Category (CAT) cables are standardized types of twisted pair cables

Category (CAT) cables are standardized types of twisted pair cables used for Ethernet and other network communications. They are categorized based on their performance, bandwidth, and shielding. Below is a detailed overview of all CAT cables from CAT 1 to the latest CAT 8:

🌟 CAT 1

Bandwidth: Up to 1 MHz

Speed: Not suitable for data networking.

Use: Primarily used for telephone communications (POTS) and older doorbell wiring.

Status: Obsolete for modern networking.

🌟CAT 2

Bandwidth: Up to 4 MHz

Speed: Up to 4 Mbps.

Use: Used in early Token Ring networks and some telephone systems.

Status: Obsolete for modern networking.

🌟CAT 3

Bandwidth: Up to 16 MHz

Speed: Up to 10 Mbps (Ethernet).

Use: Commonly used in 10BASE-T Ethernet networks and older telephone systems.

Status: Rarely used today, replaced by higher categories.

🌟CAT 4

Bandwidth: Up to 20 MHz

Speed: Up to 16 Mbps.

Use: Used in Token Ring networks and 10BASE-T Ethernet.

Status: Obsolete for modern networking.

🌟CAT 5

Bandwidth: Up to 100 MHz

Speed: Up to 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet).

Use: Widely used in 100BASE-TX networks.

Status: Largely replaced by CAT 5e.

🌟CAT 5e

Bandwidth: Up to 100 MHz

Speed: Up to 1 Gbps (Gigabit Ethernet).

Use: Most common cable for home and office networks. Backward compatible with CAT 5.

Properties: Reduced crosstalk compared to CAT 5.

Status: Still widely used, though gradually being replaced by CAT 6.

🌟CAT 6

Bandwidth: Up to 250 MHz

Speed: Up to 1 Gbps (up to 10 Gbps over shorter distances, up to 55 meters).

Use: Suitable for high-speed networks, including Gigabit and 10-Gigabit Ethernet.

Properties: Better shielding and reduced crosstalk compared to CAT 5e.

Status: Commonly used in modern networks.

🌟CAT 6a

Bandwidth: Up to 500 MHz

Speed: Up to 10 Gbps over longer distances (up to 100 meters).

Use: Ideal for data centers and high-performance networks.

Properties: Improved shielding and reduced interference compared to CAT 6.

Status: Increasingly popular for future-proofing networks.

🌟CAT 7

Bandwidth: Up to 600 MHz

Speed: Up to 10 Gbps.

Use: Designed for high-speed networks and data centers.

Properties: Fully shielded (individually shielded pairs and overall shield) to minimize interference.

Connector: Uses GG45 or TERA connectors, but can also use RJ45.

Status: Less common due to higher cost and specialized use cases.

🌟CAT 7a

Bandwidth: Up to 1,000 MHz (1 GHz)

Speed: Up to 10 Gbps, with potential for 40 Gbps over shorter distances.

Use: Used in high-performance networks and data centers.

Properties: Enhanced shielding and performance compared to CAT 7.

Status: Rarely used due to high cost and limited applications.

🌟CAT 8

Bandwidth: Up to 2,000 MHz (2 GHz)

Speed: Up to 25-40 Gbps over short distances (up to 30 meters).

Use: Designed for data centers and high-speed backbone connections.

Properties: Fully shielded, with improved performance for short-range, high-speed connections.

Status: Used in specialized environments like data centers.