Ethernet Cable Buying Guide for Business & IT
To choose the right ethernet cable, match four things to the job: the category (Cat5e for gigabit, but Cat6 or Cat6a for any new install — Cat6a carries 10GBASE-T over the full 100 meters), the length (stay under the 100 m channel limit), the jacket rating (riser/CMR for in-wall, plenum/CMP for ceilings, outdoor/direct-burial for exterior PoE), and the termination (patch cable vs. bulk). For most offices and PoE camera or access-point runs, Cat6a is the safe baseline that won't bottleneck a switch upgrade later. Browse network & Ethernet cables, or spec the rest of the run with A/V, USB & data, and all cables & connectivity.
Ethernet Cable Categories: Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a and Cat8
The category rating sets the speed and distance an ethernet cable can support, so start here. Cat5e handles gigabit and is fine for legacy desktops, but Cat6 and Cat6a are the sensible baseline for new installs because they protect the run against tomorrow's switch upgrade. Standardizing on one category across a deployment keeps patching, labeling, and spares simple and avoids the classic trap of a mystery Cat5e patch cable throttling an otherwise gigabit path.
- Cat5e — 1 Gbps to 100 m; acceptable for existing desktop runs and basic PoE, but not a forward-looking choice for new cabling.
- Cat6 — 1 Gbps to 100 m and 10 Gbps up to ~55 m; a solid middle ground for offices that want headroom without paying for Cat6a everywhere.
- Cat6a — 10GBASE-T over the full 100 m channel; the recommended baseline for new structured cabling, dense PoE, and Wi-Fi 6/7 access points.
- Cat8 — 25/40 Gbps but only to ~30 m; a short-reach data-center and rack cable, not a general-purpose office choice.
Shop the full range of Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a and Cat8 patch and bulk cabling for gigabit and 10G runs.
Ethernet Cable Categories Compared
Pick the lowest category that covers your speed and distance to control cost.
| Category | Max speed | Max distance | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat5e | 1 Gbps | 100 m | General office runs |
| Cat6 | 10 Gbps (<=55 m) / 1 Gbps (100 m) | 100 m | Standard new installs |
| Cat6a | 10 Gbps | 100 m | Full 10G and PoE++ runs |
| Cat7 / Cat8 | 25-40 Gbps | 30-100 m | Data center, short high-speed links |
| Fiber | 10-100+ Gbps | Long-haul | Backbone, building-to-building |
Cat6 vs Cat6a: Which Should You Standardize On?
The most common procurement question is Cat6 vs Cat6a, and the answer comes down to distance and future-proofing. Both carry gigabit easily; the difference shows up at 10 Gbps. Cat6 supports 10G only to about 55 meters (and less in noisy bundles), while Cat6a is engineered with tighter alien-crosstalk control to deliver 10GBASE-T across the full 100 meter channel.
- Choose Cat6 for budget-sensitive office refreshes where runs are short and 10G to the desk isn't on the roadmap.
- Choose Cat6a for new structured cabling, riser backbones, high-density PoE, and any run you don't want to re-pull when 10G arrives.
- Mind the physical differences — Cat6a is thicker with a larger bend radius and heavier shielding, so confirm pathway fill and patch-panel spacing before committing a whole building.
For most new IT deployments, Cat6a is the lower-regret standard: the incremental cable cost is small next to the labor of pulling cable twice. Browse network cabling by category and pair it with the right managed, PoE and 10G switches to terminate every run.
Jacket Ratings, PoE and Where the Cable Runs
Once the category is set, the jacket rating decides whether the cable is legal and safe for its environment — and getting this wrong fails inspections. Riser (CMR) and plenum (CMP) ratings are code requirements for in-wall and above-ceiling runs, and outdoor or direct-burial jackets are mandatory for exterior PoE to cameras and access points. Buying the correct rating up front is far cheaper than re-pulling a building.
- Plenum (CMP) — required in air-handling spaces such as drop ceilings; low-smoke, low-toxicity jacket.
- Riser (CMR) — for vertical shafts and between floors; not a substitute for plenum.
- Outdoor / direct-burial — UV- and water-resistant for exterior camera and access-point runs.
- PoE headroom — for PoE++ (Type 4, up to ~90 W) and long runs, prefer Cat6/Cat6a with larger 23 AWG conductors to limit heat and voltage drop.
Outdoor- and riser-rated Ethernet feeds your PoE access points, and clean terminations start with the right patch panels and cable management.
HDMI Cable, DisplayPort and A/V: Matching Bandwidth to Resolution
For conference rooms and signage, the rule for an HDMI cable or DisplayPort run is to match the connector to the source and the bandwidth to the resolution. HDMI 2.0 carries 4K60; HDMI 2.1 is required for 4K120 and 8K. DisplayPort is the standard for high-refresh PC displays and multi-monitor daisy chains. Beyond roughly 15 feet, passive copper starts to struggle at high resolutions.
- Short rooms (<15 ft) — a quality passive HDMI or DisplayPort cable is fine.
- Long runs — use active, optical (AOC), or HDBaseT cabling rather than hoping a cheap passive cable holds the signal.
- Mixed sources — keep adapters on hand to bridge HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C and legacy VGA/DVI in older rooms.
Spec the room with HDMI, DisplayPort and USB-C video cables, add audio cabling for conferencing, and bridge any two standards with video adapters or the full adapter library.
USB-C Cable, Power Cords and Data: The Spec Behind the Connector
With a USB-C cable, the connector tells you less than the spec behind it. A single USB-C plug can be anything from USB 2.0 charge-only to USB4/Thunderbolt 40 Gbps with 100 W+ power delivery — and a passive cable rated for 60 W won't power a docking station. Always confirm three things: the data rate, the PD wattage, and whether the run needs an active cable for length.
- Data rate — USB 2.0, 5/10/20 Gbps, or USB4/Thunderbolt 40 Gbps; match it to the dock or display, not the plug shape.
- Power delivery — verify the wattage (e.g., 60 W vs. 100 W+) so the cable can actually power the device.
- Length — high-speed USB-C beyond ~2 m typically needs an active or optical cable.
- Power cords — spec the right IEC connector (C13/C14 for most gear, C19/C20 for high-draw equipment) and a gauge that matches the load.
Browse USB-C, USB-A and Thunderbolt cabling, IEC power cords for racks and workstations, and finish device deployments with USB-C PD chargers and docking stations.
Buying Cable in Bulk for Fleets, MSPs and Truck Stock
For multi-site rollouts, the cabling decision is as much about logistics as performance. A single approved cable BOM repeated across dozens of sites makes truck stock predictable and support easy, so standardize on one Ethernet category, one set of jacket ratings, and a short list of A/V and USB specs before you scale.
- Office build-outs & desk refreshes — patch cables, power cords, and USB-C runs standardized across every workstation for predictable IMAC work.
- Server rooms & wiring closets — bulk Ethernet, patch panels, and management to keep racks documented and serviceable.
- MSP & fleet rollouts — one repeatable BOM for clean truck stock across every site.
- Surveillance & PoE installs — outdoor- and riser-rated Ethernet that carries power and data to cameras and access points.
- Data centers — Cat6a and Cat8 with high-density patching for 10G and beyond.
We carry cabling from StarTech, Eaton (Tripp Lite), Legrand, Cisco, Netgear and TP-Link — shop the deep StarTech catalog, genuine Cisco stacking and DAC cabling, rack-grade Eaton and Legrand cable, or value TP-Link and Netgear patch cabling. For terminations and bridging, see SFP/SFP+ transceivers, KVM cabling, and USB hubs.