What is the best Ethernet cable for PoE?

We need advanced technology. You know, why? I suppose you can answer why. , we want the best without bothering ourselves. Whether it is the e-commerce field or electrical instrument, we need them to increase our comfort zone. Scientific research has broadened our ideas. What we didn’t have hundreds of years ago is now possible. I’m talking about electricity.

It has given rise to advanced tools. All the devices working on the electricity need some power. With time, we have a solution for that power too. PoE is available out there as a source for all power devices.

If you want to know about the origin of PoE, read our article — How PoE was born?

What is a PoE?

Maybe you have heard of PoE primarily if you work in offices or industrial zones. Industrial switches involve the use of different PoE standards.

PoE refers to power over Ethernet. But, it is not that simple to understand. We need to understand the exact mechanism and function of the PoE in our daily lives. If you want to get the data connection and power over the same Ethernet cable, PoE is there for you. Cat5, 5e, and 6 Ethernet cables are sufficient to support the data connection and power supply.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers developed different standards to help you determine the efficiency of PoE. Usually, PoE works on those standards and has evolved with time. For example, in 2003, we had IEEE 802.3af standard that provided power only to low-power devices. So, what if our device uses high power? So, this is a serious concern. But now, you can find the IEEE 802.3bt standard that offers up to 95 watts of power.

What is the role of Ethernet cable in PoE?

Do you need a power supply? Which system is best? Maybe wired system. In PoE, we use Ethernet ports to supply power and data connections. So, an Ethernet cable plays the primary role in connecting your PoE switch with the power device to transfer data and power supply.

If you want a detailed guide about how to use the PoE switch, have a look at—What is An Ethernet Switch Used for?

What are the types of Ethernet ports?

Our quest to explore Ethernet port doesn’t end here only. We still have to learn about Ethernet ports— types, uses, and which one is best. Before making informed decisions, we must know about the types of Ethernet ports with their power supply and uses. Here are some of the types of Ethernet cables.

Note: Cat means category in Ethernet port.

Cat 3:

Cat 3 Ethernet port is now obsolete and not used anymore in the PoE system. But, we can know more about Cat 3 port by listing significant features.

• Has no shield
• 10 MBs per second speed
• 16 megahertz Bandwidth

Cat 5:

You can find the cat 5 in different PoE systems, but we rarely use it because of slow data speed. However, here are the main points regarding the cat 5 Ethernet port.

• No shielding available
• 10 to 100 MBs per second data speed
• 100 megahertz Bandwidth

Cat 5e:

In Cat 5e, e stands for “enhanced.” The engineers refined the Cat 5 cables and manufactured Cat 5e to improve data speed and decrease overall cost to give excellent data speed. However, most PoE systems use this cable. Cat 5e port has the following features.

• Unshielded
• 1000 MBs per second to 1 GB per second data speed
• 100 megahertz bandwidth

Cat 6:

Cat 6 is a more advanced type of cable providing higher data speed and working on more bandwidth. To avoid noise interference and other interruptions, it may have a protective shield as well.

• May have a shield or maybe not
• 10 gigabytes per second data speed within 55 meters range
• 250 megahertz bandwidth

Cat 6a:

In Cat 6a, a refers to “augmented.” This is an even better option if you want a cable supporting high bandwidth and providing a high-speed data connection. Usually, it has a shield to keep noises interference away from interrupting data connection. Here are some kain features of Cat 6a cable.

• Has a shield
• 10 gigabytes per second speed of data
• 500 megahertz bandwidth

Cat 7:

Cat 7 Ethernet cable is a better option for high bandwidth support and high-speed data connection. It uses a GigaGate five connector and provides high data speed over the network. With new PoE technology, it has the following main features that are of worth.

• Has a shield
• 100 gigabytes speed up to 15 meters range
• 600 megahertz bandwidth

Cat 7a:

Cat 7a Ethernet cable is like the Cat 7 Ethernet port but supports higher bandwidth and differs in data speed. It also uses GigaGate 5 connector, which is RJ45 Ethernet port compatible. Here are some significant features of the Cat 7a cable.

• Has a shield
• 100 gigabytes data speed up to 15 meters
• 1000 megahertz bandwidth

Cat 8:

Cat 8 is one of the innovative solutions for network speed. With advanced PoE technology, Cat 8 supports the highest bandwidth among all Ethernet ports. It has the following options available for you to use.

• 40 gigabytes speed up to 30 meters range
• 2000 megahertz bandwidth
• Have a shield

What is the best Ethernet cable for PoE?

Again, we have come to our central scenario from where we started all our discussions. I have a task for you. Have you read all the above arguments? What do you think of it? Which Ethernet port will be best?

Maybe you can answer that will also be correct. In actuality, the best Ethernet port is the one that works on the given bandwidth of the PoE system and provides high data speed. For example, Cat7 cable provides 100 Gbps, but it has a limited range of only 15 meters.

While choosing the best Ethernet port, jot down your requirements. If you are looking for high-speed data, but the range doesn’t matter a lot for you, a Cat7 cable will be best. To make informed decisions, always determine your needs and land on specific cable accordingly.

To make a better choice for cable about 10 GB Ethernet, read— What Cable Should I Choose for 10GB Ethernet?

What are the benefits of Ethernet port?

You might have questions regarding the Ethernet port. Why should you use them? Why must they be your choice? Similar other questions as well. But, let me list some major plus points that might compel you to install an Ethernet port.

• It provides high-speed data connection up to 100 gigabytes per second.
• Availability of Dual connection — Power Supply and Data connection
• Reduces the overall cost when you only need a single Ethernet port.
• Accessible available and better than fibers or wireless system