We are relocating our company to a new location, and our team consists of around 10 people. We need to set up our office network from scratch. Which cable should we choose, such as Cat5e, Cat6, or even Cat7?
You can consider the following factors.
For the current and future network transmission speed requirements: if the speed requirements for network transmission are less than 500Mbps, then you can choose CAT5E cable; if the requirements for network transmission speed are less than 1Gbps but higher than 500Mbps, you can choose CAT6 cable, but if the requirements for network transmission speed is higher than 1Gbps, then it is recommended to choose CAT6A and above cables. Please note that the network transmission speed is not only limited by the cable but also affected by factors such as the transmission distance, while the network transmission speed is based on the level of network bandwidth you purchase from the local network service provider.
Your current team size and future team size expectations, if the short-term or maintain the current team size, and for the network transmission speed is not very high requirements, usually choose CAT6 cable can meet the needs.
Maybe paying for an IT service company to install your office network will be cost-effective and efficient. It will be more difficult than your home network installation if you don’t have a professional network advisor.
Cat5e: The most common and cost-effective choice for most enterprises. They can support network speeds up to 1 Gbps at a maximum length of 100 meters. Suitable for basic office needs.
Cat6: Offer higher performance compared to Cat5e. They can handle network speeds up to 10 Gbps at a maximum length of 55 meters. If your office requires more intensive data transfers, video streaming, or large file transfers, Cat6 cable will be a better choice.
Cat7: Offer higher performance and more advanced shielding compared to Cat6. They can support network speeds up to 10 Gbps at a maximum length of 100 meters. Cat7 cables are designed for environments susceptible to electromagnetic interference and can handle high-quality multimedia applications. However, they are relatively more expensive and may not be necessary unless you have special requirements.