No matter how fast modern Wi-Fi routers have become, they still can’t compete with a good wired connection. Offering a combination of performance and reliability that even the fanciest Wi-Fi 7 routers can’t match, you can’t beat a good Ethernet cable. But one Ethernet cable isn’t necessarily the same as another, and the labels like Cat5 and Cat5e aren’t always as informative as they could be.

On the face of it, you’d think it was fairly simple. Ranging from Cat1 through Cat8, you’d expect that choosing a larger number will get you a faster connection. And broadly, you’d be right. But it isn’t that simple, because for most home networks, you don’t really need anything beyond Cat5e — no matter how much the marketing might say otherwise.

Categories explained

“Cat5 or 5e, that is the question” — Shakespeare

Credit: alexkich / Shutterstock

OK, so Ethernet cables weren’t around during Shakespeare’s day, but if they were, he’d definitely be a Cat5e kind of guy. And he’d be right. But to understand why Cat5e is the perfect cable for home networks, we first need to understand what it is.

In its basic form, the Cat (Category) rating of a cable relates to how fast it can transfer data over a length of 100 meters (328 feet) or less. Cat1, for example, tops out at 1Mbps while Cat3 can reach 10Mbps. For modern networks, Cat 5’s 100Mbps speed is as slow as you want to go.

Moving to Cat6 gets you a cable capable of 1Gbps when the cable is no longer than a 100-meter run. If you’re willing to go even shorter, anything less than 37 meters (121 feet) means the same cable can handle up to 10Gbps. That’s fast, but well beyond what most home networks can achieve.

Between Cat5 and Cat6, we find Cat5e. Cable makers use the label to sell what can be considered “enhanced” Cat5 cables. They use additional internal shielding, among other tweaks, to achieve the 1Gbps speed mentioned earlier.

Home networks and their limitations

Broadband and beyond

While it can be tempting to buy the cable with the largest number, it would be a waste of money. Cat8 cable can manage speeds of up to 40Gbps in the right conditions, but your devices can’t hope to match it. In fact, most home networks comprise Ethernet ports rated for 1Gbps at best and 100Mbps at worst.

There are, as ever, outliers. While 1Gbps connections are the norm, we’ve started to see 2.5Gbps Ethernet ports pop up on some devices. Thunderbolt docks often include these ports, as do routers designed for high-speed broadband connections — those faster than 1Gbps. You’ll need a Cat6 or higher cable to make full use of these ports.

However, these kinds of connections are backward compatible and will work just fine with Cat5e cables. And most home networks simply don’t move enough data to require anything beyond a 1Gbps cable.

For example, 1Gbps equals 1,000Mbps, so that’s what you can expect from a typical Cat5e cable. Streaming a 4K movie requires around 40Mbps. Streaming a game from a service like Nvidia’s GeForce Now requires around 50 Mbps. You could do both at the same time without coming anywhere close to saturating a Cat5e cable.

Cat5e, the network cable for everyone

Unless you want to future-proof, perhaps

Credit: krichie / Shutterstock

With all of this in mind, it’s clear that Cat5e is plenty fast enough for most home networks. Sure, there will be those who need the fastest wired connection they can get, but they don’t fall under the “most” categorization. Some people will have a Plex server that needs to send multiple streams to different TVs around the home. But most will just need a cable to ensure they get a great ping when playing their online multiplayer game of choice.

There is a caveat, however. If you’re buying new cables to run throughout your home, and especially if they’re going inside walls and under flooring, it never hurts to plan for the future. Choosing Cat6 cables or even those with a higher rating may be prudent to avoid having to replace Cat5e cabling in, say, a decade or so. And remember, you can even make your own network cables if you’re looking for a way to save some money, too.

But for now, and for most people using most home networks, Cat5e is more than sufficient.

Length

10-250ft

Cable Type

Ethernet

Color

White, Black

This Cat6 cable from CableGeeker comes in a variety of lengths and lies flat, making it easy to snake throughout your home.