6 Things to Consider When Buying Data Cables

Thinking of purchasing an Ethernet cable for your business? You’ve come to the right place. Everything to consider is discussed below.

Cable Type

You may need a specific volume of data transferred. Ethernet cables come in a variety of types, so it won’t be hard to find something for your needs.

A small business would need something like a Cat5e – it can transmit at a frequency of about 100 MHz. However, the transmission is not shielded. If a shielded cable is your priority, something like the Cat6a would work wonders.

A large business might need a Cat6 cable. It is allowing for an immense transmission of data.

Shielding

We touched on shielding above. But what exactly is it? Not all companies would need shielded cables – just ones that are at risk of electromagnetism. The energy would create noise during the transmission of data. 

Length

Make note of the size of the space that you’ll be using the data cable in. You should always buy an option that’s slightly larger than your room. This would let you reroute if there’s a length issue.

When it comes to the size of cables you could get, they’d be 75 or 500 feet. If you’re not sure which would work the best, don’t be afraid to speak to the shop you’re buying from. They’re trained experts, so they’d give you expert advice.

As you can imagine, the longer the cable, the more you’d have to pay.

Stranded

Just like you’d have to decide between shielded or non-shielded options, you’ll also have to decide between stranded or non-stranded ones. Non-stranded options are made completely of copper for each conductor. Their counterparts are intertwined and made from countless different metals per conductor present.

If your Ethernet cable would be moved a lot, wires that are stranded would be needed – they allow for more flexibility. Solid copper wires are tough. However, their rigid bodies prevent them from handling many movements.

Seller

Do your research and only work with the largest names. You’ll be able to get quality products. Compare and contrast sellers; you’ll find one that offers the most competitive rates. This would especially be important if you’re going to be purchasing a large cable, as it’d cost more.

Compatibility

An older Ethernet cable like Cat 5 wouldn’t be able to handle fast speeds. This is true even if you plug it into a 10G Ethernet interface.

If you have a Cat 7 cable, you’d expect it to be fast. Unfortunately, it won’t perform at top speeds if you plug it into an older router.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, there is quite a lot to consider when purchasing ethernet cables. You’d want something that would be the right fit for your room. It’s always a good idea to pick an option up that’s a bit larger, as you’d be able to reroute if there’s an issue. Make sure that what you buy would be able to handle loads of data being transmitted too.