Ethernet cables are those types of network cables that are commonly used with wired networks. These cables connect your computer to a router or modem physically. It may look clumsy or constraining, yet it can significantly increase your internet’s speed and stability. Here’s everything you need to know about these types of cables, including how…2022-05-02 12:25:37Explained: What Are Ethernet Cables? Everything You Need To Know
cashify
60060
1230900

Explained: What Are Ethernet Cables? Everything You Need To Know

Share:facebookinstagramwhatsapp
google-follow

Are you thinking to buy an ethernet cable for yourself? Here we’ve shared some valuable points that compare the benefits and drawbacks of various ethernet cables along with tables and images.

 - 
Updated: 2nd May 2022, 12:25 IST
Table Of Contents
  • 1
    Ethernet vs phone cables
  • 2
    Different categories and types
    • Categories
    • Types of Ethernet Cables
  • 3
    Drawbacks
  • 4
    What are the alternatives to Ethernet cables?
  • 5
    How to choose the best ethernet cable?
  • 6
    Final Words

Ethernet cables are those types of network cables that are commonly used with wired networks. These cables connect your computer to a router or modem physically. It may look clumsy or constraining, yet it can significantly increase your internet’s speed and stability.

Here’s everything you need to know about these types of cables, including how they work and why they’re a better option than Wi-Fi.

Also read: What is Router: Everything You Need To Know

Ethernet vs phone cables

Ethernet vs phone cables
  • Both cables look similar, but ethernet cables look like a standard phone cable; however, they’re larger and include more wires. The connectors on these cables are similarly larger and contain eight wires, whereas the phone cables have four. Phone cables are usually grey, whereas the best ethernet cables come in various colours. 
  • It connects to larger ethernet ports than phone cable ports. The ethernet card on the motherboard provides access to a computer’s ethernet port. The port is typically found on the backside of the desktop or the side of your device.
  • You’ll indeed observe a vital difference between the two in the size of the plastic connectors on the ends of the cable. Phone cable utilises an RJ11/RJ12 connector, whereas Ethernet utilises RJ45. RJ11/RJ12 only uses four or six pins, whereas RJ45 uses eight.

Also read: What To Do About a Broken Phone Screen?

Different categories and types

Categories

There are up to 8 ethernet cable categories. Cat 3 supports a maximum of 16 MHz and is used in the two-line telephone system. Cat 5 is slower than Cat 5e with a cost-effective price. Among all the categories, Cat 5e and Cat 6 are faster. Cat 6a is well suited to the industrial environment.

Cat 7 and 7a are stiff compared to the previous generations of cables and are best suited for datacentres and large enterprises. Let’s read about the last category, Cat 8, which works ideally where the distance between the units is short.

CategorySpeed Bandwidth
Cat 310 Mbps16 MHz
Cat 5100 Mbps 100 MHz
Cat 5e1 Gbps100 MHz
Cat 61 Gbps250 MHz
Cat 6a10 Gbps500 MHz
Cat 710 Gbps600 MHz
Cat 7a10 Gbps1,000 MHz
Cat 825 Gbps2,000 MHz

Types of Ethernet Cables

types of ethernet cables

Ethernet cables come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Continue reading the different types of ethernet cables mentioned below.

  1. Twisted-pair cabling: This type of cable has two pairs of wires. With this cable type, you can connect your computer to your router or modem to get internet access.
  2. Coaxial cabling: The outer covering of the wire is made up of PVC or fire-resistant plastic with metal electromagnetic interference. It uses radio guide numbers. These wires consist internal conductor enveloped by a concentric conducting shield. And they are used to transmit internet data, video and voice communication.
  3. Fibre-optic cables: Compared to the other wires, they offer effective throughput. They protect the inner components with PVC or Teflon. The second layer comprises more optical fibres to resist more physical trauma. These cables generally transmit HD television signals, as it offers more bandwidth and faster speed.

Read Also: How To Convert Any TV Into A Smart TV

Drawbacks

  • A limited distance capacity: an ethernet cable has a limited distance capacity. It can only be used for a certain amount of time before the signal loss occurs. And this issue happens due to the electrical resistance of a long cable with an impact on the performance.
  • Before forming a connection, you’ll need to check both ends of the wire and are kept close enough to receive the signals rapidly to prevent interruptions. Although, this shield provided does not restrict the extent of a network because the routers or hubs can connect many ethernet cables on the same network. And the distance between the two devices is called the network diameter. 
  • A CAT5 can be up to 100 meters long before it starts to attenuate(328ft). And the CAT6 is capable of reaching a distance of 700ft. Although Ethernet cables can be made longer, signal loss is still possible, particularly if they pass near large electrical appliances.

Also read: How To Check Headphone And Earphone Sound Quality?

What are the alternatives to Ethernet cables?

There are quite a few options other than ethernet cables available for you to choose from. These options include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which are now used in many residential and commercial networks. A network port isn’t found on most tablets or other mobile devices. These wireless solutions are beneficial and used when there is a high risk of wire damage. 

Also read: How to Delete CoD Mobile Account – Android and iOS

How to choose the best ethernet cable?

You can choose the ethernet cable types ranging from cat5 to cat7. And cat 5e is the best option with the faster speed and is easier to install. Although Wi-Fi technology has progressed over the years, Ethernet is still in use.

Final Words

Even though most of the recent, slimmer laptops lack ethernet ports, if you wish, you can still use an ethernet cable option using a USB or USB-C adapter. We hope you like this article and have learned everything about Ethernet cables.

Are you looking to sell phone online, or want to recycle old phone? Cashify has the best buyback and repair solution for you.


Comments

Featured Videos

  • Best Reel Downloader Apps For Instagram 2023
    The best reel downloader apps let you download reels in a jiffy. Instagram is definitely one of the best platforms to share photos and videos. And with the addition of reels, the social media platform has become even more engaging and exciting. Reels, basically, are short videos with audio and effect. Their short length is…
    14th Mar 2023
  • Living A Life Of Chaos With iPhone 14 Pro
    Since we began using the Apple iPhone 14 Pro, we’ve encountered various issues and most of which are related to iOS 16. Several issues that we’ve faced are related to notifications, Always-on -display, battery life and wallpaper. Until these issues are officially fixed, we will have to live with them. We tried to tackle some of…
    31st Oct 2022
  • OnePlus 9RT Alternatives To Buy In India Under Rs 45,000
    The OnePlus 9RT, a T upgrade, was out the previous year, although it’s only available in price-sensitive areas like China and India. Moreover, the OnePlus 9RT has superior cameras, including a 50MP primary sensor, a little more prominent display, a premium design, good battery/charging and a more effective Snapdragon 888 CPU. Overall, this smartphone looks…
    28th Oct 2022
  • iPhone 14 Pro Vs iPhone 13 Pro Vs iPhone 12 Pro Camera Comparison
    We’ll discuss the overall camera setup & quality of the iPhone 14 Pro Vs iPhone 13 Pro Vs iPhone 12 Pro in the article. All of these phones come with a triple-camera setup. However, you might find some significant upgrades in the iPhone 14 Pro. Let’s find out the details about the camera quality of…
    7th Oct 2022
  • Moto Edge 30 Pro Vs iQOO 9T Comparison: Which One To Buy?
    The year 2022 is known as the year of the launch of many flagship smartphones. However, there is quite a decent competition between the phones in the price segment of Rs 50,000, and even there are too many options to choose from. Here in this article, we’ll compare the Moto Edge 30 Pro Vs IQOO…
    6th Oct 2022

Highlights of the Story

  • An ethernet cable will help you connect your system to a network instantaneously. 
  • The Ethernet connections are more stable and faster than the Wi-Fi connections.
  • Here, you’ll find all the information that you need about an ethernet cable and setting up a network connection.

    You May Also Read

    Vivo Mobile Price List
    Vivo Mobile Price List
    Vivo is one of the most active smartphone brands in India. Vivo smartphones are the best in terms of camera quality and design. They perform exceptionally well and have a fantastic user experience. The only problem with Vivo smartphones is that they do not have a fixed time for launching new devices. This has messed…