What is Cat8 Ethernet Cable and how is it different? (2024)

What is a Cat8 Ethernet Cable?

Cat8 is the most modern, fastest Ethernet cable standard available today. Although Google tried to make fiber optics the standard for home internet connections, Ethernet has maintained a presence, and every few years new iterations are released that offer better performance. Let’s see how Cat8 stacks up to previous iterations of Ethernet.

How Fast is Cat8 Ethernet Cable?

Cat8 data transfer speeds up to 40Gbps, which is quicker than Cat7 and is 4x faster than the predecessor, Cat6a. Cat8 supports bandwidth up to 2 GHz, also 4x more than Cat6a.

How is Cat8 Used & Additional Benefits

Cat8 Ethernet is used in data centers and server rooms for switch- to- switch communications. They’re especially useful when upgrading networks without needing a complete equipment overhaul because the RJ45 ends are standardized.

Cat8 cables support PoE technology, which means they’re able to save space in server rooms by simplifying installation. For home equipment, Cat6a is more than sufficient, even for gaming, and Cat8 cable can be difficult to install and overkill for most home applications.

Basic Specs for Cat8 Ethernet

Differences Between Ethernet Categories

You’ve seen the "cat" or category designations, Cat5e and Cat6 and Cat6a, plenty. If you work in more powerful internet settings you might even be familiar with Cat7. The general rule is that a higher number is a newer technology and can support higher data rates, but that's just one of the main differences. Other features to compare include:

• Standard bandwidth (measured in MHz)
• Maximum data rate (measured in megabits per second)
• Shielding

Then again, that’s the obvious stuff. To be more specific, Cat5 operates at 100 MHz and can transfer data at speeds up to 1000 Mbps. Cat6 works at 250 MHz and can get up to 1 Gbps. Cat7 ups the ante substantially with 600 MHz and 10 Gbps rates. This is a simplification. There are variations on each cable and some arrangements can boost or inhibit performance, but these are the numbers for which each category is tested and vetted.

The reason Cat8 is turning heads is because it is jumping several iterations in performance. It uses 2 Ghz signals to move data from 25 Gbps (Cat8.1) to 40 Gbps (Cat8.2). It’s a serious upgrade, and the implications are turning heads across IT fields.

Ethernet Speed Comparison

Why Does Cat8 Ethernet Cost More?

In most things, higher performance costs more money. Sometimes that’s a purely economic issue (supply and demand or something like that), but in other cases it has to do with the cost of production. That certainly applies to Ethernet cables. Cat5 isn’t cheaper because it is slower. It is slower because it is cheaper. We’ll get into it more in a minute, but higher frequencies allow for higher data transmission rates, but making them is more expensive. (Keep reading after examples below.)

Mostly, it boils down to twists and shielding. Higher frequencies require more twists in the cable pairs, and that process is more expensive. Also, it becomes increasingly difficult to shield higher frequencies from interference and crosstalk, and as you go up in scale, the cost of raw materials for shielding get pricey. Cat7, for example, often uses gold plates for shielding. Since interference can render a cable useless, this is a big deal. With Cat8, one of the popular and most trusted types of shielding is S/FTP. This is usually established by having each pair shielded with a foil wrapping and then a 4-pair braid shield around the group of wires. This gives the maximum level of protection from interference and is found in the highest performance copper cables.

Standard Bandwidth Explained

Since standard bandwidth is such a driving force in cable design, let’s talk about how frequency really works. Essentially, the frequency of a cable determines how many 1s and 0s can be sent across the wires in a second. For basic Cat5 cables, that’s 100 million signals a second (or 100 Mhz). Cat8 uses an unprecedented 2 billion (2 GHz) signals per second. This means the cable density and quality of shielding necessary to make it work are on a whole different scale. That’s obvious when you consider that Cat8 is rated for data transfers 250 to 400 times faster than Cat5.

With Cat8 Ethernet becoming more available, data centers are itching for a scalable copper cable that can compete with fiber optics. With the rise of data transmission due to the exponential increase in the volume of data stored, the rapid centralization of data to the cloud, and the ever increasing bandwidth available through broadband and 5G network hardware manufacturers, IT managers, and Data center engineers are constantly looking for quick, easy, and cheaper ways of moving more data. Outside of fiber, CAT8 is the new "go-to" cabling solution. Basically, any operation that needs to scale fiber optics will be looking to substitute with Cat8.

In a few years, even higher speeds for applications will be needed to keep up with the accessibility and business growth that many companies are experiencing now. Beyond Cat8, Cat9 and Cat10 will be on the horizon. They are not here yet, but you can bet that the increase for even more speed and bandwidth will drive the need for higher levels of connectivity through ethernet.

To order or if you have any questions, please contact one of our Ethernet Cabling Experts today.

Not ready to make the move into CAT8 Ethernet? We've still got you covered:

Additional Learning Center Resources

• The Future of Ethernet in Data Centers
• What is the difference between Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a?
• Cat8 Ethernet vs. 40G Fiber Optic Cabling
• Why Would You Use Shielded Ethernet Cables?
• What is CAT6A and How is it Used?
• What are Ferrari-style Ethernet Cables?