Hub 3 / Ethernet to PC./ Which CAT cable ?.

[JohnUK777]

Been having lots of unsolvd probs with Wifi and ethernet//or Hub,  so have decided to start again from scratch.

( One prob being,, iooking in the router settings, it has been showing the PC to Hub3..  is conneccting mostly at 100 mpbs,  I have been told this should be 1000 mpbs.  

When it DOES connect at 1000, I don`t seem to get any probs with streaming.. and speedtest are always over 230 up and about 25 down.   However, when I start to get streaming issues, I check router and I know it`s gonna show connected at 100.... and a subsequent speedtest will always result in about 70/80 down,,,,and over 20 up. 

Also it sometimes completely drops the ethernet connection completely, then I have to connect PC  by wifi.

So,, I have tried new ethernet cables,,  But am confused with the CAT numbers,,, So,, To my main question and purpose of the post....

CAT number,,,   what is best to connect the PC direct to Router ( Hub3 )  ?   Is it simplly a case of the higher the CAT number the better ??    Cat 7 ?  CAt 8 ??      I have seen lots use CAt 6 ... Is it the higher the better ? .

If anyone can recommend a cable,,,,  Please state why ...so I can understand the reasoning behind your rec.   

I am suspecting hub is faulty, but I just wanna make sure MY equipment is correct before I send for a VM engineer ( that`ll be another ordeal ) .    THanks In advance,,,  John

[carl_pearce · Accepted solution]

Cat 5e or above should provide a stable 1Gbps connection.

Higher categories offer faster speeds (Hardware allowing) due to better shielding.

[Tudor]

Yep Cat5e is fine, if you want to pay more Cat6, but for home use any higher number cable is a waste of money. Also steer clear of Cat7, it a proprietary cable that’s not recognised by most certifications, don’t be swayed by the hype on places like Amazon. 

[Adduxi]

Yes another +1 for Cat 6 cables. If you need faster future proofing go for fibre. 

[asim18]

If your Ethernet link speed is constantly falling back from 1Gb to 100Mb the first thing I'd do is change is the cable.

Firstly, I'd recommend a Cat.6 cable. In Cat.6 cable the twisted pairs have more twists per metre. This makes the cable more impervious to noise/interference.

Secondly, I would reccommend a shielded cable. The ceapest Ethernet cables are unshielded twisted pair "UTP", very easy to pick up interference. I'd reccommend F/FTP cables (Foiled outer, foiled twisted pair) or S/FTP (braided outer, foiled twisted pairs). There are however several combinations of foiling and shielding available. Shielding and foiling further reduces interference from nearby sources of EM interference giving you the best chances of a stable 1Gb Full Duplex connection.

Also how long is the Ethernet cable? Another thing I'd reccommend is having the correct length cable. If you have 10+ extra metres of cable coiled up under your desk, it will also be picking up interference.

Also, check the ethernet ports for any dust/debris. I've seen some very dusty ethernet ports in my time. A nice layer of dust will cause poor conduction.

Lastly, avoid "flat" ethernet cables. I must admit I've never handled a flat ethernet cable, but my assumption is how can you have a twisted pair cable that's flat???

[Tudor]

In my opinion shielded cables are not necessary for home use. If you use them you must make sure that the shielding is terminated to earth and it probably will not be at the VM hub end. If it’s not earthed it can actually work as an aerial and introduce noise, the thing you are trying to avoid.

[Roger_Gooner]

In the great majority of homes standard UTP Ethernet cables work perfectly well, and my cat 5e cables are fine (although I'll probably replace faulty ones with cat 6). However if your cables will be subject to strong EMI or RFI then shielded might well be best.

[JohnUK777]

Firstly, Thanks Carl, Roger, Tudor ,Adduxi,,,and Asim.  Your replies are helping me understand better ( I think 😁)..

So taking all replies into consideration... I came up with this one... 

Ethernet Cable Cat 6 Internet FTP SHIELDED RJ45 Network LAN Lead lot | eBay

Shielded, FTP,  cat6 , not flat,   

CAn anyone see any reason NOT to get this one ?   Did I miss anything ?  

Re length ( Asim )  It`s about 8M between PC and Router,, So this 10M would give approx 1m spare at either end. 

Appreciate any further recommendations,  I`ll await a few replies before ordering.   Thanks again guys. 

[legacy1]

I use 

1aTTack.de 5m - Cat6 Lan Ethernet Cable Patch Network Cat 6 1000 Mbit/s RJ45 Plug Internet for TV Co...

[Roger_Gooner]

I dislike snagless cables as it takes way too much effort to push on the boot to release the connector. I like the old-fashioned moulded cables.