Hi friend! With internet speeds continually getting faster, you may be wondering – how do I upgrade my home or office network to keep pace? Should you jump all the way to brand new Cat8 cables? Or is tried-and-true Cat7 still good enough?
In this 5000 word guide from an engineer‘s perspective, I‘ll explore every key difference between Cat7 and Cat8 cabling so you can decide what meets your needs. I‘ll cover things like:
- Brief history of how we got here
- Comparing Cat7 vs Cat8 specs and performance
- Ideal applications for each cable type
- Pro tips for making the right choice
Let‘s get started!
How Did We Get Here?
Before understanding modern Cat7 or Cat8 ethernet cables, it helps to know how we got here. Ethernet networking over copper cabling has evolved enormously over decades…
The 1980s – The very earliest coaxial and twisted copper lines only transferred data at a few megabits per second – similar to dialup speeds today. But they allowed early office networks to link computer terminals to shared drives and printers.
The 1990s – Category 5 twisted pair cabling boosted this to 100 megabits per second. We added switches to segment company networks into manageable local area networks (LANs). The internet began connecting networks globally.
The 2000s – Gigabit Ethernet on Category 5e and 6 wiring became mainstream, now reaching 1 gigabit per second. Wi-fi routers brought ethernet to our homes. Movies and music started flowing across the globe.
Today – Category 6a runs at 10 gigabits per second, but mostly only connects servers and core networking gear. And now Category 7 and the brand new Category 8 standard aim even higher – to keep up with 8K video, artificial intelligence, self-driving cars sharing massive sensor data loads in real-time.
So in 30 years wired speeds have improved by 5,000 times while also getting cheaper! No wonder ethernet over twisted pair copper remains the foundation carrying most of the world‘s data.
Cat7 vs Cat8 Cables Comparison
Now let‘s explore exactly how Category 7 and Category 8 ethernet cables are different. I‘ll cover all key specs around speed, performance and applications.
Transmission Speeds
The whole reason for advances like Cat7 and Cat8 is simple – more bandwidth. The world‘s data appetite grows exponentially year after year. While a Cat6a cable transfers data at 10 gigabits per second, Cat8 blazes at an astounding 40 gigabits per second!
That‘s like downloading a full 4K movie in 8 seconds rather than 30 seconds on older cables. Faster is better.
Realistically, such speeds only come across short cable runs given technical factors I‘ll explain ahead. But you can think of Cat8 bringing ~5X faster throughput than Cat7. Major bonus for big data applications!
Operating Frequencies
Here‘s where we get a bit more technical, but stay with me! The more raw "frequency" at which ethernet data transmits per second, the fatter the bandwidth possible.
Think of frequency like radio channels – the wider the channel in the air, the more music it can play. Same idea here.
Cat7 cables run at 600 MHz frequencies – not bad! But Cat8 doubles this to 1,200 MHz or higher. Thus way more 1‘s and 0‘s barrage down the copper pairs per second.
The catch is that higher frequencies also tend to degrade quicker across distances. So a balancing act ensures the speed promise.
Cable Distances
And speaking of distance – cable length matters too! Attenuation or data loss happens across long wire runs.
Cat7 cables reliably sustain 10 gigabit speeds up to 100 meter distances. That‘s far enough to connect across an office hallway or factory floor space.
Meanwhile Cat8 cables optimize for speed with shorter maximum distances – usually around 30 meters end-to-end. Enough to patch between server racks or clusters.
Noise Protection
You might be sensing a theme here with Cat8 prioritizing speed, while Cat7 favors range. Well shielded twisted pair construction plays an important role helping both cable types maximize performance.
Ethernet data flows down copper wires arranged in four twisted pairs protected by shielding. This avoids electromagnetic interference from adjacent power lines or other cables that lead to errors. Cat7 and Cat8 increase shielding to boost resilience at higher frequencies vulnerable to crosstalk. Cat8 defines exact shielding methods needed for top speeds.
The results are strong reliability even in messy real world environments next to other cables or equipment. Those super fast 40 gigabit per second flows actually happen!
Connectors
The connectors terminating wire ends matter tremendously for signal fidelity. Cat7 commonly uses GG45 connectors to best handle its 600MHz capacity and beyond. Though legacy RJ45 connectors sometimes get deployed too for cost savings.
Meanwhile most Cat8 cables implement shielded GG45 connectors for top performance. Though Category 8 Class I grade does allow familiar RJ45 for easier upgrades. So options exist depending on speed needs.
Bend Radius
Making ethernet cables turn corners also risks degrading data flows through. Tighter bends squeeze the internal copper pairs harder, potentially reducing the bend radius they can handle without failure.
Cat7 ethernet cables allow pretty tight bends down to 4X the overall cable diameter. Cat8 has tighter requirements – usually 10X cable diameter to prevent kinking. So consider bend limitations during installation.
Summary Table
Let‘s summarize everything we‘ve covered at a high level:
| Specification | Cat 7 Cable | Cat 8 Cable |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 10 Gbps | 40 Gbps |
| Distance | 100 meters | 30 meters |
| Frequency | 600 MHz | 2,000 MHz |
| Connectors | Shielded RJ45 or GG45 | Shielded GG45 (or RJ45 for Class I) |
| Bend radius | 4X cable diameter | 10X cable diameter |
Now that you understand the key differences, when should you use each one?
Ideal Applications
We‘ve covered a ton of technical ground so far. You now know the core design and performance differences between Cat7 vs Cat8 cabling.
But when should you actually pick one over other? Here are my recommendations on real world applications.
When to Use Cat7 Cables
Home Networks – Internet speeds can‘t exceed Cat7 10Gbps capacity yet
Long Office Runs – Need to connect across long hallways
Retrofit Installs – Leverage existing conduit pathways
Cost-Optimized Projects – Save budget over Cat8
When to Use Cat8 Cables
Data Centers – Rapid cache, storage and backup sync
HD Video Editing or Streaming – Support ultra high bitrates
Machine Learning Model Serving – Low latency for AI compute
High Frequency Trading – Microsecond propagation delays matter
Supercomputer Clusters – Tightly packed server links
So in summary:
- Cat7 fits general home, office and industrial uses with longer ~100 meter cable runs.
- Cat8 becomes necessary for performance frontier applications needing max speed and bandwidth over short 30 meter distances.
Over 90% of users probably don‘t require Cat8 yet. But it never hurts being too fast!
Now let‘s cover a few more common questions people have around these cable standards.
FAQs
Q: If I have regular Cat6 cables installed, is it easy to upgrade to Cat7?
A: Yes, usually! Both Cat6 and Cat7 use the same RJ45 connector type, making it simpler to swap out existing cables. Cat7 shielding and internal winding helps enable the faster 600MHz transmission rigtht through the same ports.
Q: Can Cat8 40Gbps speeds transmit over longer 100 meter distances in the future?
A: Unfortunately Cat8 is severely range limited by high frequency loss across long cable lengths. New shielding and power compensation helps a bit. But for longer runs fiber optic cabling is preferred rather than extending copper infinitely.
Q: Which cable type works better for outdoor installation?
A: Actually, neither! Both Cat7 and Cat8 cables focus on internal signal integrity so are not designed for exterior environments. Instead look at direct burial or outdoor rated cables with durable sheathing and moisture protection. Keep these fast cables indoors!
I hope you‘ve enjoyed exploring everything important about Category 7 and Category 8 ethernet cabling. While their technical DNA differs, properly matching cable capabilities with your networking needs results in awesome performance.
What upgrade approach seems right for your home or business? Feel free to ping me any other cabling questions!
