Long-distance Ethernet cable available.
Long-distance Ethernet cable available.
unless your space is quite big, a cat5 cable works just fine. opt for cat6 if you prefer, but the performance difference won’t be noticeable. i use a cat5 connection that spans the whole house, connects to an adapter, and then back to my router across half the house for my pc. even with 300mbps internet, it still delivers full speed. ethernet is best for short distances unless you have extremely fast connectivity.
It should work for a Cat 6a cable over 100 feet. You’re looking for fast speeds, so you’re right to check. Currently you’re at 300/300 Mbps, which is solid, and the distance shouldn’t hurt performance.
Ethernet can connect devices up to 100 meters apart—switching or repeaters extend this range further. Your four rooms might be around 20-30 meters if you route the cable through walls. This distance is easily handled by standard cables. Any product you purchase should function at such close ranges. For optimal performance, choose solid-core full copper; it outperforms CCA cables. CCA stands for copper-clad/coated aluminum—essentially wires wrapped in a thin copper layer. These are suitable for short runs of 5-10 meters but suffer from higher resistance, leading to signal loss and problems over longer distances (40-60m+). Opt for Cat6a or Cat6 instead. Avoid Cat7 and higher. Both Cat6 and Cat6a work well at 10 Gbps speeds, so you don’t need advanced equipment. Flat ribbon cables are fine if you need them for wall mounting or under carpets, but round cables offer better durability and signal quality.
Cat 5e supports up to 5Gb over 55 meters and 2.5Gb or less at 100 meters. Cat 6 offers 10Gb over 55 meters and 5Gb or less at 100 meters. Cat 6a matches 10Gb or below at 100 meters. Cat 7 and Cat 8 standards are mainly defined by certain international bodies and are only relevant for speeds above 10Gb; they’re mostly used for marketing purposes, excluding the US market where brands can label anything as Cat 7 or Cat 8 without strict regulation.
Example of solid core copper cable rated for Cat6: https://www.digikey.com/en/products/deta...BL/5971038 or https://www.digikey.com/en/products/deta...BL/4438500. The more costly version features "snagless" connectors, while the smaller plastic clip has a protective cover—making the pricier option less necessary unless you need extra durability.