Reference chart
Ethernet cable categories
Cable categories set the ceiling on speed and distance: Cat5e carries gigabit to 100 meters, Cat6 adds headroom and short-run 10G, and Cat6a carries 10G the full 100 meters. Show protocols (Dante, sACN, NDI) run happily on gigabit, so the category question is really a headroom and abuse-tolerance question.
Categories at a glance
| Category | Bandwidth | Top rate / distance | Show-floor notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat5e | 100 MHz | 1 Gb/s to 100 m | The working minimum; most rental stock. |
| Cat6 | 250 MHz | 1 Gb/s to 100 m, 10 Gb/s to ~55 m | Cheap headroom for new purchases. |
| Cat6a | 500 MHz | 10 Gb/s to 100 m | The 10G workhorse; heavier and stiffer. |
| Cat7 / 7a | 600-1000 MHz | 10 Gb/s+ (non-RJ45 connectors in spec) | Rare in practice; mostly marketing on RJ45 cords. |
| Cat8 | 2000 MHz | 25/40 Gb/s to 30 m | Data-center patch tier, not show cabling. |
Shielding codes
| Code | Meaning | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| U/UTP | Unshielded | Fine for most runs away from power bundles. |
| F/UTP | Overall foil shield | Common in touring cat snake stock. |
| S/FTP | Braid overall + foil per pair | Best rejection; standard for rugged tour cable. |
| (rule) | Shields need grounded, shielded RJ45s end to end | A shield floating on plastic connectors is decoration. |
What shows actually need
Dante, AES67, sACN, Art-Net, and console remotes are comfortable on gigabit, which any healthy Cat5e run carries; NDI wants gigabit as a floor and benefits from 10G trunks between switches. The honest reasons to buy up-category are physical: tour-grade Cat6a S/FTP with etherCON survives being run over, and the shielding shrugs off the feeder bundle someone taped it to.
Distance discipline beats category upgrades: 100 meters is the copper limit per run regardless of category, and links past it belong on fiber. The opticalCON guide covers that handoff.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cat6 worth it over Cat5e for audio networks?
For the protocol, no: Dante and friends run on gigabit, which Cat5e delivers. For new cable purchases, yes: Cat6 or 6a costs little more, adds margin against damage and interference, and future-proofs trunk lines toward 10G.
Do I need shielded ethernet on stage?
Near dimmers, feeder runs, and LED wall power, shielded cable (with shielded, grounded connectors on both ends) buys real immunity. Isolated short runs in clean environments are fine unshielded.
How far can ethernet run?
100 meters per copper segment, all categories, by standard. Longer paths need a switch mid-span or a move to fiber.