CAT7 Frequently Asked Questions

Hello everyone, I'm Carina from Linoya. We are a Categrory Cable Manufacturer in China. Summarized some frequently asked questions about CAT7.

1. Is Cat7 faster than Cat6?

The main differences between Cat6 and Cat7 are increased bandwidth and improved shielding. The maximum speed of Cat7 is 10000Mbit/s and the maximum speed of Cat6 cable is 1000Mbit/s. Additionally, Cat7 frequency is higher than Cat6. Therefore, Cat7 cables can transmit data faster than Cat6 cables.

Suppose you need to increase your internet speed or connect other devices. In this case, Cat7 standard cables are the best choice, while Cat6 cables offer enough speed to run most connected apps and devices in your home or office.

2. What does the A in Cat7a stand for?

The "A" in Cat7 means enhanced, including shielding for each twisted pair and overall shielding (S/FTP). Cat7a, or enhanced Category F, is the latest recognized standard network cable defined by IEC/ISO in 2010.

Additional sheath enables higher bandwidth up to 1000MHz. Each pair of wires is foil-shielded to prevent electromagnetic interference (EMI), which is critical in electrically noisy environments such as data centers. An integral braided shield wrapping all four wire pairs provides additional EMI protection. When terminated, Cat7A cable contains a drain wire to connect power to ground.

3. For Category 7 cables, what do UTP, SFTP, FTP, STP and SSTP stand for?

These prefixes refer to the various wire shielding configurations used within the body of the cable:

Cat7a UTP Cable: Unshielded twisted pair design provides sufficient EMI and signal attenuation protection to meet the baseline requirements of this standard.

Cat7a?F/UTP Cable: Foil/unshielded twisted pair cable provides more signal loss protection than the UTP version.

STP?Cat7 Cables and FTP?Cat7 Cables: Shielded twisted pair or foil twisted pair cables are closer to maximum safety.

SFTP?Cat7 Cable and SSTP?Cat7 Cable: Shielded foil twisted pair or double shielded twisted pair provide the most comprehensive additional signal protection.

4. Can Category 7 network cable be used at home?

Yes, many people are early adopters of Ethernet connections in home hubs and naturally seek out the latest versions when replacing or upgrading older cables. For example, those planning to wire a smart home today may prefer Cat7 and Cat7a, as home hardware and connection speeds are expected to continue to accelerate in the coming years.

The Cat7 and Cat7a versions are significantly thicker, stiffer, and heavier than their Cat5 predecessors, which may limit your ability to neatly route cables in areas where space is limited or where very precise bends are required.

5. Is unshielded Cat7 cable better than shielded Cat7 cable?

Cat7 UTP Cable Unshielded Twisted Pair Cable consists of four pairs of twisted copper wires that are wrapped only by their own inner jacket and the jacket of the Cat7 outer Ethernet cable. UTP?Cat7 cable is generally the most cost-effective version of Cat7 and Cat7a Ethernet cable, with adequate EMI and signal attenuation protection.

Cat7?STP cable and FTP cable. Shielded and foil twisted pairs have protective foil wrapped inside each twisted pair. Again, this is closer to optimal protection than previous versions.

6. Is there a Category 8 cable?

Category 8 cable, or Cat8 cable, is a type of Ethernet cable that is different from other cables. Its operating frequency is up to 2GHz (2000MHz). This is the main difference between Cat7 and Cat8. Cat8 Ethernet cable is limited to 30 meters with 2 connector channels. Additionally, it requires shielded cabling.

The most important consideration is that it can carry speeds up to 35 or 40Gbps. Overall, the physical appearance is similar to that of a low-grade cable, and it can be terminated with RJ45 or non-RJ45 connections. And backwards compatible with all previous versions. It is compatible with previous versions of standard connectors such as Cat-7.

Conclusion

Linoya is OEM Structured Cabling Manufacturer in China, We are support OEM CAT7 cable ,if you are interesed in it, please free to contact us!!! Email: [email protected]

Author: Carina Wu

Date：2024-02-28

Tel: +86 13627950424

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.linoyagroup.com