Overview of Cat7 Ethernet Cable

Network has become an indispensable part of our daily life. Many homes and businesses today deploy network with either a wired network connection or a wireless connection. These two network connection methods have their own advantages: wired connection is typically faster than wireless connection and has lower latency. This ethernet cable is not currently recognized by TIA/EIA, but it is designed to support 10G Ethernet with distance up to 100 meters. It can offer transmission frequencies of up to 600 MHz, which is 6 times larger than Cat5e and 2.4 times larger than Cat6.

Advantages And Disadvantages of Cat7 Cabling

Though it’s a newer cable category, it is not the best choice for all network deployment. Why? Keeping reading and you will find the answer in the following part.

• Cat7 Ethernet cable has a higher bandwidth of up to 600 MHz, which is 6 times larger than Cat5e (100 MHz) and 2.4 times larger than Cat6 (250 MHz).
• Cat 7 has an overall shield as well as individual shielding of every pair. It performs better to protect against outside interference. Therefore, it is suitable for installing in a strong RFI & EMI environment.
• Cat7 is thicker, more bulky, and more difficult to bend.
• Cat7 is regarded as the most durable cable and has a longer lifespan of fifteen years than cat5e cable and cat6 cable.
• Cat7 is compatible with preceding Ethernet cable standards like Cat5e and Cat6. As a result, users can move Cat5e cable or Cat6 cable from existing copper based LAN and install Cat7 without having to change the existing electronics.

• Cat7 ethernet cable is not currently recognized by TIA/EIA. It is not a solid, established industry standard.
• Cat7 is very heavy. Individual pair and overall shielding increase the overall weight and size of this cable, which makes it not a job for cabling. Larger & stronger pathway and more stringent bend radius (100 mm or 4 inch) are required.
• Cat7 is more expensive. Individual pair and overall shielding also mean higher labor costs and more work towards cable termination.
• Cat7 cabling may cause ground loop problems. If both ends of the cable are connected to ground, it will lead to ground loops which are a major cause of noise, hum, and interference in audio, video, and computer systems. They can also create an electric shock hazard, since ostensibly “grounded” parts of the equipment, which are often accessible to users, are not at ground potential.

Conclusion

For home network deployment, it is not a great option, because it is more expensive and Cat7 cabling is complicated. However, this type of cable is suitable for the place where needs high speed data transmission and is a high EMI environment. Therefore, in order to get a successful network deployment, you have to make a careful plan, be familiar with the environment, confirm the requirement of network deployment and choose the right transmission media. OPTIMAL TECHNOLOGY LTD offers the best and most versatile copper cables including Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat7 Ethernet cable. For more details, please visit our site.