If you are in the market for a new Ethernet cable but are not familiar with the options that are available then you may have some difficulty deciding exactly which type of cable will best suit your needs and your budget. Ethernet cables come in different categories and the prices charged for the different cables can vary dramatically depending on the speed that they are capable of providing and the overall quality of the cable itself. In order to get the right cable for your situation, it is important for you to identify exactly what your needs are.
If you are going to be running an Ethernet cable outside where it will be exposed to the elements then you will want to invest in one that has been specially designed for this purpose. A cable designed to be used indoors will not last very long if exposed to the sun, wind, rain, and other forces of nature. Before you find yourself tempted to save money by purchasing the cheapest cable around, it is important to understand that the different categories are capable of providing vastly different speeds. Although you may save money initially by purchasing a slower less capable cable, you will most likely find yourself being upgrade in the very near future.
Although they have been all but discontinued, you may still find a few cat 3 cables available. These were some of the first Ethernet cables used and are relatively ancient compared to the newer units that are available. A cat 3 is almost guaranteed to disappoint since they were designed during the very early days of computer networking and are not capable of delivering a high speed connection. Likewise, a cat 5 Ethernet cable may be quite affordable, but at 100 Mb per second, it is not likely to satisfy your speed requirements for very long.
A better option, especially if you are installing your Ethernet cable in your home or in an office with only a few computers, is the cat 5e. This cable can provide you with up to 1000 Mb per second and is relatively inexpensive. Since most Internet service providers did not deliver this type of speed to their customers, you can generally rest assured this cable will be adequate for some time to come. If you are looking to completely future proof your network or need the highest speed cable possible for a professional environment, a cat 6 may be the best choice for you.
The author has experience in Ethernet Cable and Ethernet Cables.