You’ve probably seen premium Ethernet cables online with ridiculous price tags and marketing claims promising significantly faster internet speeds and performance. But just because a cable is marked as high-performance, complete with braided jackets, gold-plated connectors, and impressive-sounding specifications, doesn’t mean you’ll get a faster connection.
I’ve been using cheaper HDMI cables to good effect for a while now, and the same logic applies to Ethernet cables as well. Your internet speed comes from your ISP, not the quality of your Ethernet cable.
The laws of physics don’t care how much you paid
Data either arrives intact or it doesn’t
Ethernet cables are binary devices. Digital data traveling through them operates in one of two states—it either gets through correctly, or it doesn’t. An electrical signal isn’t like water flowing through a pipe, where premium materials might let more flow through smoothly. Electrical signals move at near light speed through copper. The quality difference between a $5 cable and a $500 cable doesn’t change this fundamental physics.
When a cable works properly—meaning it’s undamaged and meets the category standard it’s supposed to (Cat5e, Cat6, Cat7, among others)—the data transfers at the cable’s rated speed. A Cat5e cable maxes out at 1 Gbps, while a Cat6 supports up to 10 Gbps over short distances. These speed limits are determined by the cable’s category, the thickness of the wire, and the number of twists in the pair—not by how much you paid for it.
Once that threshold is met, a properly functioning cable is a properly functioning cable. After the connection has been established and the speed remains consistent, no amount of marketing fluff and money can make a cable perform faster. What’s important here is the rated standard for the cable, not its price tag or gold-plated connectors.
Your internet speed is capped long before the cable
ISPs, routers, and network ports are the real bottlenecks
Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOfCredit: Hannah Stryker / MakeUseOf
Before you even worry about your Ethernet cable, understand what actually determines your internet speed. Your ISP plan is the biggest factor. If you’re paying for 100 Mbps, that’s your ceiling—no cable will let you go faster. Cat5e cables handle 1 Gbps speeds without issue, which already exceeds what most home ISPs deliver. Even if you upgrade to gigabit internet (1000 Mbps), a standard $10 Cat5e cable will suffice.
The real bottlenecks in home networks are usually elsewhere: your Wi-Fi router (which can struggle under load), your modem, your Wi-Fi signal strength, or interference from other electronics. Network congestion slows down your Wi-Fi, which is one reason why your Wi-Fi speeds might not match what your ISP promised. Your router’s location also matters, perhaps even more than your internet speed. Regardless, upgrading your Ethernet cable won’t solve a Wi-Fi problem.
I always use Ethernet wherever possible, as it’s the best way to get the fastest possible speeds, and I use standard Ethernet cables that match my ISP’s speed tier. They’ve worked perfectly, and I’ve still got a drawer full of Ethernet cables that my ISP provided or came with the router that I’ll use before I even consider buying a new one. You can even crimp your own Ethernet cables to save a fortune.
What actually matters when buying an Ethernet cable
Cat ratings explained without the nonsense
krichie / Shutterstock
MUO SS licenseCredit: krichie / Shutterstock
Just because premium Ethernet cables don’t do anything doesn’t mean you’ll buy any cable with an RJ45 jack on the market. The one legitimate factor in choosing Ethernet cables is the category rating. If you’re on gigabit internet, using an ancient Cat5 cable limited to 100 Mbps will be a bottleneck. In this case, Cat5e, which costs just a few dollars, will handle gigabit speeds flawlessly over the standard 100-meter run length found in homes.
There aren’t a lot of categories that you need to remember when it comes to Ethernet cables. Just the following:
- Cat5e: Supports speeds upto 1 Gbps. Adequate for most homes and costs around $5 to $15.
- Cat6: Supports speeds upto 10 Gbps at short distances, typically up to 55 meters. Costs $10 to $20.
- Cat6a: 10 Gbps over longer distances, costs $15 to $30.
- Cat7/Cat8: Overkill for residential use. Usually costs over $30.
The price differences here are reasonable and reflect actual material differences like thicker wire gauges, better twist densities, additional shielding, and so on. But the jump from Cat5e to Cat6, or even to Cat6a, is measured in dollars—not the $100 jump some premium cables charge.
You might’ve also read on the internet that shielded cables offer better performance. That’s true, but only in extremely noisy electrical environments like industrial facilities running heavy machinery right next to cables. For the vast majority of homes and offices, unshielded Cat5e cable works just fine. Not to mention, shielding adds weight, cost, and reduces flexibility with negligible real-world benefit.
Why premium Ethernet cables are mostly marketing theater
Gold-plated plugs won’t boost downloads
Buy a cable that matches your internet tier. If you have gigabit internet, grab a Cat5e or Cat6 cable from any reputable manufacturer. Make sure that it’s rated for the category you need, that it’s not physically damaged, and that it’s not absurdly long (stick under 100 meters). That’s it.
Related
Please stop using the wrong Ethernet cables
Using the wrong Ethernet cables can throttle the speed from your ISP.
The money you’ll save by avoiding premium cables is much better spent elsewhere—upgrading your router, improving Wi-Fi placement, or adding a wired connection for your desktop. Those moves will actually improve your internet experience. Expensive cables won’t.
