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Why Choosing the Right Cat Cable Matters
Walk into any search for "best cat cable" and you'll be bombarded with category numbers — Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A, Cat7, Cat8 — each promising faster speeds and bigger bandwidth. In reality, most homes and small offices don't need the fastest cable on the shelf; they need the right cable for their setup, run length and budget. This guide compares each Ethernet cable category using real Kenable products, explains what the numbers actually mean, and gives you an honest recommendation rather than a sales pitch.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Cat Cable
- Speed requirement: Do you need 1Gbps for everyday browsing and streaming, or 10Gbps+ for NAS backups, video editing or a fast home lab?
- Cable length: Higher categories only hit their top speed over shorter distances. A cable rated "10Gbps" may only manage that speed for 30–55m before performance drops.
- Bandwidth (MHz): Higher MHz ratings mean the cable can carry more signal frequency, reducing crosstalk and supporting higher speeds over longer runs.
- Shielding: Shielded cables (FTP, SSTP, S/FTP) resist electrical interference — useful near power cables, in offices, or industrial settings. Unshielded (UTP) is fine for most home installs.
- Patch lead vs bulk reel: Ready-made patch leads are quick for connecting devices; a bulk reel is for permanent in-wall installations where you terminate your own connectors.
- Future-proofing: Installing cable in walls? It's worth going a category higher than you currently need, since re-running cable is far more disruptive than buying a slightly better spec upfront.
Pro tip: The category number tells you the maximum theoretical speed and bandwidth, but real-world performance always depends on cable length, connector quality, and installation. A short Cat6 lead often outperforms a long Cat6A run.
Top Picks: One Cable Per Category
Cat5e — Budget Shielded Patch Lead for Basic 1Gbps Networks
Cat5e is the entry-level standard still widely used for basic Gigabit networking — connecting a router to a switch, or a PC to a wall socket. This shielded version adds extra protection against interference, making it a sensible choice near power cables or in office trunking.
Network Cat5E FTP Ethernet LAN SHIELDED Patch Cable Lead 0.5m Black
£3.731Gbps speed, 100MHz bandwidth, FTP shielded construction. Ideal for short, low-cost patch connections between routers, switches and wall ports. Also available in other lengths.
View ProductCat6 — The Sensible All-Rounder for Most Homes
Cat6 is the sweet spot for the vast majority of households and small offices. It comfortably handles 1Gbps at full length and can even push 10Gbps over shorter runs (up to roughly 55m), all with a higher 250MHz bandwidth than Cat5e. This slim, full-copper patch lead is a great everyday choice for connecting PCs, consoles and smart TVs.
SLIM Cat6 Full Copper RJ45 Ethernet Network Patch Cable 2m Black
£1.78Available in 6 lengths and 4 colours from £1.22 — See all variations
1Gbps guaranteed at full length, 10Gbps possible up to around 55m, 250MHz bandwidth. Full copper conductors for reliable performance, in a space-saving slim design. Available in multiple lengths.
View ProductCat6A — Best for New Installs and Guaranteed 10Gbps
If you're wiring a new build, planning a home network refresh, or want to guarantee 10Gbps over longer distances (up to 100m), Cat6A is the category to choose. Its shielded, snagless design and 500MHz bandwidth make it far more resistant to interference and future-proof for years to come.
Cat6A SSTP Snagless Shielded RJ45 Network Ethernet 10 Gigabit Cable 1m White
£1.61Available in 11 lengths and 2 colours from £0.86 — See all variations
Full 10Gbps at up to 100m, 500MHz bandwidth, SSTP shielding and a snagless connector design. Our best-selling cable and the smart choice for any new network installation. Also stocked in other lengths.
View ProductCat7 — Shielded 600MHz Option for Interference-Heavy Environments
Cat7 isn't an official TIA/EIA standard (it comes from the European ISO/IEC framework), but it's still widely sold and used. This F/FTP shielded patch cable offers 600MHz bandwidth and 10Gbps performance, using standard shielded RJ45 connectors. It's a solid pick if you specifically want extra shielding and higher bandwidth headroom than Cat6A, though for most UK homes Cat6A already covers the same real-world speed.
CAT7 600Mhz 10 Gigabit F/FTP Shielded RJ45 Network Ethernet Cable 2m Black
£2.82Available in 12 lengths from £1.48 — See all variations
600MHz bandwidth, 10Gbps speed, F/FTP full shielding with standard RJ45 connectors. Good for offices or homes wanting extra interference protection. Not a formal TIA standard, but performs reliably in practice.
View ProductCat8.1 — Data-Centre Grade, Overkill for Home Internet
Cat8.1 is built for data centres and server rooms, supporting a huge 2000MHz bandwidth and up to 40Gbps — but only over very short runs of up to 30m. This mesh-jacketed, SFTP shielded cable is genuinely excellent for connecting servers, switches and NAS units in a rack, but it offers no benefit for typical home internet use, since your ISP connection won't come close to saturating even a Cat5e link.
Mesh Jacket CAT8.1 Ethernet Cable RJ45 SFTP Shielded 2000MHz 40Gbps 2m Black
£3.34Available in 6 options from £1.88 — See all variations
2000MHz bandwidth, 40Gbps over runs up to 30m, SFTP shielded with durable mesh jacket. Designed for server room and data-centre use rather than typical home networking.
View ProductBulk Reel — For Permanent Cat6 Installations
If you're wiring an entire house or office rather than buying pre-made patch leads, you'll need a bulk reel and your own RJ45 connectors or keystone jacks. This 305m indoor Cat6 UTP reel is our top-selling product overall, using solid 23AWG copper conductors for reliable in-wall or trunking installation.
Indoor CAT6 UTP 23AWG COPPER Ethernet PVC Network Cable Reel BOX 305m Grey
£152.44Available in 3 lengths from £27.49 — See all variations
Full 305m box reel of solid 23AWG copper Cat6 UTP, PVC jacketed for indoor use. Ideal for wiring multiple rooms, installing wall sockets, or supplying a structured cabling project.
View ProductComparison Table: Cat Cable Categories at a Glance
| Category | Max Speed | Bandwidth | Max Length at Top Speed | Shielding | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat5e (FTP) | 1Gbps | 100MHz | 100m | Shielded (FTP) | Basic Gigabit networks on a budget | £3.73 (0.5m) |
| Cat6 (Slim, Full Copper) | 1Gbps (10Gbps short runs) | 250MHz | ~55m for 10Gbps, 100m for 1Gbps | Unshielded (UTP) | Most homes and everyday devices | £1.78 (2m) |
| Cat6A (SSTP) | 10Gbps | 500MHz | 100m | Shielded (SSTP) | New installs, guaranteed 10Gbps | £1.61 (1m) |
| Cat7 (F/FTP) | 10Gbps | 600MHz | 100m | Shielded (F/FTP) | Interference-heavy environments | £2.82 (2m) |
| Cat8.1 (Mesh SFTP) | 40Gbps | 2000MHz | 30m | Shielded (SFTP) | Data centres, server rooms | £1.67 (2m) |
| Cat6 Bulk Reel (UTP) | 1Gbps | 250MHz | 100m | Unshielded (UTP) | In-wall installation of multiple points | £152.44 (305m) |
Our Honest Verdict
There's no single "best cat cable" — it depends entirely on what you're doing:
- Most homes: Cat6 is the sensible choice. It's cheap, handles Gigabit internet with ease, and even supports 10Gbps over shorter household runs.
- New installs or want-to-be-future-proof: Choose Cat6A. It guarantees 10Gbps over the full 100m and adds shielding for better reliability, at only a small price difference over Cat6.
- Server rooms or data centres: Cat8.1 makes sense if you're linking switches, servers or NAS boxes at very short range. For home broadband, it's complete overkill — your internet connection will never touch 1Gbps, let alone 40Gbps.
- Interference-prone environments: Cat7 is a reasonable middle ground if you want extra shielding and bandwidth without going full Cat8, though Cat6A usually does the job just as well.
Installation and Setup Tips
Pro tip: When running bulk cable through walls or lofts, leave a little slack at both ends for termination and future re-punching, and avoid running Ethernet cable parallel to mains electrical cable where possible to minimise interference.
- Use patch leads (Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A, Cat7, Cat8) for connecting devices to wall ports, switches or routers — they come pre-terminated and ready to plug in.
- Use a bulk reel like the 305m Cat6 UTP box for permanent installations where you'll terminate your own RJ45 plugs or keystone jacks at each end.
- Match your patch leads to your bulk cable category where possible — there's little benefit in running Cat6A through the walls but connecting devices with Cat5e patch leads, as the weakest link determines your overall speed.
- Most cables here are available in other lengths and pack sizes on the product pages — always check before buying multiples of a single length.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Watch out for: Buying Cat8 cable expecting faster home internet. Your speed is capped by your ISP connection and router, not the cable — Cat6 or Cat6A is more than sufficient for virtually all home broadband packages.
- Ignoring cable length limits: A cable rated for 10Gbps may drop to lower speeds beyond its rated maximum length — always check the length-to-speed relationship for your chosen category.
- Mixing categories unnecessarily: Running high-spec cable through walls but using budget patch leads (or vice versa) wastes money without improving performance.
- Overlooking shielding needs: Unshielded cable near power lines, fluorescent lighting or industrial equipment can suffer interference — shielded options like Cat6A or Cat7 solve this.
- Assuming Cat7 is a "real" upgrade path: Since Cat7 isn't a TIA standard, Cat6A is generally the more universally supported choice for 10Gbps networking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Cat6 and Cat6A cable?
Cat6 supports 1Gbps at full 100m length and can reach 10Gbps over shorter runs (around 55m), with 250MHz bandwidth. Cat6A guarantees 10Gbps over the full 100m thanks to its higher 500MHz bandwidth and shielded construction, making it the better choice for new installations or guaranteed high-speed performance.
Is Cat8 cable worth it for home use?
Generally, no. Cat8.1 cable is designed for data centres, supporting up to 40Gbps but only over runs of 30m or less. Home broadband connections rarely exceed 1Gbps, so Cat6 or Cat6A will comfortably meet your needs without the added cost and short length restriction of Cat8.
Do I need shielded (FTP/STP) cable at home?
Most homes are fine with unshielded (UTP) cable, such as our slim Cat6 patch lead. Shielded options like the Cat5e FTP, Cat6A SSTP, or Cat7 F/FTP cables are worth choosing if your cable run passes near mains electrical wiring, fluorescent lighting, or other sources of electrical interference.
Can I use a bulk Cat6 reel instead of pre-made patch leads?
Yes — a bulk reel like the 305m Cat6 UTP box is designed for permanent installations, such as wiring multiple rooms or wall sockets. You'll need to terminate the ends yourself with RJ45 connectors or keystone jacks, whereas patch leads come ready-terminated for immediate use.