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Best CAT 7 Ethernet Cables in 2023

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Last Updated on April 17, 2023

If you’re on the hunt for the best Cat-7 ethernet cable, we’re here to help. You may not know that there are different grades of ethernet cables designed for various distances and bandwidths? Originally released in 2002, touting speeds of up to 10 GBPS (Gigabyte per second) over 100 meters of copper cable, CAT 7 ethernet cable is a niche cable for specific uses.

CAT 7 ethernet cable is often criticized for its similarities and lack of support when compared to the networking standard of CAT 6a ethernet cable. For normal home users, there’s not much point in paying the extra for CAT 7 ethernet cable due to CAT 6 providing similar speeds on up to 55 meters of cable.

But for audio/video heavy networks that need 55m-100m cable runs, a CAT 7 ethernet cable is the best option. CAT 7 ethernet cable features enhanced cable shielding due to its twisted pairs of copper wire runs, compared to parallel copper cable. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but audio/video heavy networks, certainly for editing work, need as little interference and noise as possible. It’s also ideal for running outdoors to network summer houses and more, just make sure the cable is suitable for outdoor use.

Products at a Glance

How We Choose Our CAT 7 Ethernet Cables

We always strive to find an option for everyone here at PC Guide, which is why we’ve chosen CAT 7 ethernet cable that can go outdoors, cross various lengths whilst making sure we’re keeping budget buyers in mind. Here’s our selection:

Our Recommended

Product Reviews

1
PROS
  • Great for managing 100 GBPS networks
  • Ideal for audio/video work
CONS
  • User will need to be relatively close to their home network

Home networking can become a bit of a nightmare when trying to keep an eye on cable management. You’ve tried tags, ribbons, cable tries and you still forget what goes where. Enter Busohe with their 5-Pack of 3M Color-Coded CAT 7 Ethernet cables.

Rather than color coding the whole cable, only the RJ45 connectors are color-coded, enabling you to have a sleek-looking home network that doesn’t look like it’s been pulled out of Sesame Street. Each cable is 3M, which should be more than enough for most home networks that require this many Ethernet cables. 

For example, some home networks use switches that allow users to use one keyboard and mouse to control multiple PCs. Or they may need to remotely control a Raspberry Pi device remotely due to it not having a display. It sounds messy, but being organized early on really does have its benefits. These CAT 7 Ethernet cables are also slim-designed, making sure their footprint is small whilst looking the part.

2
PROS
  • Solid 10 GBPS performance
  • Protected from most weather conditions and burial
CONS
  • Expensive

Phizli has ensured their outdoor CAT 7 Ethernet cable is very compatible with twisted pair 10 Gigabyte transfer standards such as 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T, and 10GBASE-T. Some of these standards are outdated, but this cable is compatible anyway, which means less noise and less gate-keeping of those precious data transfer speeds.

It’s also compatible with previous versions of ethernet cable, such as CAT5/CAT5e/CAT6/CAT6a. This 100M Outdoor CAT 7 ethernet cable is triple-shielded (SFTP) which is made up of high pure oxygen-free bare paired copper wiring. It sports transfer speeds of up to 10 GBPS over a 600MHz bandwidth, which is standard for a CAT 7 ethernet cable.

This outdoor cable is compatible with any Ethernet port on any device whilst sporting a tough PVC sleeve, which makes it an ideal candidate for routing underground to provide an internet connection in your workshop, summerhouse, or home office. It’s also weatherproof and UV resistant, which means you can feel confident in mounting this CAT 7 Ethernet cable outdoors if needed.

3
PROS
  • Nylon cable allows for flexible placement in homes and offices
  • 30M should be long enough for most indoor tasks
CONS
  • Cable may fray if it's being moved over time

Sometimes it’s really handy to just have a trustworthy and flexible Ethernet cable handy in the living room for plugging the laptop/streaming/gaming device in for the best upload and download speeds. Nylon sleeved CAT 7 Ethernet cables provide flexibility when needed yet stay protected and tidy.

DanYee 30M CAT 7 Ethernet Cable features a slim profile and enough give in it to roll up and tuck behind the couch when not in use. Of course, this is overkill for internet browsing and standard office work, but this is extremely worthwhile for online gamers and video/audio editors that rely on network access to assets.

DanYee has been calling this 30M CAT 7 Ethernet Cable ‘Dirt Proof’, which is a handy feature for a loose cable knocking around the front room. It features an RJ45 universal connector, which means it’s compatible with anything that has an Ethernet port, so no worries there.

4
PROS
  • Weather and burial proof
  • A great solution for outdoor and network connectivity between properties
CONS
  • Might not be long enough to connect building to building

XXone 30M Outdoor Cat 7 Ethernet cable is a great choice for users who wish to extend their network outdoors over short distances. A good example would be adding a garden access point for Wi-Fi to your network. 

This Cat 7 Ethernet cable supports Gigabit 1000 BASE-T; 100 BASE-T; 10 BASE-T standards, whilst meeting/exceeding the Cat 6 IA/EIA 568-C.2 standard. What does this mean for you? Well, it means that this Cat 7 ethernet cable will deliver up to 10 GBPS @ 600 MHz, specs that all Cat 7 ethernet cables should be meeting with ease. Providing you have equipment that supports Cat 7 speeds that is.

The great thing about XXone 30M Outdoor Cat 7 Ethernet Cable is its weatherproof design alongside being able to sit underground with no interference or worries. This Cat 7 ethernet cable will mount on an exterior wall, run under decking, and take a good burial like a champ.

 

5
PROS
  • Slim profile for a smaller footprint
  • Discreet white color
CONS
  • Slim cable can be less flexible than standard cables

Depending on the type of paint or wallpaper the better half has made you put on the walls over the years, running indoor CAT 7 Ethernet cables that blend into their surroundings always helps. Enter Deego with their 15M Cat 7 Ethernet cable.

Its main feature is its slim design, which should tuck nicely under carpets and flooring boarders. If not, don’t worry, its white aesthetic will suit lighter decorated homes and will go unnoticed next to those white varnished borders.

Looks aside, 15m is plenty for the majority of home networks and features the CAT 7 Ethernet cable specs you’ve been looking for. It’s great for modern home office setups that have a little more room than most. Just make sure to plan where the cable is running before installing as slim CAT 7 Ethernet cables don’t look nice bent and twisted.

We understand that CAT 7 Ethernet cables are all the same product, but there’s no point in spending a little extra on weatherproof 100m cables when you only need less than 10M for an indoor video-heavy network. Everybody has different needs for their networks and CAT 7 Ethernet solutions, and we hope this buyer’s guide at least sheds some light on why getting the right Ethernet cables for your needs is important.

What’s the difference between CAT 6a and CAT 7 cables?

Whilst both CAT 6A and 7 transmit 10 GBPS at 100m and are both shielded, CAT 7 can transmit 100 GBPS where supported at 15m. CAT 7 also supports 600MHz bandwidth, 100MHz more than CAT 6A.

Are all Ethernet cables copper?

Ethernet uses copper cables to deliver data using an electrical impulse.

How can I tell if a cable is CAT 7?

Most Ethernet cables have some information printed along the sheath. You’re looking for something that says “Category” followed by a number. On some cables, the word “category” is abbreviated to “CAT”.

What does bandwidth mean?

Bandwidth is the maximum amount of data transmitted over an internet connection in a given amount of time. Bandwidth is often mistaken for internet speed when it’s actually the volume of information that can be sent over a connection.

Our Verdict

It’s always good to have spares, and when you do end up using one million cables to kit out your mini evil genius lair, it’s good to color code so you know what’s going where. It’s also really easy to cable manage flat cables. It’s actually quite therapeutic seeing organized ribbons flowing from switches, PCs, routers, and more, if you are into that kind of thing that is. Busohe get’s our seal of approval for value and cable quality.