Although Wi-Fi networks have improved a lot in recent years and we connect more and more wirelessly to the Internet, the cable is still very present. In fact, sometimes we can say that it is much better to use this option than Wi-Fi. Now, are all the cables working correctly? The truth is that you can find important differences. Therefore, in this article we are going to talk about how your Internet can improve if you change the router cable.
Changing the Ethernet cable can improve your Internet
There are different types of network cables. Basically the main difference is between those that are Fast Ethernet and those that are compatible with Gigabit Ethernet. If you have contracted fiber optics, you should definitely have this second type. It is the one that allows you to reach up to 1 Gbps speed symmetrically. The other option will be limited to 100 Mbps.
But how can you tell what type of cable you have? On the cable itself you will be able to read the written information. You will be able to see if it is CAT 5, CAT 5e, CAT 6, CAT 7… There are different categories. Starting from CAT 5e and above, your cable will be able to reach speeds of up to 1 Gbps without problems.
Now, you may have a cable that accepts speeds of 1 Gbps, but the connection does not go well. Why is this happening? Possibly because you have a cable that is too long, for example if at some point you made an installation to have cable Internet in other rooms of the house.
To avoid this problem, what you can do is change the router cable. The higher the category, the better. For example, if you have a CAT 6 cable, you will have a maximum speed of 1 Gbps and a frequency of 250 MHz. If you change it to a CAT 7 cable, you will reach a theoretical maximum speed of 10 Gbps, but also the frequency it can be up to 600 MHz. Although they always lose something over distance, you will have a guaranteed speed higher than other versions such as CAT 5e or CAT 6.
Higher category, more speed
Logically, the higher the quality of the cable, the more expensive they will be. So even if you buy a new router you may still get a CAT 5e cable. It is enough for domestic use where we may not need much, but if we are going to use a cable of this type to connect, for example, with a repeater or a switch that is a little further away, we may have problems. Likewise, you should always use a good network card.
Therefore, depending on your case, changing the network cable of the router may help you improve the connection. Always look at the category of the cable and the higher it is, the better. If you can buy a CAT 7, better than a CAT 6 or CAT 5e. Of course, if you’re using an Ethernet cable that’s less than CAT 5e, that’s the first thing you’ll need to change to achieve Gigabit speeds.
In short, as you can see, choosing a good Ethernet cable will be very useful for your connection. You should always use one of guarantees, which supports a good speed and also distance. If you want to create a wired installation in your home, we recommend CAT 6e or CAT 7 at least.
