ethernet cables. So, for all intents and purposes, Cat cables are Ethernet cables.
What makes up these cables is a little bit more in-depth, though. Each cable is made up of copper wires that are twisted in pairs. These twisted wires create an electromagnetic field that allows data to pass through it.
The speed at which data can pass through these cables is controlled by the cable’s frequency characteristic. The higher the characteristic, the higher the frequency of the magnetic field, meaning the cabling can move more data faster.
Manufacturers use two different methods to get higher frequencies. They either put more twists into the cabling or use individual shielding.
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Cat8 is the newest innovation in network Gigabit Ethernet technology capable of giving you speeds that far exceed any of your standard uses. This cabling may not give you the same distance options as you would get with one of the other cable types, but it does deliver a performance that exceeds those types over a shorter distance.
Cat8 cable is designed for you to use between 5 and 30 meters. This shorter length allows the cable to support a much higher level of data transmission without having an extortionately high cost.
Cat8 delivers 40Gbps on a 2GHz frequency, which is far superior to the numbers that Cat7 delivers. You’re not going to need these kinds of speeds, though, making Cat8 more of a niche cable option.
Each wire pair in Cat8 cabling also requires shielding, albeit one that is going to cost far more than the type utilized in Cat7.
In all honesty, no. These wires support high speeds over a short distance, so even if you did have one go through the installation phase on your house, you’re not going to be using it all that much.
Cat8 cables, at least at the moment, you are normally only seeing Cat8 Cabling use in areas and sectors that need to maximize data transmission speed. Most often, Cabledan’s Data Cable Engineers only consider using Cat8 Cabling in Data Centers, Large Banks, Distribution Centers, Warehouses, and other large industrial sites or centers using huge amounts of data on a daily basis. If you’re just going to be using your internet for regular things around your home, get yourself a CAt6 or a Cat7 Cabling installed and you will be more than happy with it’s performance capabilities.
Cat7 cable and Cat6 cable are going to be two of the more common types your internet service provider offers. These cables are capable of giving you some series bandwidth speeds, meaning you’re going to get a performance that far exceeds what you might be used to. The difference between Cat5 and Cat6 cables is staggering, so it’s an upgrade that you should make if you’re given the opportunity.
Cat6 and Cat6a cables are connections made up of four individual pairs of copper wiring. The wires are wound far tighter than the cable in Cat5 wires, meaning that Cat6 is able to maintain a higher frequency, giving the cabling faster bandwidth and better performance.
Cat6 and Cat6a took the market-leading spot from Cat5 and Cat5e shortly after the release of the technology, and it has maintained that dominance to this day.
Cat6 cabling supports a 10 Gbps transmission speed up to 55 meters away on your network, depending on crosstalk. It also transmits at a 250MHz frequency, meaning data can come through the cable at a faster rate. On top of that, Cat6 is also backward compatible with all standard versions of Category 5 and Cat5e.
Cat6 and Cat7 are the two most common types of Ethernet cabling options used by networks today, although Cat7 cables are a little rarer.
Cat7 Ethernet utilizes newer technology than Cat6 / Cat6a in the form of screen shielded twisted pairs or SSTP. This new method of wrapping cabling allows for the elimination of alien crosstalk and improves noise resistance, giving you faster and more consistent speeds over longer distances.
As well as being backwards compatible, Cat 7 cable versions deliver a 10Gbps connection at a frequency of 600MHz.
The differences between the two types of cabling ultimately come down to frequency and speeds over distance.
As you might expect, Cat 7 is a superior gigabit ethernet cable on account of it being newer. However, it is also more expensive.
Cat6 cabling transmits on a 250MHz with Cat6a transmitting on 500MHz, while Category 7 cabling utilized a 600Mhz.
Cat6 and Cat6a also only support 1 gigabit of data up to 100 meters, whereas Cat7 can support 10Gbps over that same distance.
The lifespan of the two different cable types also differs. Cat6 has an average lifespan of about 10 years, whereas Cat7 cabling is going to last you around 15.
The shielding of each twisted pair used in Cat7 cabling makes a massive difference when it comes to home data and is the single biggest improvement between Cat6a and Cat7. It eliminates crosstalk and helps you get a higher standard data speed across your house. It may cost more for that new technology, but the difference in bandwidth is going to be noticeable in your home.
You might still see some standard Cat5e network cabling being used every now and again, but it’s not as popular as Cat6 and Cat6a cable. Even though it still gives your home a bandwidth that could be considered acceptable, it is several generations outdated.
It may cost you less than more modern cabling, but you need to be prepared for when you get slower connections with more crosstalk.
The wires that are utilized in Cat 5e don’t even have any sort of foil covering, which is to say are UTP. UTP stands for unshielded twisted pairs and refers to wires that don’t utilized coatings to help eliminate crosstalk.
The fact that Cat5e is UTP makes a massive difference to the quality and is one of the leading reasons it is such an inferior option to Cat6 or Cat7.
That’s not to say that you can’t use Cat5e these days, though. There’s nothing wrong with using these wires; it would just help you get better connections if you were using a new model.
Remember that this wire type underwent its initial installation in 1999, so you may get speeds consistent with those times.
So, what is the best Data Cabling To Use In 2021? That really depends and what you use for said cabling will be. Are you a large company like a Data Warehouse for a Bank or other financial institution? If you have a need for terabits of data per minute, and function is the focus not cost, you really need to be using the fastest, most capable Ethernet Cabling available- Cat8. So, Cat8 Cabling, for now anyways, is just used by large companies and corporations.
On the other hand, Cat6 compared to Cat7 is a bit more tricky. It really comes down to two factors:
For most homeowners with regular sized homes, Cat6 Ethernet is going to be fine for use around the home and even in close garage or outdoor areas. The cost associated with Cat6 is lower by a large margin, when compared to installing Cat7 Cables. A quick search online will show you the cost for Cat7 Cabling being 10 times more expensive than Cat6 in general. But, if you have a large property and home and you need great ethernet performance throughout your property, you may need to install Cat7, as it is built to perform much better over longer distances.
Wrapping your head around different Cat cable types can be a nightmare, as can figuring out the rest of the internet. Luckily for you, though, Cabledan has a team of Cat Cabling Experts, who are here to make that journey as easy as possible. You can follow us on our socials to stay in the loop anytime a new article goes up.
We have Cabling Engineers ready to help you out, no matter what tech issue you might be facing. Feel free to call us 01923 624120 or email us at sales@cabledan.co.uk if you have any questions- drop us a line.
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Yes, Cat7 is faster than Cat6. It’s 10 times faster, in fact. The installation of Cat6 might cost less, but if you want the best performance over distance on the market, you want the 10Gbps delivered by Cat7.
Whether you want to have a Cat7 installation or go with a cheaper option like Cat6a ultimately depends on what cost you feel comfortable with. Cat7 cabling is definitely worth the money, but that’s not to say it’s cheap by any means. Cat7 cable can cost a lot, far more than Cat6a, so you need to have the kind of budget to allow for that investment.
If you don’t, Cat6 and Cat6a cabling still deliver great performance at an affordable price.
Yes, Cat6a and Cat7 are both backward compatible cabling, meaning each one is interchangeable. You’re still going to get a lesser performance from Cat6a if you use it in place of Cat7, but if you use Cat7 in place of Cat6a, you’re going to get better performances.
Cat6a and Cat7 are both great options, but Cat7 is simply superior in every single way. The technology included in this cabling is faster and better built, but it does come with a hefty price tag attached to it. Cat6a can still give you fine speeds, so don’t worry about emptying your bank account because you think Cat7 is the only worthwhile type of cabling.
Cabledan is based in Watford, but we offer our Data Cabling and Fibre Optics Services to these nearby areas, cities, and counties: London, St Albans, Buckinghamshire, Ashley Green, Chesham HP5, Bushey, Bushey Heath, Bushey WD23 4JY, Hertfordshire, Beaconsfield, Watford, Aylesbury, Broxbourne, Amersham,
Borehamwood, Aldbury HP23, Berkhamsted HP4,
Bedfordshire, Pinner, Northwood, Brookmans Park, and Barnet in the United Kingdom.
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