- Published 19 Feb 2025
- Last Modified 19 Feb 2025
- 10 min
Industrial & Commercial Guide: How to Choose the Best Ethernet Cables [Top 10 Brands]
Learn how to select the best ethernet cords & LAN cables. Find out about the best high-quality ethernet cables for home and commercial setups.
High-quality Ethernet cables, also known as LAN cables, are the backbone of our modern networking, connecting devices and enabling seamless data flow in industrial and commercial settings. These cables consist of twisted pairs of wires that transmit data as electrical signals, allowing devices like computers, servers, and printers to communicate with each other and access the internet. That's why electing the right type of cable is crucial for speed, reliability, and efficiency in demanding environments.
If you're searching for the best Ethernet cords for your needs, this guide will provide you with the essential information to make informed decisions for your specific application.
Matching Ethernet cable specifications to your application is essential for optimal network performance. To help you make the best choice for your specific needs, we'll explore the key factors to consider when selecting the best cable, from cable categories and shielding to durability and compatibility.
If you're already familiar with these factors and want to see our top recommendations, you can jump ahead to the "Best Ethernet Cables" section below.
Cable Categories
Different Ethernet cable categories support different speeds and bandwidths and choosing the best category is crucial for ensuring your network can handle the required data throughput. Here are the different types of LAN cables available:
- Cat5e Cables: Supports speeds up to 1 Gigabit per second with a bandwidth of 100 MHz. This is suitable for most home and small office networks with standard internet speeds.
- Cat6 Cables: Supports speeds up to 10 Gigabits per second with a bandwidth of 250 MHz. This is ideal for higher bandwidth applications like streaming and gaming, as well as for future-proofing your network.
- Cat6a Cables: Supports speeds up to 10 Gigabits per second with a bandwidth of 500 MHz. This offers improved performance and noise resistance compared to Cat6, making it suitable for demanding networks.
- Cat7 Cables: Supports speeds up to 10 Gigabits per second with a bandwidth of 600 MHz. This provides even better performance and shielding compared to Cat6a, but it is less common and more expensive.
- Cat8 Cables: Supports speeds up to 40 Gigabits per second with a bandwidth of 2000 MHz. This is the highest-speed Ethernet cable type, designed for high-performance data centres and demanding applications.
Shielding
Choosing the right shielding can ensure reliable data transmission in challenging environments. This is because shielding protects Ethernet cables from electromagnetic interference (EMI), which can disrupt signals and lead to data loss or corruption.
Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) cables offer better protection than Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cables in environments with high EMI, such as industrial settings with heavy machinery or near power cables. For most home and office networks, UTP cables are sufficient, but in industrial environments, STP cables are often the best choice as they provide enhanced protection.
Durability and Materials
The best Internet cables are constructed with different materials to suit various environments and applications:
- PVC Cables: Cost-effective and suitable for general indoor use. However, PVC cables can emit toxic fumes in a fire, so they are not suitable for plenum spaces.
- Plenum-Rated Cables: Fire-resistant and designed for use in air handling spaces (e.g., above ceilings or below raised floors). They are made with special materials that produce less smoke and toxic fumes in a fire.
- Outdoor-Rated Cables: Weather-resistant and UV-protected for outdoor installations. These cables are designed to withstand exposure to sunlight, rain, and extreme temperatures.
Cable Length Limitations and Signal Integrity
Ethernet cables have standard length limits, typically 100 meters for most categories. Even with the fastest Ethernet cords, exceeding these limits can lead to signal degradation (attenuation), affecting network performance. This is because the electrical signals weaken as they travel through the cable, and longer cables can result in significant signal loss, leading to slower speeds, dropped connections, and unreliable network performance.
To overcome this limitation for longer distances, you might need to use repeaters or consider alternative solutions like fibre optic cables. Repeaters amplify the signal, allowing it to travel further without significant degradation. Fibre optic cables, on the other hand, use light to transmit data, which allows for much longer distances with minimal signal loss.
Compatibility with Networking Equipment
Ensure your Ethernet cables are compatible with your networking equipment, namely:
- Switches: Connect multiple devices within a network, allowing them to communicate with each other.
- Routers: Connect your network to the internet, enabling devices to access online resources.
- Industrial Devices: Connect industrial equipment and machinery to the network, enabling monitoring, control, and data acquisition.
Temperature and Environmental Resistance
It's important to choose cables with appropriate temperature and environmental resistance for industrial settings, ensuring reliable performance in harsh conditions. This includes resistance to extreme temperatures, both high and low, as well as humidity, vibration, and exposure to chemicals or other harsh substances. Industrial Ethernet cables are often designed with robust outer sheaths and specialised materials to withstand these challenges and maintain reliable communication in demanding environments.
Applications
It's also essential to select Ethernet cables suited to specific tasks, such as high-speed data transfer, video surveillance, industrial automation, or connecting IoT devices. The specific requirements of the application will dictate the appropriate cable category, shielding, and other features.
For example, if you need to transmit high-definition video over long distances, it might be best to choose a Cat6a or Cat7 cable with shielding to prevent interference. Similarly, industrial automation applications, such as those involving robotic arms, assembly lines, and process control systems, might require cables with high flexibility and resistance to oil and chemicals.
Best Ethernet Cables for Industrial Applications
Here are some of the top Ethernet cables for industrial applications, offering reliability, durability, and performance in demanding environments:
RS PRO Ethernet Cables
RS PRO offers a comprehensive range of high-quality Ethernet cables with different wiring configurations (crossover and straight through), IP ratings (IP20, IP67, IP68), shielded and unshielded variations, and a variety of outer sheath materials (LSZH - Low Smoke Zero Halogen, PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride). This ensures you can find the best cable for your specific network, whether it's for a general office environment or a harsh industrial setting.
Harting Ethernet Cables
Harting is known for its robust and reliable industrial connectors and cables. Their Ethernet cables offer a wide range of outer sheath materials (polyurethane, PUR, PVC) and IP ratings (IP20, IP65, IP67), with terminated and unterminated variations. This makes them suitable for a wide range of industrial applications, including those with harsh environmental conditions.
Molex Ethernet Cables
Molex provides innovative and high-quality Ethernet cables for industrial applications. Their offerings include IP20 and IP67 rated cables, terminated and unterminated variations, AI/PET and tinted copper shield types, and durable polyurethane outer sheaths. These cables are designed for use in demanding industrial environments, offering high reliability and performance.
Amphenol Ethernet Cables
Amphenol offers some of the best LAN cables with a wide range of options with different shield types (tinted copper braids, aluminium foil, F/UTP), shielded and unshielded options, and various outer sheath materials (polyester, polyurethane, thermoplastic). This variety allows you to choose the right Ethernet cable for your specific needs, whether it's for EMI protection, flexibility, or durability.
TE Connectivity Ethernet Cables
TE Connectivity provides reliable and high-performance Ethernet cables, including shielded cables with various outer sheath materials (LSZH, nylon, PUR, PVC) and selected cables with IP67 ratings. These high-quality Ethernet cables are designed for demanding applications, offering high performance and reliability in harsh environments.
Legrand Ethernet Cables
Legrand offers terminated PVC Ethernet cables in a variety of lengths and sheath colours, providing flexibility and aesthetics for commercial installations. These cables are suitable for general office environments and offer a range of options to match your specific needs.
L-Com Ethernet Cables
L-Com offers a wide range of Ethernet cables with various shield types (nickel-plated copper, aluminium, unshielded) and outer sheath materials (ABS, LSZH, PVC), catering to diverse needs. This includes options for both indoor and outdoor use, as well as some of the best high-speed Ethernet cables with different levels of EMI protection.
Siemens Industrial Ethernet Cable
Siemens provides reliable industrial Ethernet cables with terminated and unterminated options, some with IP20 ratings, and PVC or Polyurethane outer sheaths. These cables are designed for use in industrial automation and control systems, offering high reliability and performance.
Belden Ethernet Cables
Belden is known for its high-quality cables for demanding applications that are designed to withstand harsh environments and provide reliable performance in critical applications. Their Ethernet cables offer a wide range of outer sheath materials (polyurethane, LSZH, LLDPE), shielded and unshielded variations, and various shield materials.
Lapp Etherline (Industrial Ethernet Cable)
Lapp's Etherline cables are designed for industrial environments, offering various shield types (tinned copper braid, copper braided) and outer sheath materials (PUR, Polyurethane), with set lengths in 50m and 100m. These fast Internet cables are robust and reliable, making them suitable for demanding industrial applications.
Fastest LAN Cables for Commercial Environments
For lightning-fast connectivity in offices, server rooms, and data centres, consider Cat6a, Cat7, or Cat8 cables. These are the fastest Ethernet cords, supporting 10Gbps, 25Gbps, or even 40Gbps speeds, ensuring smooth data flow for demanding applications like high-definition video streaming, large file transfers, and cloud computing. These cables are designed to handle the immense bandwidth requirements of modern networks, providing reliable and lag-free performance.
Aside from ensuring speed and reliability, investing in these high-speed Ethernet cables is also crucial for future-proofing your network infrastructure. As data demands increase with the growing number of connected devices and the rise of bandwidth-intensive applications, these cables will be able to handle the growing bandwidth requirements without needing replacement. This will save you the cost and downtime associated with future upgrades, ensuring your network remains fast and efficient for years to come.
Final Notes on Choosing the Best Ethernet Cables
Choosing the right Ethernet cable is crucial for optimal network performance. When selecting an Ethernet cable for your network, you should consider factors like cable category, shielding, durability, and compatibility with your equipment.
For example, if you need high-speed connectivity in a noisy industrial environment, such as a factory floor with heavy machinery or near power cables, you might choose a Cat6a or Cat7 cable with shielding. Similarly, if you're installing cables in a plenum space, you'll need plenum-rated cables for fire safety. By carefully considering these factors, you can ensure that your network operates reliably and efficiently.
If you're looking for the best LAN cable for your specific needs, RS is your ideal supplier for high-quality Ethernet cables, offering a wide selection to meet your specific needs and environments. We stock cables from top brands, ensuring you get reliable and durable products that meet the highest industry standards.