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Speed should be your top priority when you shop for an Ethernet cable. You don’t want to buy a 100Mbps Ethernet cable if you have a 400Mbps internet connection. A CAT 8 cable, for example, is the fastest you can get right now, while a CAT 5 cable is the slowest.
An Ethernet cable should also have shielding. The protective layer blocks data-slowing interference by suppressing electromagnetic interference (EMI) and crosstalk which can lower a cable’s overall performance. CAT 7 and CAT 8 cables all include shielding, but some CAT 6 cables and all older cables do not.
Finally, choose an Ethernet cable with gold-plated connectors, as they are highly conductive and don’t corrode.
Best overall—DbillionDa
Specs:
- Specification: CAT 8
- Bandwidth: Up to 2,000 MHz
- Data rate: Up to 40Gbps
- Length: 3–150 ft.
- Includes gold-plated connectors
- Includes quadruple shielding
- Works outdoors and indoors
DbillionDa’s CAT 8 shielded Ethernet cable is simply great for any home or office. It uses oxygen-free copper (OFC) for the best electrical conductivity, resulting in better performance over great distances.
Inside this network cable are twisted-pair wires (26 American Wire Gauge, or 26 AWG) individually wrapped in Mylar-based aluminum foil shielding. They’re bundled within a layer of 90% aluminum braid shielding that protects them from external interference. On the outside, a rugged, UV-resistant PVC jacket allows you to bury the cable for outdoor use.
However, we can’t lie to you: DbillionDa’s CAT 8 network cable seems overkill for even the fastest residential fiber internet plan. Yet its overall design and high performance make it ideal for local area network gaming, streaming media from a local server, and moving files to and from a network-attached storage device.
If anything, use this Ethernet cable to tether your standalone router to your modem.
Best braided cable—DanYee
Specs:
- Specification: CAT 7
- Bandwidth: Up to 600 MHz
- Data rate: Up to 10Gbps
- Length: 1.6–100 ft.
- Features a braided nylon exterior in black, blue, white, or gold
- Uses gold-plated connectors
DanYee’s CAT 7 Ethernet cable is a good option if you need a sturdy cable for indoor use. The semi-flat design makes it great for mounting along baseboards and running under rugs.
But the big standout feature is the cable’s nylon braiding. It’s stronger and more flexible than the PVC and rubber jackets commonly used with Ethernet cables. It’s less prone to damage caused by wrapping around edges and corners and the general scrapes that can typically pierce PVC and rubber.
Under the cable’s braiding are stranded copper conductors (30 AWG) wrapped in a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) jacket and a second aluminum foil shielding layer. A thin PVC casing wraps around the twisted wire pairs, followed by the nylon braided exterior.
You can purchase this cable in black, blue, white, and gold colors.
Best flat cable—Jadaol
Specs:
- Specification: CAT 7
- Bandwidth: Up to 600 MHz
- Data rate: Up to 10Gbps
- Length: 1.5–200 ft.
- Features a flat design
- Includes clips for mounting
If you don’t need a braided flat cable, Jadol’s CAT 7 Ethernet cable is a cheaper non-braided alternative. You can mount it flush against baseboards using the provided translucent clips and safely bend it around corners. It’s ideal if you need long runs that extend from room to room.
The cable’s 100% base OFC conductors are wrapped in an HDPE jacket and a second aluminum foil shielding layer. The outer PVC jacket isn’t meant for outdoor use but is sturdy enough to prevent conductor breaks within. Gold-plated connectors ensure a corrosion-free, stable connection.
Best extension—UGREEN
Specs:
- Specification: CAT 8
- Bandwidth: Up to 2,000 MHz
- Data rate: Up to 40Gbps
- Length: 3–6 ft.
- Uses a gold-plated connector
- Includes a built-in female end
If you have the best Ethernet cables on hand, but they just can’t reach your devices, UGREEN’s Ethernet extender cable may be what you need. It includes one male connector and a female Ethernet port that’s compatible with all cables CAT 8 and older.
This cable extender uses 26AWG pure copper conductors wrapped in a plastic coating and aluminum foil. The twisted wire pairs are all bundled within a metal mesh shielding layer and a flexible PVC jacket you can bend up to 10,000 times without damaging the conductors. The male connector uses gold contacts encased in nickel plating.
Best value—Amazon Basics
Specs:
- Specification: CAT 7
- Bandwidth: Up to 500 MHz
- Data rate: Up to 10Gbps
- Length: 1–50 ft.
- Uses a durable PVC jacket
- Relies on gold-plated contacts
This CAT 7 cable from AmazonBasics is about as basic as you can get. It’s a bare-bones cable with standard HDPE shielding, gold-plated contacts, and gold-plated siding on each connector. A PVC jacket surrounds the twisted wire pairs for better durability against accidental nicks. It’s a good solution if you don’t want to pay lots of money for long Ethernet runs.