Cat1, Cat2, Cat3, Cat4, Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat7 and Cat8 are the different types of ethernet cable (Cat cable) used in a computer network. Before discussing the differences between them, let’s have a look at its basic characteristics.
Characteristics of Ethernet Cable (CAT Cable)
Category 1 – Defines a traditional UTP cable. It is designed to carry only voice and not data. This type of cable is not recommended for networking purposes and is used in telephony services.
Category 2 – Defines a cable that can carry data up to 4 Mbps. It consists of 4 pairs of wires.
Category 3 – Defines a cable that can carry data up to 10 Mbps. It consists of 4 pairs of wires. It is 1000 feet in length with marks of length at every 2 feet. The frequency of this cable is 16 MHz and It is used for the 10BaseT network.
Category 4 – Defines a cable that can carry data up to 16 Mbps. It cable consists of 4 pairs of wires. The signaling frequency of this cable is up to 20 MHz.
Category 5 – Defines a cable that can carry data up to 100 Mbps. The signaling frequency of this cable is up to 100 MHz. This type of cable is primarily used in today’s networking environment. The cable is used in 100BaseX Ethernet architecture and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) architectures.
Category 5e – Defines a cable that can carry data up to 1000 Mbps with a signaling frequency of 100 MHz It is used to connect computers, hubs, switches and print servers.
Category 6 – Defines a 4-pair cable that provides an improved performance as compared to Cat 5e. It can carry data up to 1000 Mbps with a signaling frequency of 250 MHz.
Category 7 – Defines a fully shielded twisted pair cable that operates at the signal frequency of 600 MHz Fully shielded means all the four pairs of a cable have an additional shield over them.
Difference between Cat1, Cat2, Cat3, Cat4, Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat7 and Cat8 Ethernet Cable
| Category | Speed | Frequency |
| CAT 1 | Carry only voice | 1MHz |
| CAT 2 | 4Mbps | 4MHz |
| CAT 3 | 10Mbps | 16Mhz |
| CAT 4 | 16Mbps | 20Mhz |
| CAT 5 | 100Mbps | 100Mhz |
| CAT 5e | 1000Mbps | 100Mhz |
| CAT 6 | 1000Mbps | 250MHz |
| CAT 7 | 10Gbps | 600MHz |
| CAT 7a | 10Gbps | 1000Gbps |
| CAT 8 | 25Gbps | 2000Mhz |
