Cat7 Ethernet cables

Cat7 cable — when it makes sense

A Cat7 ethernet cable carries up to 10 Gbps at a bandwidth of 600 MHz. Its wire pairs are shielded, and in F/FTP versions each pair has its own foil with an additional overall shield. This reduces external interference and crosstalk between pairs. You will notice the biggest difference on your local network: when copying large files from a NAS, editing video on a network drive and linking two computers through a 10 Gbps switch.

With home internet up to 1 Gbps, a Cat7 cable will not speed up your connection — the limit is then your router and broadband package, not the cable. Cat7 is mainly bought for future-proofing and wherever resistance to interference matters.

Flat, round or braided

• Flat Cat7 cable — easy to hide under a rug or along a skirting board, handy for a wall-mounted TV or a console in the living room.
• Round Cat7 STP cable — classic construction with full shielding, for a desk, a router cabinet or a rack.
• Braided F/FTP cable — a nylon sleeve protects the cable from abrasion when you plug it in and out often or move your desk.

RJ45 compatibility

The Cat7 cables in this category have RJ45 plugs, so they fit any router, switch, laptop and console with a LAN port. They are backward compatible with 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps devices. You will only get the full 10 Gbps when both ends of the connection, for example the computer and the switch, have 10 Gbps ports.

For a standard connection to your router, Cat5 and Cat6 ethernet cables are enough. You will find a 2.5 Gbps USB-C network card and PCI Express cards in the network adapters and cards category, and Cat7 couplers and plugs in the network plugs, couplers and accessories section. All network cables are in the Ethernet category.

Frequently asked questions

Cat7 or Cat6 — which is better for the home?

For internet up to 1 Gbps and a typical home network, Cat6 is enough. Choose Cat7 if you have a 10 Gbps NAS or switch, or if the cable runs next to power cables. For 2.5 and 5 Gbps, Cat6 is enough.

Does a Cat7 cable need to be earthed?

With a home patch cable you do not need to do anything — the shield connects through the metal RJ45 plugs to the port housing, provided the port is shielded. On routers with plastic sockets the shield is simply not earthed, which is not a problem at home. Earthing matters for permanent installations in walls and racks.