Cat5e vs Cat6 vs Cat6a: Which Ethernet Cable to Buy
Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6a compared: bandwidth, 10 Gbps reach, shielding and when each category is the right choice for home or office cabling.
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Ethernet cables and network wiring
Cat5e to Cat8, distances, T568A and T568B, crimping, shielding, fire ratings, PoE, patch panels and planning a wired home or office.
Cat7 and Cat8 Cables: What They Are and Who Needs Them
Cat7 is ISO-only with GG45 or TERA connectors; Cat8 is a 30 m data-centre cable. Learn what each standard says and what to buy for home or office.
How to Crimp an RJ45 Connector Step by Step
Step-by-step RJ45 crimping: the right plug for solid or stranded cable, T568A or T568B pinout, the 13 mm untwist limit, testing, and why a cable fails.
Crossover vs Straight-Through Ethernet Cables
Crossover or straight-through? How T568A and T568B pinouts decide it, why Auto-MDI-X made crossovers rare, and when a rollover console cable is still needed.
Ethernet Cable Categories: Cat5e to Cat8
Ethernet cable categories compared: Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7 and Cat8 rated frequency, speed and distance, plus which to buy for home, office and 10 Gbps.
Maximum Ethernet Cable Length: The 100 m Rule
Why Ethernet stops at 100 m (328 ft), how the limit splits between wall cable and patch cords, what fails beyond it, and ways past it: switches, fiber, extenders.
Ethernet Cable Testers: What Each Kind Checks
Continuity, qualification and certification testers compared: what each checks, why a cheap tester misses split pairs, and how to read the results.
Home Network Wiring: A Practical Guide
Plan a wired home network: star layout, which Ethernet category to run, conduit, separation from mains, PoE access points, and what to leave to an electrician.
Patch Panels, Keystone Jacks and Wall Plates
A patch panel terminates permanent links in a rack; keystone jacks do the same at the wall. Learn 110 punch down, T568 wiring, labelling and what fails.
Power over Ethernet: PoE, PoE+ and PoE++ Standards
PoE standards compared: 802.3af, 802.3at and 802.3bt power at the port and device, injectors vs switches, and the right cable for high-power PoE.
Plenum vs Riser vs CM Cable Ratings
CMP, CMR, CM and CMX explained: where each US fire rating is required, the EU CPR classes, and what to use outdoors or underground.
Shielded vs Unshielded Ethernet: UTP, FTP, STP
UTP, FTP, S/FTP and STP decoded: what shielding does, when it helps, and why a shield that is not grounded end to end gives no benefit.
Solid vs Stranded Ethernet Cable: Which to Use
Solid copper for permanent links, stranded for patch cords. Learn which Ethernet cable to use where, how gauge matters, and why CCA fails.
T568A vs T568B: Ethernet Wiring Colour Order
T568A and T568B differ only in the orange and green pairs. See both pinouts, which standard to use, and why mixing them makes a crossover cable.