Yes you can use Cat 7 for PS3, PS4 or other gaming. In fact in most cases you should! This article will help you choose the best Ethernet cable for PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One X and computer gaming. I have a few things to say that will surprise some people – those who think the most expensive is the best, right? This is not always the case. In some cases, you will get no additional benefit. Depending on which you choose, you might save money or suffer lag (reduced performance). I will explain it all below. If you are gaming on a local area network, then you may find that the best LAN cable for PS4 (or Xbox or PC) is worth paying for. Let me help you decide which Ethernet cable to buy. Read on.

Preview of the Best Ethernet Cables for Gaming

The links below jump straight to the product pages to save you time, because this is a thorough review with many aspects covered. If you have time, do see just below for the Contents with links to reviews around specific items and our reasons for our pick of the best.

1. Cat 7 Ethernet Cable by Jadaol (Overall best Cat7 for gaming).
   
2. Jadaol flat white Cat 6 cable (best Cat6 cable for gaming).
   
3. DanYee braided round cross-section Cat 7 Cord (best feel).
4. CableGeeker Cat 7 Ethernet Cable 5ft six-pack (best multi-pack).
5. Mediabridge Ethernet Cable (best Cat5e PS4 Cable).
6. Tera Grand Purple & Blue Braided Cat 7 Ethernet cable (best looking cable).
7. Outdoor Cat 7 Ethernet Cable by ShineKee (best heavy duty for outdoors).

Number one wins overall on combined price and form factor (being the modern flat design) as well as absolute performance (being Cat7 shielded). Check it out.

Each of these selections are explained below with helpful information and selection tips.

Contents:

First, we help you decide which type and length to choose, for your situation. Just read on below for that. Then we cover the following (you can click to go to those sections):

> jump down the page to Best type of Ethernet cable for gaming.

> To see our overall winner go to Best Cat7 Ethernet cable for gaming.

Then we have some length selection tips. Jump to Choosing Length.

We point out that higher performance capability doesn’t always equate to value. Jump to Value vs Performance.

That is necessary to cover before we show and explain our top picks.

>Jump to our picks for the best Ethernet cable for gaming.

It is not all about speed and price. For some, the physical form including feel is important. Go to Best looking Ethernet cable.

> Jump to LAN Cable PS4 Owners Feel Good About!

> See the best heavy-duty Ethernet cable applicable for outdoor cable runs.

Towards the end of this article we have a list of cable accessories to remember to buy at the same time. Jump to Ethernet Cable Accessories.

Introduction

Casey and I are both family men, and now that it is 2020, we have dug deep into what is currently available, to identify which we think is best for gaming – for our kids of course!

Some people have been asking “can I use a cat 7 Ethernet cable for ps4 (or PS3)?” Well, by now you probably understand you can and probably should. But which one should you use and why? Read on to answer this and more.

We explain every consideration for you, and give our picks.

You can rely on our top picks or select the best for you based on our broader information in the details further below. I will help with related accessories and connectors to remember to get at the same time.

Before we get too far into it, here is our pick of the absolute best LAN cable (PS4, Xbox or any gaming device played within your own local area network) and the best of each category.

Which Type is the best Ethernet cable for PS4, Xbox, PC, or Mac gaming?

There are several categories or types of Ethernet cable that have the same end connection (often called RJ45) so you can interchange them.

The cord category IS important. Here’s why.

Category 5

Just don’t bother with Cat5. This standard and design is just too old to consider. Use it if you have some lying around, but do not expect the best performance in local network service. It might be okay if you use it to connect to a slow internet connection. Either way, do not buy any more of this!

Category 5e

This is enhanced Cat5 cable with more stringent performance specifications. These stringent specifications reduce interference to allow error free data transfer at higher rates.

Over long runs, this cable can be verified to perform as well as Cat6 cable. For any analysis of the best Ethernet cable for PS4 based on price alone, this cable type should figure highly.

Category 6

Cat6 cable is made with increased design specifications in regard to minimizing crosstalk (which can slow down data transfer rates). Naturally it will cost a little more (typically 20%) but over short distances is it allows faster data transfer than Cat5e.

In fact Cat6 cable only outperforms cat5e cable to recognized standards on shorter runs.

There is a special advanced type of cat6 cable which can perform at up to 10 times that of cat5e. Not surprisingly that is called cat 6A (A for advanced).

In a fair comparison between Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6A, Cat6A is the best Ethernet cable for gaming on a LAN. In a small network with short cable runs, a Cat6 cable may perform equally as fast as Cat6A, in practice.

Category 7

Can you use it for PS4? Yes. The Cat7 cable type is the best Ethernet cable for PS4 Pro, PlayStation 4 and other gaming of all the above for local area networks. Cat7 internal wire pairs are individually shielded and this cuts down interference by a massive degree.

Note: I excluded Cat7 from the comparison immediately above.

Cat7 allows massive data transfer rates.

If you need to run your cable along with high electrical noise-inducing cables, then the shielding helps reduce internal cross talk, and can reduce external electrical noise.

This produces very high quality of data transfer, which is what you ideally have for gaming. It allows latency (the time for the ping process of sending and receiving in return a package of data) to be small.

Data Quality affect on gaming

The data package round-trip (ping) time is mostly governed by the internet beyond your home or office. There is distance, traffic and potential quality limits that influence it.

The internal connection from your gaming device to your modem/router will typically make insignificant difference for online gaming. However if it is bad, then it will increase the ping time, i.e. increase latency.

For online gaming of any kind, speed is important! You might find that a tiny split second makes all the difference.

To Wrap each internal twisted wire pair in shielding during the manufacturing process, plus the supply of the necessary additional raw materials makes Cat7 cable more expensive.

However, the performance of Cat7 is unquestionably the fastest Ethernet cable for gaming.

On speed alone it has to be said that Cat7 provides the best LAN cable for gaming.

Tip: If you want to learn more about the different category types see this article, which covers the speed and specifications of each along with many more details.

Jump to our pick of the best of Cat7 – the fastest Ethernet cable for gaming.

Which Spec type do we Choose for PS4 Ethernet Cable?

For PS4 Ethernet cable, we go with Cat6 or Cat7, to take advantage in local area network application (and future upside if used to connect to a modem that might have fast online performance, some day!).

We recognize some people will have a limited budget though.

Above, we’ve covered the best Ethernet cable for gaming based on performance alone.

Whether it is the best in your situation depends on your intended usage. See ‘value versus performance’ below.

The Long and the Short of it – Choosing Length

My advice is to avoid getting much longer than you need. It is true the incremental length does not cost much more.

In the long run, if you will pardon the pun, a much longer length gives more exposure to interference, which can degrade bandwidth performance. So do not overdo it.

I was caught out once before by getting exactly the length I thought I needed. I thought it would be just right.

It ended up always being short by a fraction. This meant one end or the other was always pulling in to a longer radius than I wanted. A minor annoyance but seeing it there reminded me of it repeatedly.

My advice is to work out the length you need and aim to get 50% more. It ensures you have enough without going overboard.

That brings us to look at value for performance.

Value vs performance

You may have hear the saying ‘price is what you pay and value is what you get’.

This saying is definitely something for you to keep in mind when choosing the best Ethernet cable for PS4, PC and other gaming.

I want to make this very clear. If you will be using what you will buy to connect to a moderate to slow internet connection (anything from 100 Mbits/s and slower) then you will probably not get the full value for the price you pay if you buy Cat7 or even Cat6 cable.

If you have slow internet and it will not change in the near future, then go for the best Cat5e cable.

It is typically in local area networks where the high performance of the higher category makes a difference.

I repeat, it is only in local area networks that Cat7 cables perform as the best Ethernet cable for PlayStation 4, Xbox and other computer gaming.

What about uses other than gaming?

Other uses like saving games to and from your own server, transfer of massive quality movie files and so on (ie. high data or bandwidth demands when you are not gaming), also make it worthwhile.

Relatively slow home internet connections that most people have, even with optic fibre to your door, mean that there is no (or negligible) improved performance from having lightning fast Cat7 or even cat6 cables inside from your device to your modem.

I would lean toward buying cat6 Ethernet cable over cat5e for some future-proofing and because you might later use it for more demanding service. If you use it later for gaming in a local area network then you will be pleased you bought a Cat6 cord.

The immense fun you will have will make the small incremental price difference worth it!

>Jump to the best Cat6 Ethernet cable for gaming.

Otherwise, buy Cat5e cable internet cord for your PS4, PC or XBox. For value (cost versus performance) in internet-related service, Cat5e is the best Ethernet cable for PS4 and Xbox One X. In this service there is no measurable performance difference between it and the higher categories of Ethernet cord.

Read on for the best Cat5e internet cord for PS4, Xbox or computer gaming (online).

The best Ethernet cables for gaming in each category

This is the start of our winners list. We go from slowest (and typicality cheapest) to fastest (and typically more expensive).

Legal Note: The links to each of our picks are provided for your benefit and are not necessarily recommendations by us of one brand over another. A helpful list is what we want to provide – if you have suggestions for others, please put it in the comments at the end of the article.

The Best Cat5e internet cord for PS4 and PC gaming

As we wrote above, the best internet cord for PS4 (Xbox and PC gaming) to connect to your moderate to slow internet connection is going to be a Cat5(e) cord.

Our pick of the best is simple/basic, and it just happens to be the number one best seller. I suppose we are not the only ones who think it is the best Cat5e cord!

Mediabridge Ethernet Cable

This will serve as internet cord for PlayStation 4, PC XBox etc.

Pros

• Short lengths are very cheap.
• 50 feet works out to around 22 cents per foot.
• It is actually rated higher than Cat5e (up to 10 Gbps).
• Bonus: It comes with a velcro strap. It is a little more handy to keep it all together when wound up or pin one place for that little extra length.
• Molded boots help protect the cable at termination or plug points. We haven’t selected any cables that are not secure in this way.
• It will meet or exceed your needs for medium to slow internet service.

Cons

• This is pretty long if you need something short. It can be annoying to have an excess of cable flopping around.
  
• Functional but nothing too fancy.

Be sure to get the Mediabridge product that is made to the length you need.

> To do this, after you click on the above link, click on their name under the product name to select different lengths.

This is the classic blue round cross-section cord.

NOTE: At first I was surprised that most of them online that claim to be Cat5e are actually Cat6!

I suspect these are mostly the older Cat6 design and ‘value to you’. The online marketers list them as Cat5 or Cat5e compatible.

So you typically get better performance than what you’re looking for. Power to you!

Ethernet cord for PS4

People just expect Cat5 to be round in cross-section and the older Cat6 are (as per above).

They perform better than cat5e. Because of this, we considered this section prize to be titled more appropriately ‘the best Ethernet cord for PS4’. We just could not go past a Cat7 type as best though, due to overall higher capability of performance (speed).

We wanted to do a deeper dive and go into the higher spec cables and include other factors like physical form, look and feel. They follow just below.

The downside of the older style Cat6 is they have a center spline in their construction.

• The spline gives separation between the twisted wire pairs inside to improve data transfer quality.
• This makes these cords bulkier and slightly less suited to ‘neat and sweet’ cable runs with tight bends.
• They do lend an air of robustness!

The Best Cat 6 Ethernet Cable for PS4 Gaming.

In our opinion, the form factor in the new flat design Cat6 adds value to the package! They are sleeker and nicer to run along surfaces and turn around corners.

You can run them discreetly under carpet or other floor coverings. This can avoid trip hazards and keep things looking neat.

That is why the best Ethernet cable for gaming PS4 (etc.) in the Cat6 category is not the same as those Cat6’s you can see being sold as the lower standard Cat5e cord.

LAN cable PS4 and PS4 Pro devices can use in local networks with great advantage over basic Cat5 cable.

Our pick is this flat white Cat 6 cable from Jadaol.

Pros

• Mid to long lengths are very cheap. At the time I checked, this cable was cheaper than the cheap classic Cat5e (older design Cat6) above.
• It is actually rated much higher than Cat5e (up to 10 Gbps, that is 10-Gigabit Ethernet).
• It will meet your needs for high speed internet service.
• 50 feet works out to around 20 cents or less per foot.

Bonus 1: At the time I checked the price, they were further discounted.

Bonus 2: It comes with 15 cable clips included, so if you want to keep neat and tidy cable runs there is no need to buy them elsewhere

Cons

• This is pretty long if you only need something short.
• Well, its WHITE! That may be a pro or a con, but at least it isn’t blue. (You can get black too.)

Fastest Ethernet cable for Gaming – Cat7

As we wrote above, you will want the absolute fastest option for gaming on a local area network. Our pick of the best LAN cable is below.

Best Cat7 Ethernet cable for gaming

The best LAN cable PS4 owners, XBox and PC gamers will find in terms of speed, price and form factor. Plus, hey it’s black!

We picked the BLACK Cat7 Ethernet Cable from Jadaol.

This is undoubtedly the best Ethernet cable for PS4. I shouldn’t be ‘device-ist’ and only mention the PlayStation. This is also the best Ethernet cable for Xbox One X of course.

Why is it the best? First comes speed in our assessment, then price. It performed the best on both in our evaluation.

Pros

• It is one of the cheapest Cat7 cables you could possibly find. Cheaper than the Jadaol equivalent cable in white.
• Bonus – if you subscribe you can get a further discount of one dollar off (at the time of writing).
• It will more than meet your needs for high speed internet service.
• The 50 ft length works out to be 34 cents/ft.
• Again it is flat and we prefer that form. It is nicer for those slightly longer runs. It stays flat against anything you pin it to. Corners nicely (that does sound a little more like for a car than Ethernet cable!). It can be run under carpet or other floor coverings to make it less of a trip hazard (and less noticeable).
• It also seems to have the 15 clips included.
• Gold plated contact pins (not sure that is really an advantage! See below).

Cons

• While the price is great for Cat7, you can save by getting a shorter run (though I suppose that goes for all the above picks).

If you cannot benefit from the extreme speed capability of Cat7 just yet, you could do worse than to purchase one anyway. You decision to buy today will future-proof your installation.

This wide area network and local area network cable PlayStation 4, other platform and computer gamers will want to have if the network transverses outside is heavy duty.

Best Heavy-Duty Ethernet cable

If you will be running Ethernet cable outside to get from one Play Station to another, then probably the best is an Outdoor Cat 7 Ethernet Cable by ShineKee.

Note: This loses points for price and flexibility relative to the others, but gains some on the flip side for being so robust. If you do want to run Ethernet cord outside between buildings for some reason, this would be our pick.

Yes, it is extreme but I pick this as best LAN cable in the special category of cables designed to be robust enough for outside cable runs.

Other Factors

We already mentioned the added nicety of flat cables. There are yet a few more pointers we can share.

Best Bundle – Multi-color Ethernet Cable

If you are going to be gaming on a LAN with friends (or if you have several devices networked) this is an important tip.

Everyone knows Ethernet cable is blue, right?

Well, I suppose most people have seen some white or gray too. Despite the variation of black, blue, and white in our selections above it is true most Ethernet cables we see are blue.

Don’t unplug the wrong one!

Imagine you have everything connected and working well. At some point, you will have to disconnect one device. Maybe a printer or what ever.

You remove that blue cable that seemed to sway when you wobbled the other end.

Suddenly ‘oops’, you disconnect the wrong one.

> One blue cable wobbled another so you unplugged the wrong one.

LAN cable for PLayStation 4 Pro, PC and XBox One X – Great shades and you will never unplug the wrong cable again!

More than just a little annoying, isn’t it? Especially if your friends are (or rather were) still playing.

You will avoid this scenario if you buy a multi-pack like our pick below.

The best Ethernet multi-pack for PS4 and PC Gaming is:

CableGeeker Cat7 in a six-pack of 5 ft.

Pros

• High speed of Cat 7
• Competitive price
• We really love the different shades of blue and green in this pack!
• Flat cable

Cons

• You will quickly find that 5 ft isn’t all that long to build a LAN of six devices!
• To remedy that, we suggest the longer (but more basic reds, blues, blacks etc) 15 ft Cat 6 pack of 5 cables or
• this 15 ft Cat6 multi-pack of 10 cables.

Appearance – best looking Ethernet cable

Gold plated connector pins may help make it appear better, and can be – but probably not how you imagine.

Note: Copper can conduct better than gold and thus can perform better, but it also can tarnish. Gold will stay looking pristine!

I do not know how much, if any, a fine layer of copper oxide tarnish could make to an already-connected cable. It would have to be minute if at all.

*I have a guru electrical engineer friend who laughs at the idea of people paying extra for gold plating.

I can not imagine a small incremental price is worth paying for this if you have another otherwise identical option. It may make you feel better I suppose!

Knowing you bought the best and more expensive option only pleases a few people. If you are one of them, go for it!

Speaking of appearance here is our pick for the best outlandish Ethernet Cable:

The look of this braided flat Cat 7 Ethernet cable is most definitely unique! It ranks as best Ethernet cable for gaming with unique looks.

Tera Grand Purple & Blue Nylon Braided Jacket Cat7 Gigabit Ethernet cable.

Pros

• Absolutely awesome affect from the braided jacket in blue and purple.
• Good points for form factor. It is a flat cable, by now you know it is a preference of ours.
• Cat7 for top performance.

Cons

• This look is not for everybody.
• If it is, then you will need to be prepared to pay for it. Not the cheapest on our list!

We’ve covered aspects of performance, value and appearance.

What else is there?

Feel!

LAN Cable PS4 Owners Can Feel Good About!

As stated above, LAN usage calls for minimum Cat6 or preferably Cat7. This braided LAN Cable is a PS4 owner’s dream. Feel that luxury right there in in your hand. Not a plastic feel at all. Nice.

This wins our pick as the best braided LAN cable.

It’s the DanYee braided Cat7 Cable. It comes in Black-white, Blue-white, Gold and White-black.

Pros

• Cat 7 performance – brilliant!
• Appearance – The braided cord stands out in a good way (it boasts gold plated plugs too).
• Round cross-section – the braided outside feels nicer rounded I think.
• Price (and value in this case) – not bad at all, seriously.

All up, it is our top pick for cord connoisseurs.

Cons

• The main reason it did not make the overall top pick is that most owners do not want their cables to stand out. Apart from the gold cord, this does so less than the purple-blue one above. Yet it still does stand out. For some this it makes a statement and is not a con!
  

Before you go, I promised some prompts to make sure you buy these accessories today.

Ethernet Cable Accessories

If you have to buy only one of these in a ‘bricks and mortar’ shop later, the extra cost could have paid for buying them all up-front online today. Even if you are not sure you will need them, I suggest getting a few small packs as a minimum with your order.

Cable splitters

Cable splitter in a single block (these are cheaper).

Best Ethernet Cable Splitter for gaming (click the image for more).

Connectors or couplers

Already have a PS4 network cable and want to extend it? This connector is the best to get because being RJ45 it works with any category of cable (those above anyhow).

Ugreen RJ45 Coupler

These Ethernet Cable Extender are neat in a single block.

Cable Clips

Cute ones for on your desk or TV console.

Multi-pack with multi-size cable clips.

Projectors

Have you considered a projector? Maybe today is the day to buy one as well as your cables!

Cheap Projector
I spotted this projector by Vankyo reduced to the same price as others and a little brighter (2400 lumens). It claims full HD (1080p) capability (though native resolution is 800×400). The next projector I show after this is their (Vankyo) highest resolution projector which of course costs a little more – but is very affordable.

While you are looking at PS4 Ethernet cable, this projector might be an nice cheap inclusion in your order to start you enjoying projected gaming. Not the high resolution you really need for PlayStation 4 resolution. By all means find a higher resolution one.

The top Vankyo projector.

Best Vankyo projector for gaming pc or home entertainment.

It has 1920×1080 native resolution, and the projector is much brighter. Surprisingly very affordable.

Further selection help

There isn’t anything else you need to worry about before you buy. Just select the performance of the one you want, select our pick from the best above using characteristics you like (or get similar in the length you need). Buy it today while you still remember the key points above!

Did we miss something. Can you recommend another cable you’d like us to include? Please leave a comment below (comments are moderated).

Summary of best Ethernet cable for gaming on PS4 etc.

Well I hope I explained why you can use Cat 7 Ethernet cable for PS4 Pro and other gaming. I also hope I have saved you money and helped you select the best Ethernet cable for gaming on a LAN and which is the best internet cord for PS4, Xbox One or PC (online) gaming.

The post Best Ethernet Cable for Gaming (incl. LAN Cable PS4 Xbox & PC) appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.

We look at Cat5 verses Cat6 cables’ speed, price and selection. You likely want to know what the difference between Cat5 and Cat6 cable is. I simplify the jargon and clarify the differences in this article. A key difference in these two standards is performance and it comes at a price. The trick is you might not get better performance in your application.  You could save money or prevent poor performance. Read on to learn more, clarify the difference between them, and know which to buy.

Cat5 Vs Cat6 Ethernet Cables

Whether you are looking to install in the home or professionally, the brief introduction and quick facts will get you started.

Then I provide everything you could need to know with information that is more in depth. Here are some shortcuts to jump to specific items:

Cat5 Speed

Cat5e Speed

Cat6 Speed

Cat5 vs Cat6 price

Cat5 vs Cat6 connectors

Cat5 vs Cat5e vs Cat 6 in detail

The Basics

Cat5 stands for Category 5 Ethernet cable and Cat6 refers to Category 6 Ethernet cable.

These are copper cables with the copper arranged in 4 twisted wire pairs inside.

A thermoplastic material electrically insulates each individual wire, and the cable then has an overall plastic jacket.

Cat5 Vs Cat6 cable – Ethernet cables are always blue aren’t they?!

The external sheath can be blue (most common), green, red, yellow, pink, purple or other; it doesn’t have any specific meaning.

Your workplace might have defined their own system to make it obvious at a glance which cable is which service.

The standards set out consistent design for performance within commercial buildings (and between campus buildings). The standards define the specifications and name the category.

I give more details on the standards further below.

In simple terms, Cat5 is an older and lower level standard with less stringent requirements than Cat6.

Is it Cat5 vs Cat6 or Cat5e Vs Cat6?

We often use Cat5 as a general term. Mostly what is actually used is Cat5e cable (since 2001). This has specifications improved over Cat 5. The ‘e’ stands for ‘enhanced’.

So while I use the term Cat5 Ethernet cable, I cover Cat5 vs Cat5e and Cat5e vs Cat6 in this article. You will be able to tell the difference between Cat5e and Cat6 and all variations in the end.

Cat5 Vs Cat6 Speed Performance

Cat 6 Ethernet cable can transmit data at a higher rate than Cat5 (better bandwidth). That means it can carry more data in the same time. This is only potentially so (more on this later).

In non-technical language, Cat6 is ‘faster’ than Cat5e and Cat 5e is ‘faster’ than Cat5. It is so because the cables’ designs defend against interference to different extents (explained below).

So, the Cat6 cable speed wins the Cat5 vs Cat6 battle in terms of performance.

Cat5 Vs Cat6 Cable Speed Performance in Numbers

To talk about performance limitations we need to use certain terms relating to Ethernet network performance. In case these are new to you, I clarify these terms and units in detail further below.

Cat 5 Cable Speed

Cat5 Ethernet cable is the older version, and the standards defined the Cat5e speed to include 10 Mbps up to 100 Mbps.

Cat5E Cable Speed

Cat5e, the enhanced version, is able to carry 1000 Mbps also known as 1000Base-T, also known as Gigabit Ethernet.

Cat.5e cable label

Cat5E vs Cat6 Cable Speed

Cat5e versus Cat6 speed is close, because Cat6 can also carry Gigabit Ethernet. It can do this and more; it can carry two-and-a-half times the data frequency over the same nominal distance. If this sounds a little leading, then I mean it to be…

Cat6 Cable Speed

The Cat6 speed can go beyond this and the standards specify it for 10 Gigabits/s, also known as 10GBase-T, but only over half the nominal distance. I will explain this ‘trickery’ in more detail below!

It is very useful though as often we need patch cable or backbone cable of only short lengths.

There is a further advancement to Cat 6 Cable design too (details on Cat6A cable speed to follow).

Jump to Cat6A speed.

Interference or Crosstalk in Brief

When cables side by side transmit data, they also create changing electromagnetic fields in each other. These external sources of electromagnetic fields create interference, similar to distortion or noise, which can cause errors in the data.

The worse the interference and errors the more restricted the overall data transmission rate must be so the data is not corrupted.

That is, interference means the system will need to be ‘run slower’.

See ‘Interference and Crosstalk in Detail’ further below for more information (like where the term ‘crosstalk’ comes from).

Which is more common?

We use these Ethernet cables both in commercial offices and at home, but which is used more, Cat5 vs Cat6?

We use Cat5 Ethernet cable (or more likely Cat5e Ethernet cable) in almost every home situation rather than Cat6. Speed is important, but so is price.

Cat 5e Ethernet cable is currently the most common in buildings between the telecommunications hub and each office wall jack. It is also typically in place between the wall jack and the end device (workstation Computer, laptop, digital phone).

Cat5 Vs Cat6 Price

Cat5 (and even Cat5e) with its less stringent requirements mean it is cheaper to manufacture and cheaper to buy. The difference might not be significant depending on your project and the lengths you buy.

As for most things, the more you buy the lower the price. ‘Economy of scale’ they call it!

You may observe that terminating the end connectors and the cost of the end connectors is a base cost, so a short cable isn’t much cheaper than a long cable.

Often the Cat6 costs only 20% more than Cat5.

This isn’t always true as the newer flat design Cat6 cable cost isn’t much more expensive to manufacture.

None-the-less, Cat5/5e still wins the Cat5 Vs Cat6 battle on price.

Here is some typical pricing.

Prices change from time to time, but here is some typical pricing to give you an idea how little difference between Cat5 and Cat6 there is.

The Cat5e price is around $5 (USD) for very short lengths online (with connectors). Expect to pay a little more in-stores where you can get advice, feel exactly what you are buying, and pick it up straight away.

Long lengths of Cat5e with connectors are priced at around $15 (USD) for around 100 feet (30 meters).

The Cat6 price is around $6 (USD) for short lengths

Cat6 Cable price is around $17 (USD) for 100 ft.

How to Determine the Difference between Cat 5 Cable Vs Cat6 Cable

If you have Ethernet cables already, and you want to know which they are, you can inspect a couple of places to determine the difference.

1. Firstly, look on the side of the cable for lightly printed information. This will have details like “CAT.5E” and “VARIFIED FOR GIGABIT ETHERNET”.
2. Secondly, you can look at the cable’s Ethernet connector end on. While both Cat5e and Cat6 connectors fit into the same wall jack, Cat 5 connectors and Cat 5e connectors have the pins all in a straight (flat) row versus the Cat6 cable’s connectors might bot. Typically have them in an alternating high/low arrangement. Also known as row stitching.
   

Easiest way to tell the difference between Cat5e and Cat6 cable – inspect the side. This Cat5e cable is verified for Gigabit Ethernet.

In addition, some versions of cat 6 cable (often the older versions) have an internal spine.

The spine is there to give extra physical separation between the twisted wire pairs as a means to reduce interference.

While you might not cut them open to see if this is the case, you can tell the Cat 6 Ethernet cable of this type because the spine makes it stiffer or less flexible.

Flat Cat6A cable and cost

A newer design of Cat6 cable is flat with the external plastic also positioned between and separating each pair of twisted wires (instead of using the spine to do so). Just a different way to achieve reduced interference and higher Cat6 speed.

Flat Cat6A cable seems to be cheaper to make (and to buy) compared to the older Cat6 cable with the spine.

I expect that the spine was additional material and created an additional cost in the manufacturing set-up. By separating the twisted wire pairs with the coating sheath-in-one, there are fewer components and manufacturing costs and price to buy seems less.

Cat6 Vs Cat6e or Cat6A Ethernet Cable?

Some people get confused and expect the enhanced version of Cat6 is Cat6E.

The advanced version of Cat 6 cable is ‘Cat 6A’ (often written with a subscript ‘A’, i.e. Cat6_A) not Cat 6e cable (i.e. the question is Cat6 vs Cat6A rather than Cat6 vs Cat6e). We look at it in detail next and look at the differences between it and the other categories mentioned.

Cat5 Vs Cat6 Vs Cat6A

Not unlike with Cat5 and Cat5e, the authorities created an improved category of Cat 6 cable called Cat 6A, to increase performance to the next desired level. The standards defined it with 10GBase-T performance over the full 100 meters maximum length (328 ft. rather than 164 ft.).

As stated in brief above, Cat6 performs higher rates over a shorter distance than the official rate for the maximum length.

This is because there will be less interference over shorter cable runs (the adjacent cables have less length over which to distort the intended signal).

The standard allows Cat6 for 10GBase-T or Gigabit Ethernet (1000 MHz) over 55 meters or 180 ft.

Thus, a Cat 6 cable can carry 10 times the data frequency of a Cat 5 cable over the shorter 55 m maximum length.

These limitations mean that for applications in system components that require higher data transfer rates, 10Gigabit Ethernet performance, the Cat6A cable is the preferred option.

Cat5 and Cat6 Application

The typical internet performance to the home makes it unlikely to be an advantage to have more than that installed, based on performance of the two Ethernet cable types. This is certainly the case for surfing the internet.

If you have ever tried an internet speed test, then you will know how fast your overall speed is. This tests the speed from your computer to the test server and includes everything between.

It is not great to test with Wi-Fi connecting your computer to the nearest modem. Ideally you connect with Ethernet cable to your modem to see what else is limiting because often Wifi makes a notable limitation. It can be the weakest link in the chain.

The point is, in most cases the internet speed is somewhere between 5 and 100 Mbits/s.

It is not worth paying for Cat6 Cable speed of Gbase-T to 10Gbase-T if it is for surfing the internet, if for you it is limited to your door at only 10 Mbits/s!

Cat5 Vs Cat6 – The details

Now we can get into some juicy details! Hang in there with me; it will be useful and interesting and could save you money or improve the speed and performance you get!

Remember Price is what you pay and value is what you get!

When can it be worth it to pay for Cat 6 Speed?

As stated above, Cat 5 cable will be sufficient from your modem to your computer or digital TV when surfing the internet and streaming Youtube videos.

Note: Cat 5 Ethernet cable between the two is certainly better than Wi-Fi!

If your application has a system that will run at the higher speeds, then the small incremental price buys a huge performance increase! In this case it is worth it to buy Cat6 or Cat6A Ethernet Cable rather then Cat5 or Cat5e.

Here a few situations as examples in which you might want to select Cat6 Cable.

• If you have a NAS (network-attached server) and you stream movies or other video at very high speeds from there to your viewing device, it might be worth installing Cat6 Cable.
• If you often watch or edit video, or 3D images and designs, or 3D video and read or write from/to some form of data storage device on your local network (LAN) attached via your modem or otherwise connect to a separate storage device via Ethernet cable, then you can benefit by installing Cat6 or Cat6A cable for its speed.
• I’ve witnessed some companies doing complex modeling of underground rock formations in 3D from seismic data. Interesting and most definitely an example of heavy computational power and data transfer.
• Similarly, within your office building you can benefit from Cat6 cable speeds for your company intranet. Here you want fast speeds if your company has significant internal data transfer between users and servers.
  

In other words, even if your internet isn’t that fast, there is potential for benefits for Cat 6 as your LAN cable within your local area network.

Should You Select Cat6 Cable for Future-proofing?

Some people suggest installing Cat6 or Cat 6A for 10Gbase-T speed so that your infrastructure is not limiting when future advancements occur beyond your area of control (eg. Optic fibre to the home). If you have money to spare, why not?!

Seriously though, the cost of Cat6A Ethernet cable isn’t much more these days with the newer flat design.

Horizontal vs Backbone Ethernet Cables

Cat5e is commonly used for so-called ‘horizontal’ cabling.

Note: The term horizontal refers to the physical arrangement. It is for cabling that runs through the office from the telecommunications hub on each floor of the commercial building to the office terminals, computer workstations, or other equipment.

Hence, it runs more or less horizontally through the building.

Cat6 cables have been around for only a few years less than Cat5e cables.

However, we often use Cat 6 Ethernet cables as the backbone in building networks, instead of to workstations themselves (the ‘horizontal cables’) for which, as indicated, we use the Cat5e Ethernet cable.

One reason for this (beyond cost) is the fact that the maximum length is less. While Cat6 cables can handle up to 10 Gigabits of data, that bandwidth is limited to around half the maximum distance (say 164 feet 50 meters or so). Anything beyond that will rapidly decay to only 1 Gigabit (the same as Cat5e).

You will not find it cost effective to use Cat6 cable in long runs to workstations in which the performance is no better in practice than Cat5e.

Cat5 Vs Cat6 Connectors

Both Cat5 and Cat6 cable connectors can use the standard jack known as RJ45. The connectors themselves (on the ends of the cables) are not the same (see image below), but they are suitable for the same connecting jack.

This makes them both backward compatible to earlier versions and each other.

Cat5 vs cat6 connectors. Note the Cat6 connector has adjacent wires offset vertically due to the thicker diameter to allow an identical width.

As indicated above, they designed Cat 6 Ethernet cable for less interference resulting in higher transmission rates. In other words, it is ‘faster’! Note it has ‘the ability’ to perform greater data transfer rate but won’t under all circumstances.

Yes we know it is not technically about the speed the signal travels in the cable, rather the frequency at which the system can operate and thus the amount in the same time. After all, you hear people complain “my internet is slow!” not “my frequency of data transfer is reduced”!

Units explained and Cat5 vs Cat6 Performance in Detail

To talk about the key performance characteristic of different Categories of Ethernet Cable, I will first remind you that we quantify data in bits, and for large amounts of data, in Mbits (Megabits, with ‘Mega’ being the prefix for 1 million).

The next unit up is Gbits (Gigabits), being 1000 times greater.

We measure rate of data transmission in Mbits per second (Mbits/s).

Note: Sometimes people refer to MHz (Mega-Hz), where Hz is the frequency unit ‘Hertz’ that simply stands for cycles per second. Cycles per second does not really play a part in DIGITAL transmission. Cycles/s is more of an ‘analogue’ term (analogue telephone, radio, sound etc.).

When talking about Ethernet over twisted wire cable, we refer to Base-T (T for twisted pair) and multiples of Base-T. Early on, Ethernet speed was 10 times the nominal Base frequency of 1 Mbits/s, which is 10Mbits/s or ‘10Base-T’.

Faster Ethernet was produced and called 100Base-TX and yes, you are right if you guessed it refers to 100 Mbits/s.

The standards defined the enhanced Cat 5 as Cat 5e for 1000BASE-T (also known as Gigabit Ethernet). It is also suitable the lower rates mentioned above (i.e. backward compatible).

Cat6 is able to carry two and a half times Cat5e over the full nominal maximum distance. I think there was never a fully standardized 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet.

Cat6A Cable Speed

The standards define Cat6A speed to achieve 10GBase-T or 10 Gigabit Ethernet (that is 10 Gbits/s).

What is interference or Crosstalk in Detail?

You know that a wire produces an electro-magnetic field when it carries an electric current. Not just in the cable but around it too. It is what enables us to create electromagnets electric turbines and motors among many other examples.

When cables side by side transmit data, they also create changing electric fields in each other. These external sources of electromagnetic fields create interference, like distortion, which can cause errors in the data.

One circuit can cause crosstalk in another by undesired inductive influence as explained above, or conductive coupling from one circuit or channel to another. This can occur through the plastic insulating wire coating (insufficient or deteriorated in some way).

Did you know? In the very old days of telecommunications, the interference in wires or at the exchange could lead to one pair of users hearing some amount of another conversation from another call. Hence the term crosstalk.

In electronics, the separate wires are not actually talking over each other!

Crosstalk is any phenomenon by which a signal transmitted on one circuit or channel of a transmission system creates an undesired effect in another circuit or channel.

Why is Crosstalk Important?

In Ethernet cabling for internet or intranet data transmission, crosstalk is interference that reduces data quality and limits the transfer speed.

Physical elements of cable design and construction like the length of the cable and the spacing between the cable wires impacts on the quality of the signal received at the other end.

Think about it – if interference can occur with cables side by side, you can imagine that a longer length gives more exposure and more interference.

As stated in brief above, Cat6 performs at the higher rate of 10Gigabits/s over a shorter distance of 50 to 55 meters.

This is because there will be less interference over shorter cable runs (the adjacent cables have less length over which to distort the intended signal).

Twisted pairs reduce Crosstalk and Increase Ethernet Cable Speeds

In addition, manufacturers make these cables with wires twisted around each other, much like the multiple twisted twines in rope. Certain categories of cables are designed and manufactured in pairs. Each twisted pair carries a balanced signal.

Where more than one pair of twisted wires exist, each pair have different number of twists per unit length.

Specifications measure the amount of twisting in length per twist, also referred to as pitch.

Each twisted wire pair has a precise pitch throughout the length of the cable. This also reduces crosstalk and is one reason why twisted pair cables have much higher speeds than if old phone cable types were still used.

For example, incorrectly wired terminations can separate the intended two paired signals within the twisted wires which results in mismatched signals and increased crosstalk.

The target of reduced crosstalk is why some Cat 6 Ethernet cable has a spine through the middle – it separates the 4 twisted wire pairs and thus reduces the influence of data transmission in one cable pair on the others.

Why is the difference in Cat5 vs Cat6 transmission quality important?

The better the quality of transmission the better quality of data received at the other end of the cable. The worse the quality of the data the slower the speed at which the data can be transmitted.

End devices can perform error checking and correcting to some extent, but when the quality is low, they must decrease the data transmission rate to compensate.

Shielding

In addition, other external currents and electromagnetic fields also can interfere with the data. That’s where shielding can help. This lead to standards like Cat7. However, Cat 7 cable (and Cat7 connector) is not compatible with Cat 5 and Cat6 (nor their wall jack).

It is interesting that once you go to the effort and cost of shielding the wires (typically with a foil wrap), you can greatly decrease interference. This makes it is less important to twist the wire pairs and tightly control the twist pitch, which can offset manufacturing cost to some degree.

Which standards specify Cat 5 and Cat 6 Ethernet Cables?

When we talk about Cat5 vs Cat6 we are talking about categories of Ethernet cabling specified by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association), and also international standards (see further below).

Note: Previously the EIA (Electronic Industries Alliance) was a contributor to the writing of the standard, but it no longer exists.

If you see a standard referenced as ‘TIA/EIA’ please be careful as it will be an out of date standard. Your information may be dated and you should get the most recent standard.

Which is the current US standard?

The current series of standards are ANSI/TIA-568 with a subsequent letter or letter-number combination to specify the application, such as cable type suitable, run distance, connector types and so on.

One of the most commonly referred to standards, it is for application to commercial building cabling for telecommunications products and services.

International Standard for network cables

The International standard ISO/IEC 11801 Information technology — Generic cabling for customer premises, similarly provides standards for network cables for use internationally.

Here you see the ISO/IEC label on the side of the upper cable.

For later categories of cables the US standard and international standard do not exactly align. Depending on your application, you might need to refer directly to the appropriate standard.

I mention standards for say 10 Gigabit Ethernet; standard IEEE 802.3ae-2002 was first to define it. Rather than go into more detail on these standards in this article, it is better I direct you to the actual standards themselves as there is significant depth to them all.

More on Maximum Length of Horizontal Ethernet Cable

Which cable has the maximum allowed length, Cat5e vs Cat6? For 1000Base-T it is the same.

Both Can have up to 100 meters (328 ft) of horizontal cable service. This consists of 90 meters (295 ft) of solid “horizontal” cabling between the patch panel and the wall jack.

For each horizontal run a total of 10 m (33 feet) is permitted for work area cords, patch cords, jumper wires and equipment cords.

At the horizontal cross-connect within the server room or telecommunications hub the maximum length of patch cords and jumper wires used to connect horizontal cable to equipment or backbone cable is not to exceed 5 m (16 ft.)

With a recommended maximum of 5 meters (16 ft) of stranded patch cable between each jack and the attached device.

That leaves another 5 meters for patch and jumper cabling within the server room or telecommunications hub.

This arrangement changes somewhat for open office floors. The 90 m is scaled back to allow longer work area cables. This allows the office plan to change without the need to change the horizontal cabling.

How to wire Cat5 and Cat6 Connectors

Once you have selected your cable, you will likely want to terminate them with RJ-45 connectors and use the RJ-45 pinout method here.

Wrap up.

As more people become aware of the different types of Ethernet cables, they want to know the difference between Cat5 and cat6 Cables.

Has this helped you learn and judge the difference between Cat 5 and Cat 6 cables and enabled you to select which you need?

There are more Ethernet cable types too and we will cover those in another article.

Please let me know in the comments below if there is anything else that you would like to know.

Cat 5 vs Cat6 Ethernet Cable in Summary

We weighed up the pros and cons of Cat 5 Cable versus Cat 6 Ethernet Cable speed and cost, including variations such as Cat 5e and Cat 6A. Cat 6A leads the pack with fastest performance, and we learned that performance requires specifications that are more stringent so it comes at a cost. We also wrote about advanced versions of each cable type and showed that length of service is important when considering Cat 6 versus Cat 6A Ethernet cable. There you have it, everything you ever wanted to know about Cat5 verses Cat6 cable performance!

The post Clarify and select Cat5 vs Cat6 Ethernet cables appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.

Making RJ45 wiring easy when you have the right RJ45 pinout diagram. Several variations are shown below. I carry Ethernet cable with me all the time so you know it will be useful. To help you memorize it, I created an easy poem so you will always remember the most popular cable wiring color order. I know it’s counter-intuitive, to make something that means you won’t need to keep coming back, but to help you is my priority! I also share a video to help. Just follow the steps below to create your own. If you are looking for an Ethernet crossover cable you can make one following the steps below and paying attention to the relevant note. Read on!

The first thing you need to do when making Ethernet cable is make sure you have the right tools. While I’ll cover that further below, you can also check out TheTechMentor.com article that reviews complete network installation tool kits here.

I’ll get straight into showing the diagrams and provide more options and details further below.

Make sure you use the correct RJ45 Pinout wiring diagram for your needs.

There are a couple of standards and there is also crossover cable, so make sure you study the RJ45 Pinout diagrams below to get the right one for your needs. The following is for T568 B (most common).

This RJ 45 pin diagram (T-568B) shows everything you need in one handy image, with iso-view and RJ45 color order, suitable for printing quite large.

I like this pinout diagram because it shows everything you need. It includes an isometric view and pin-color order table, all in one large diagram. You can print it for the wall, though the smaller one below also shows what you need within a smaller diagram which may be better to print and carry with you.

You may already know each Ethernet cable has four wire pairs.

All your Ethernet connectors (8P8C) have eight pin slots.

Always face the clip away from you so you see just the flat side with the pins. You count (or label) the cables from left to right from 1 to 8 (easy!).

There are two standards for wiring Ethernet cables, these are T568A and T568B. T568B is the most common and is what we’ll be using for our straight Ethernet cable.

RJ45 Pinout Diagram

As I explained, the most popular and most common is the T568B standard which has surpassed the first standard (T568A). Either configurations wire the pins straight through (i.e. pins 1 through 8 on one end are connected to pins 1 through 8 on the other end, provided you wire them the same at each end).

Please do also check out the RJ45 Pinout Poem below which is easy to memorize with the aid of the diagram provided and it means you won’t ever forget it!

If you agree the poem might work for you or others, please share it with your colleagues!

Note: as stated above, the tab is away from you (hidden behind) as you count the pins 1 to 8.

Here is a simple RJ45 Pinout Diagram (which still shows the wiring you need):

RJ45 Pinout wiring diagram (std T568B). Feel free to print it and carry it with you. If you want a larger diagram see further below. Normally a string of colors is difficult to remember similarly to phone numbers. It is surprisingly easy to memorize these colors as you’ll see. Read on to learn how!

You can follow the step by step instructions further below to make them up.

It might not be practical to always carry this RJ45 pinout diagram with you.

It can be easy to memorize the order, if you know how. I strongly recommend it. Then you can impress everyone that you have memorized it and say the colors in order quickly.

While the RJ45 B pinout wiring order is more recent and more commonly used these days, the T568 RJ45 A wiring order is still quite common (you just want to be consistent and use the crossover cable further below where necessary).

This diagram shows the original T-568 pinout wiring order. Again, as per it’s counterpart shown further above, this one is small but ideal to print and carry with you.

The next pinout diagram below is the counterpart for the more detailed isometric and T-568-B RJ-45 wiring above, showing rj45 pin numbers and color order for T-568 A. Can you pick which pairs are swapped relative to the T-568B wiring diagram?

T568A Wiring Diagram with RJ45 Pin numbers and wiring order:

In this RJ-45 A wiring diagram you can see the isometric view and color order. The swapped wiring order pairs are explained further below.

I mentioned a way to memorize the RJ45 Pinouts. The way to do it so you never need to rely on printouts again is by using the memorization tools below.

RJ45 Pinout Poem

First a question; what thing has color that also is has the name of the color? An orange of course!

This is the first wire pair base color.

The poem below (or riddle) gives the colors of wiring to pin 1 through 8.I’ve rewritten it slightly to make more sense than the older version.

NOTE: Where you see a ‘w’ that signifies the color white which will make the combination wire when combined with the next color. You’ll see what I mean!

See further below as to how this mnemonic (memorization technique) helps you remember the RJ45 pinout order.

Remember you saw it here first on TheTechMentor.com!

The RJ-45 Pinout diagram poem and picture is for the more common T568B RJ45 wiring.

While an Orange is Orange

Whose Green eyes are Blue?

Well Blueberries in Greenland

Who want Browner Brownies too!

It works well as the construction of the poem is made to match the RJ45 pinout. The riddle, with the wire colors used, only makes sense in this order.

Memorization Techniques included:

There are several patterns, rhyming verses and emotional elements to note which really help you remember it.

• The orange is first on top and easiest of all to remember since an orange is orange! So it goes first.
  
• Each pair has a ‘w’ letter first combined with the following letter, thus giving the white striped wire color first of every two wires. This is a helpful pattern to remember.
  
• The question and answer format (2 lines each) or riddle helps keep the pattern straight.
• You’re asking what green eyes are ‘blue’ (sad). There are so many songs talking about certain color eyes being blue (sad). In this case we ask what green eyes are blue. It probably should be ‘whose’, but to make a sound closer to ‘white’ we ask ‘what’ instead.
  
• The answer relates to blueberries of Greenland. Remember a country that has a color – Ireland just wouldn’t work here! The sad little blueberries have to be on something – they are on the land, so they come first before the land (blue before green).
• In the end, the brownies followed by ‘too’ give a rhyme with ‘blue’. The critters want darker brown brownies like everyone else has. The last two main colors are the same (brown and brown) just as the first two main colors are the same (orange and orange).
  

It helps that you remember the image too, as each wire pair color is in order top to bottom (and left to right).

I recommend you draw it out, in color (optional). I suggest you do this and repeat the poem while you do it.

If you do, you will always remember the RJ45 pinout and you will not need a diagram anymore!

It’s a silly image and that also helps you remember it.

How does the poem provide the colors?

So the poem with the color codes explained is like this.

While an Orange is Orange (W-O, O)

Whose Green eyes are Blue? (W-G, B)

Well Blueberries in Greenland (W-B, G)

Who want Browner Brownies too! (W-B, B)

I’ve put a larger version below as well in case you want to take a copy.

NOTE: you are welcome to print so long as you keep TheTechMentor.com on the printed image, and if you have a website you are welcome to use on a website so long as you link back to this article. Use of the poem also requires a link back to this article (thank you).

RJ45 Pinout poem picture explanation, giving WO, O, WG, B, WB, G, WB, B for the wiring to pins 1 to 8 (for T568B RJ45 wiring). [You are welcome to print so long as you keep TheTechMentor.com on the printed image, and use on a website so long as you link back to this article.]

Note: if you mumble the RJ45 Pinout Poem, it sounds like you are saying the pinout order!

Tell me what you think!

Please comment below and let me know what you think. Do you like my new Pinout Poem and think it will help you or someone you know? Is it bad? How could it be better?

Do you like my artwork (the RJ45 Pinout Poem Pic.)?

Should I not give up my day job just yet?

Okay, so you may not be interested in the poem. If not, then the tables below provide you with a serious view of the data.

Ethernet Cable Plug RJ45 Pinout (Wiring Color) Table for T568B

The table below show the proper Ethernet plug wiring with orientation of the colored wires to the pins for the Cat6 Cable we’ll make (ie. the more common T568B standard cable, with a spine). See also the diagrams further below within the step by step instructions.

Ethernet RJ45 Pinout for T568A

Just for completeness I’ll list out the cable color order for the other Ethernet cable plug standard (T568A). Remember not to mix the two on one cable! Unless you want a crossover cable.

Ethernet RJ45 Crossover Cable Wiring

NOTE: Of course if you want to make a cross over cable, then you can make the cable wiring to the different standard alignments at each plug (i.e. one end will have the T568B and the other the T568A). There is also a diagram of this showing the wires in color further below.

Ethernet Crossover Cable Wiring Pinout

In RJ45 Ethernet crossover cable wiring, it is almost as easy as 1, 2, 3. They are the first three numbers to remember anyway.

Yes, here come some more memorization techniques!

You can remember which cables are switched by remembering the following:

Twelve thirty-six to thirty-six twelve, i.e.

12 36 to 36 12

(For the Ethernet cable plug pin numbering above.)

That means 1 goes to 3, 2 goes to 6; 3 goes to 1 and 6 goes to 2.

This gives you the relevant switch of T568A to T568B (and vice versa, i.e. T568 B to T568 A).

• It is easier to remember because it makes it seem like just 2 pairs of numbers, then reversed.
• First pair is 12, say like 12 months in the year.
• Second pair is 36, (well, 3 follows on from 1 and 2, and 36 is three times 12 the first pair).
• Or using 1, 2, 3: the first numbers are 1, 2 and 3, and the last number is 1 x 2 x 3 which equals 6.

It helps if you can remember that the first three numbers are 123. So easy! 3 is the hook to get the final pair, as 12 times 3 gives the second pair. There are many different memorization hooks you can use.

Still having a little difficulty visualizing the crossover pinout? Here is a diagram I hope will help.

RJ45 Crossover Cable Pinout

RJ45 Pinout to make an Ethernet crossover cable. This is useful to visualize the ’12’ ’36’ to ’36’ ’12’ pinout rj45 crossover pattern, making it look simpler than it sounds. Note all we really have is the orange base color pair swapping with the green base color pair.

Okay, now on with the method.

How to make an RJ45 Ethernet Patch Cable Like a Pro!

Follow the step by step instructions below.

Note: The term ‘patch’ cable is just another way to describe a shorter or room-run cable.

Step 1: Cut and Strip

The cable not you! (Wink!)

Cut and strip the cable jacket about one and a half inches to the end. As we state elsewhere we own the TRENDNet cut and strip tool, but obviously use the one of your own preference. See further below for the tool links.

Step 2: Spread the Ethernet Cable Wires

Spread the four wires apart. For Cat 5e, you can use the pull string to strip the jacket farther down if you need to, then cut the pull string. As you may know, you need to cut out the spine from a Cat 6 cables before inserting into the Ethernet cable plug.

Step 3: Untwist the Wire Pairs

Untwist the wire pairs and neatly align them in your chosen orientation based on the RJ45 pinout, my pinout poem, the table(s) above or the RJ45 Ethernet pinout image below (T568B shown).

Basic RJ45 Pinout wiring diagram T568B as you insert into the RJ45 Connector (note tab is at the back)

This is a simpler version. Otherwise you can use the more detailed RJ45 Pinout Diagram 1 above.

NOTE: Do not untwist them down the cable further than where the jacket begins; you should aim to leave as much of the cable twisted as possible.

Step 4: Cut Again (Evenly)

Cut the wires as straight as possible, about half an inch from the end of the jacket. This is important as you want them all to sit evenly inside the cable plug. If you want to, you can hold it against the boot and mark with a permanent ink pen first.

Step 5: Insert Wires Into the Ethernet Cable Plug

Carefully insert the wires all the way into the modular connector, making sure that each wire passes through the appropriate guides inside the connector. Again, make sure you reference the RJ45 pinout diagram at this crucial step until you have it memorized.

Step 6: Crimp It!

Push the connector inside the crimping tool and squeeze the crimper all the way down.

So that is one end of our RJ45 wiring.

Repeat the above steps to attach another plug to the other end of the cable.

As I wrote above, you can make an Ethernet crossover cable by making the other end as a T568A, as per the image below.

RJ45 Pinout Diagram for T568 A

The RJ45 Ethernet Pinout below is still used, it’s just that the T568B is more common these days. It effects how the wires spread out from the main cable. In the end though, so long as you make sure you use the same pinout at each end, you will have your working Ethernet cable.

Cat5 Pinout diagram showing how to make an Ethernet plug wiring as inserted into the RJ45 connector

Ideally, to make sure you’ve properly terminated each end of the cable, use a cable tester to test each pin (see the link to a cheap cable tester in the tools below). This is when you will know if you cut your wire pairs evenly enough!

RJ45 Crossover Cable Pinout

To make an Ethernet Crossover cable, your cable pugs would be terminated like so:

Ethernet crossover cable end boots. Can you see the 12 36 to 36 12 pattern? Tabs are to the back (as usual).

Now that you’ve made your cable, then what? You might like to use it as Ethernet cable for gaming in your own LAN or maybe to connect up to the internet. It is a nice feeling to stop and remind yourself that you are using the Ethernet cable you made!

Links to more info. and to buy

If you are looking for Cheap RJ45 cable plugs (Ethernet cable connectors) and Ethernet wiring etc., please see the links in this article: Network Cable tools, tips and links.

Well that wraps up this article all about RJ45 Pinout diagrams and wiring steps. I really hope you find the memorization techniques helpful so you can memorize the wiring colors. After all, that is why I created it! Please add your comments below.

Summary of how to make RJ45 Wiring Easily

I’ve shown step by step instructions how you connect each RJ45 Ethernet cable plug in order to make up your Ethernet patch cable (or RJ45 crossover cable) with a bonus video. You now have TheTechMentor.com’s RJ45 Pinout Poem, and the silly memorable image so that you might never need a pinout diagram again! Plus you now have all the RJ45 Pinout diagrams you will need to follow.

The post Easy RJ45 Wiring (with RJ45 pinout diagram, steps and video) appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.

Here we list, review and advise our pick of the best computer network installation tool kit, ranging from sets that include your crimping and termination tools through to LAN cable testers (from your basic Cat5 and Cat 5e cable testers through to Cat6 cable testers – sorry I guess I should update for Cat 7cable), and of course a whole lot more.

At TheTechMentor.com we help computer techs and network technicians learn and earn more. I welcome additions to the list and any feedback good or bad in the comments below.

Many years ago a friend of mine, smiled and said with a glint in his eye, “He who dies with the most tools, wins!”

Read on and enjoy.

Based on feedback to TheTechMentor.com I know many of you want to strengthen your knowledge in computer networking. I’ll throw in some extra ideas for you too.

Legal Note: US FTC law require sites tell you as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases (we tell you this so you can decide how much weight to give our endorsement, though we aim to give enough information for you to make your own choice). Being an affiliate helps to keep this website online as many pages on this site just give free help. You don’t pay any extra (we prefer it if we can save you!).

The Number One Best Pick – My Preferred ready-made network Installation Tool kit

Fluke Networks installation tool kit with network cable tester, probe, crimper and more

We love the Fluke Networks tool kits of course.

If you can make the investment, the Fluke Networks MS2-TTK MicroScanner2 Network Cable Tester Kit with Cable verifier, IS60 Pro-Tool Kit and Probe will not disappoint.

Quality and usability is what you get, and it has the major items without any network cables, cable boots or other consumables.

It is practical to wear the key tools rather than carry them, with the Dur-a-Grip Pouch.

The whole tool kit is supplied in a carry case or woven tool kit bag.

If you get it with the woven tool kit bag, this is preferred as it has additional space for carrying more equipment and consumables.

If you are a pro, then this is highly recommended! We suspect you know you want one of these too.

Very helpful tool and if you are testing a lot of cables with long runs (or a big bundle of cables) then it is definitely worth the money.

Several of our past students have grown their business by installing CCTV networks, especially high end high def quality camera networks for security purposes.

This network installation tool kit is ideal for that.

The professionalism it brings to the job saving you time and allowing for faster quality work, and boosting your reputation is worth it.

[From the Editor: Sorry folks, the images in this article are no longer allowed to be showed as Amazon has changed their policy on that for these items. In most cases there is still a link you can click through on to see the images on the amazon website.]

Best Mid-range Price Cable installation Tool Kit

Mid Range winner: the Klein Tools VDV tool set

Updated for 2020.

The best mid-range network tool kit is the Klein Tools VDV Tool Set!

Klein tools do seem popular among colleagues.

This 6-Piece tool kit includes:

• Crimpers – good quality
• Punch-down Tool
• the Scout Pro 2 Cable Tester,
• Snips, and
• Carry Case.

The cable tester included can test not only data (RJ45), but also voice (RJ11/12) and video (F-connector) coax connections.

Though you might not have a need for the coax cable connection tester, it is not a bad option to have the ability to test them if you do install some coax cable (depends on your range of work, no doubt).

It gives a broader range of possible activities than the Klein Tools LAN Installation and Tester starter kit, which also is worthy of a mention.

• No consumables are included in either of these sets.

Best in Class – UbiGear Network Installation Tool kit

The best in its category including not just the punch down tool and probe but also screw drivers and some consumables, the winner is the Premium UbiGear Network Tool Kit.

UbiGear (Premium) – Network installation tool kit with premium network cable tester

There is pretty much everything included to make your own cables. Punch block tool, crimper, cable tester and consumables.

Some feedback is that the overall feel of the kit while solid, is not so much a professional kit.

But consider the following:

• Spring loaded rather than ratcheting grip can make a difference to some people.
  • In the end we don’t see it as an issue if you are looking to buy network installation tool kit for low frequency use as a professional or for home installation.
  • We say this because if for home you’ll find you can take the time regardless of whether or not you find it a little fiddly.
• If you are a pro then you will fall into one of two categories:
  • you may be used to a ratchet grip to allow you to readjust your grip etc. and not like it so much, or
  • you may find your skill level you can get it right in one go and don’t really need the ratchet mechanism.
• We don’t have an opinion either way. It’s good to know about it so you can decide.

Some indicate it seems more for those installing only a few networks. Certainly satisfactory for those installing LAN networks in small workplaces or at home.

Is the Premium Tester Worth it?

The remote tester is the premium version and as expected ‘does the trick’ and is very helpful. Is it worth the money for the premium tester? We say YES, we believe so.

Overall this wins the award of best in class because everything does work fine and the price is excellent.

More LAN Network Installation Tool Kits to Follow.

Introduction To our Network Installation Tool Kit List with Reviews

If you’re an experienced network technician you might just want to skim down to the parts that interest you. You probably want to check the list to see what you don’t have yet and pick up any ideas to make what you do easier.

I’m going to cover the essentials of what you need in a Computer network installation tool kit and present some of what I’d say are the best prepared kits available.

Where it helps, I set out the key features of each.

I want to make this list a handy reference so network installers can share it.

So, if you are an expert and I’ve left something out, please add it in the comments below.

This way this can be a growing, dynamic and updated reference.

Similarly if you are selling a different brand of tool kit; let everyone know. The more the merrier!

I’m going to cover a broad range of equipment, so I’ll also go through some of the very handy network testers and some network extender tools.

You are absolutely going to need a handheld network line tester and good options for a good meter are the Dr. Meter and any or all of the fluke networks tone generator and probe kits.

I’ve already mentioned the Fluke MS2 (Micro Scanner 2), so lets continue with related cable tester kits first.

Fluke Networks CableIQ Network Cable Tester Kit (CIQ-KIT) with Tone Generator

Fluke Cable IQ network cable tester kit (click to open image in another tab, and see video and pricing)

Only for professionals, this kit is specifically for the following: locating and tracing cables with Fluke IntelliTone digital signalling technology; documenting residential cabling systems are defect-free and TIA-570B compliant; cable qualification testing to check it has the bandwidth to support voice, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, VoIP, or CATV; mapping wiring configuration with distance to faults (yes!).

Of course you can also use it to test any copper cabling media (twisted-pair, coax, and audio cabling).

I mentioned mapping wiring configuration. The CableIQ graphically maps wiring configuration and shows distance to faults with intelligent Wiremap & TDR.

If you are a professional you will want to step up to the Fluke CableIQ functionality.

As the kit price is well over a thousand dollars, this kit is only for professionals who know what they are doing.

Having said that, you could target bigger and better paying clients with this if you buy and learn how to use it.

If you want to only get the cable tester then, just get the tester and probe only.

Fluke Networks MS2-KIT Network Cable Tester Kit with Probe

Fluke make great network technician tools including the MS2. Click to see more photos, pricing etc. (in a new tab).

This kit is only for professionals. It is a subset of the bigger kit above.

It is for the following: it displays cable length, wiremap, cable ID, and distance to fault on one screen (you really want this!) detecting 10/100/1000 Ethernet, POTS, and PoE; locating any cable or wire pair with Fluke IntelliTone digital and analog toning; testing all common cable types, including RJ11, RJ45, Coax (with no adapters required).

It has rubber molded enhanced grip with increased ruggedness.

The backlit LCD screen makes results crystal clear in any work environment

The magnetic strap attachment is handy to keep your hands free (and it keeps the tester safe from potential drops and accidents with the strong rare earth magnet).

Pricing is also only for professionals and worth every cent IMO.

Rosewill Network/PC Service Tool Network Tool Set

Rosewill network installation tool kit with pliers and no network cable tester (click to see in more detail in separate tab)

This is a brilliant all-in-one computer network installation tool kit.

If you are troubleshooting PCs or providing ongoing maintenance in addition to network cable installation, you will find everything you need in there as a network service tool kit.

True it covers more tools than your network-specific tool kit, with a host of pliers screw drivers and more.

It is supplied with the hard case in molded plastic.

Of all the many-in-one kits, this would have to be one of the more popular tool kits among our colleagues.

Important to note it does not have a network cable tester included. If you already have one that should be no problem.

It makes a very handy collection but without the network cable tester it can’t win our best pick selection.

At under 60 dollars (depending on where you find it) it can be great value. Check the price here.

InstallerParts 15 Piece Network Installation Tool Kit

Installer Parts network tech toolkit – Click to open in another tab, more images and pricing.

InstallerParts have a 15 Piece Network Installation Tool Kit and a 10 piece.

These are also very popular with colleagues lately.

The 15 piece toolkit includes a LAN Data Tester, 66 110 punch down tool, RJ11/45 crimper tool, 20-30 gauge wire stripper, 2 in 1 screwdriver and utility knife. They get plenty in the toolkit for the price.

The hard case is very good, and looks great. It is both lightweight and durable as you’d expect. It forms a great kit because each tool is encased in a durable mold with heat formed inserts to hold them firmly in their place during transport. Tidy.

In my opinion it is better than the soft cases with elastic (which can deteriorate after a few years).

I have found that it is important to ensure that molded cases have somewhere to get your fingers in under the tool, so it is quick and easy to get leverage under the tool to prize it out.

“They have thougth about that!”

They have thought about that and well designed for it, so no problem there. So the case is a notable bonus.

Quality of all items?

The knife and screwdriver are not considered the best quality by some, but you would not be buying this kit for the knife and screwdriver!

All I will say is do not throw away your existing handy knife (or knives) and screwdriver set (of which you probably already have a good one) when you order this collection of tools. 

(If you disagree, please say so in the comments.)

Having them there in the tool kit case will save you some effort to grab your better ones from another kit or separate tool bag from time to time I suppose.

This is a great choice for someone only needing to use it for a few jobs, and a professional who works on other things some of the time (i.e. not really doing full time network installation).

It’s been said the construction isn’t what you’d expect or demand from a professional kit that you use full time, and it makes some sense.

The price already tells you that. I don’t want to be down on this tool kit, don’t get me wrong.

They state it is professional grade, it is, and I just want to state my view for a couple of minor parts so you are not surprised.

Provided you know these things I predict you will be happy with it.

What we can say is the kit overall is better than fair-value for network installation, network cable repair and so on.

Network Cable Repair Maintenance Tool Kit Set 11 in 1 Portable Phone Cable Crimper 8P8C 4P4C 6P6C Connectors RJ45 RJ11 Cat5 Cat6 Cable Tester

This kit is one of the cheapest for what you get.

Basic complete Network Repair and Installation Kit (Click through for more images)

It has the necessary multi-function cable tester for testing telephone or network cables.

It has 1 to 8 plus ground LED lights (9V battery needed, so make sure you have those handy already).

Makes it Suitable as a network cable tester for the following:

• CAT5 cable tester and CAT5e cable tester
• RJ-45 cable tester kit, RJ-12 cable tester, and RJ-11 cable tester kit,
• 10/100BaseT cable tester, TIA-568A/568B, AT T 258-A;
• Necessarily also include a professional network crimper. Looks solid enough, in the usual 6P, 8P 4P arrangement.

As it is pretty low cost, you can use it to top up your existing network repair tool kit (we know tools can be lost on the job).

Maxmoral 6 in1 Network Tool Kit

This network installation tool kit includes network cable tester

This Network Installation Tool kit is from MaxMoral.

It includes LAN Network Cable Tester and a Professional quality Cable Crimper Tool.

Plugs included are UTP Network Cat 6 and RJ45 connectors.

Network cable connectors included are cable boots for RJ45 cable.

The crimper tool is made with heavy duty hardened carbon steel, and crimps your cables in the usual 6P 8P 4P positions.

It includes a stripper for either flat or round Cat5e and Cat6e cables.

There is a pack of 20 cable connectors (in 5 colors).

This one also doesn’t come with a carry case or tool bag.

That is fine for some people because they already have a suitable toolkit so what is the point of paying for another bag or box?

11pcs Network Combination PC Cable Wire Tester Crimping Cutter Punch Tools Kit Set

[Sorry, looks like this one isn’t at the link location anymore. You may still be able to find them in-store so we left our review here in case it helps. -Editor]

For now in case it help we have inserted the following kit.

Because the Tarechan Network Installation Toolkit is no longer available online, this link is for the Belong 11pcs Network Combination PC Cable Wire Tester Crimping Cutter Punch Tools Kit.

Disclosure: We have not yet tested this kit!

It looks quite similar. It could just be different branding of the same product!

In case you have one in your local store, the notes below relate to the Tarechan Network Installation Toolkit. And as I wrote above, the items appear to be very similar.

Everything is there in this kit. It looks pretty similar to the other tool set above.

The Belong Network Installation Toolkit. 11pcs Network Combination PC Cable Wire Tester Crimping Cutter Punch Tools Kit. * We have not tested this kit! *

It has a three pressure crimping pliers with the usual 6P 8P 4P arrangement. It contains a few crystal heads for a variety of cables.

As per the image, it has the 468 network cable tester for automated testing, fast testing of satisfactory connections etc.

It has the 501 stripping knife, and a whole lot more (click the image for a more detailed view on Amazon).

All held together in a simple but functional fold and zip toolkit. The toolkit is typical for this price range with tools held in their unique place by elastic straps.

This supplier I admit I am not that knowledgeable on, as we have not bought from them before.

So if you buy, please do us all a favor and please let us know in the comments below how it goes.

Which Bag to complete your Network tool kit?

Some of these kits don’t have their own bag or case as part of the set.

In any case, you might want to combine the tools from these sets into your own full tech and network tool kit with all your most-used tools.

We recommend (and use) the Kenneth Cole Reaction Show Business Laptop Bag as this is where you can keep your laptop and immediate tools.

It is a very professional looking tool kit, I believe.

The one I prefer is the brown leather. Looks great!

However, I warn you that for some reason this color is around double the price. (So check the black or tan to save some doe.)

If you have to buy another tool kit just because there is no carry case included, then that drops our rating of the tool set. For that reason, it drops out of contention for the review prize.

That said, it is great value for what it is.

Sorry, that is it for now, as this article is a work in progress. We add the other network tool sets we’ve looked over time.

We also revisit and update this review list every so often.

Related Tools

This list is specifically for network tool sets (though a few have a wider range of tools).

TheTechMentor.com has a very poplar post to help you build out a professional computer technician’s tool kit based on years of experience.

Click that link to check it out now (it should open in a new tab). It contains handy links for all sort of technicians’ tools and network cables. You can pick out any tool individually.

If you are searching specifically for a network cable tester, then this list sets one out for you among many other must-have tools. Do you have all the tools on that list (follow the above link to find out)?

Remember, “he who dies with the most tools, WINS!”

Oh wait, I did say I was going to provide some quick info for those wanting to get into doing more network installation and troubleshooting work.

Are You New to Network Installation, Repair and Troubleshooting?

If you’re looking for a toolkit because you are a beginner, you will be interested in getting started in computer networks and need some foundational understanding before you start trying to get some experience.

See and view a clear and useful guide to making an Ethernet patch cable here (opens in a new tab).

If you’re new to building your knowledge on computer networks then I recommend the CompTIA network plus book below (We have recommended Mike Meyers books before).

It’s very handy and as typical the CompTIA study course covers the basic knowledge or foundational knowledge that you need.

I know you may not intend to do exams and become a certified computer network technician.

However, this book does provide worthwhile knowledge before (and as) you start cutting and crimping.

For beginners, it is a book covering the basics and really is an essential network technician’s tool regardless of whether or not you intend to actually sit the CompTIA test.

Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Network+ book is a great way to leapfrog your computer networking knowledge. If your are learning it belongs in your tool kit! Click the cover image to check it out on Amazon.

Summary of Computer Network Installation Tool kit list reviews

Our favorite is the first one from Fluke Networks (which includes include one of the best network cable testers). It is a highly professional computer LAN network installation tool kit, with the best tools.

Klein tools have many options we like and we refer to two above. Highly commended is the UbiGear Network installation and repair tool kit, and we regard it as the best in its class.

The post The Best Computer Network Installation Tool Kits appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.

The tool is called DNS Benchmark and it was created specifically for benchmarking available DNS servers.  It is a stand-alone app so nothing has to be installed.  You can even run it directly from your flash drive.

The first thing you will need to do is download and run DNS Benchmark.

After the program opens, click the “Nameservers” tab and click the “Add/Remove” button to add your DNS servers.

Enter your DNS server addresses clicking “Add” after each one.  When finished, click the “Close” button.

Now you can run the DNS benchmark test by clicking the “Run Benchmark” button.

Once the test finishes, you will see a list of all the DNS servers sorted by fastest response time.

If the ISP’s DNS servers are not responding faster than the public DNS servers then you may want to contact the ISP or start using the faster public DNS servers instead.

The post How to Compare your ISP’s DNS Servers with Others appeared first on TheTechMentor.com.