Cat 8 Cabling & Future Proofing Your Network

Newer networking innovations like fiber optic cabling are gaining ground among consumers and moving into industry-standard territory. However, some more traditional connectivity tools continue to see significant use as a consequence of their track records of reliability — most notably, Ethernet cabling. This essential networking resource constitutes the backbone of personal computing and keeps evolving as a result. Category 8 Ethernet cabling is the most recent iteration, an innovative, easy-to-install connectivity solution that facilitates the high data transfer speeds that modern consumers need to get the most out of their technology.

Cat 8 Cabling & Future Proofing Your Network

Here at LANshack we strive to stay ahead of the curve and provide to you all the necessary products to future proof your next install. We get phone calls on a daily basis that start off with, "I want to future-proof my network and I want to run Cat 8." We obviously never want to steer anyone in the wrong direction or make you purchase something you truly do not need but is it overkill for your a home network? The short answer is yes but with technology advancing at such a high speed the need for a Cat 8 Cabling or the ability to put it to use may not be as far out as one might think. With more and more fiber optic backbones being upgraded and brought to the home, that Cat 8 cabling that you install may be good and ready for the speed availability. As many in the networking world say, "your network is only as good as the weakest link." With that said, if you have 10 Gig capability coming in and you have Cat 6 cabling in the walls, you will never be able to utilize that handoff speed.
Cat 8 cabling can support up to 40Gps transfer speeds and reach 2GHz of bandwidth. It is always backwards compatible with all categories such as Cat 5E, Cat6, Cat 6A, and Cat 7.

We offer all the essentials for your future-proof high-performance network including the following: bulk Cat 8 Shielded Cable sold in 1000ft and 300ft lengths (Plenum CMP and Riser Rated CMR, Cat 8 shielded patch cables in various lengths, colors, and cable diameters, Cat 8 shielded keystone jacks, Cat 8 shielded modular plugs both tool less and crimp style, patch panels, and all the accessories that go along with it. See below and check out our Cat 8 cabling products.

Charting the Ethernet evolution

In May 1973, electrical engineer Robert Metcalfe sketched a rudimentary diagram that displayed a networking system wherein information was carried via a cable connected to a radio modem. Metcalfe was finishing up research for his applied math master's dissertation at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center and had been tasked with connecting some laser printers to the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), the packet-switching system that eventually evolved into the internet. Leveraging the early networking methodology Aloha, as his theoretical touchstone, the engineer developed a new strategy that leveraged radio modems, coaxial cable and the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detect (CSMA/CD) protocol to facilitate accelerated information transfers between the printers and ARPANET. Metcalfe and his colleague David Boggs published these findings in July 1976 and claimed the patent for Ethernet on Xerox's behalf one year later.

Xerox, the Digital Equipment Corporation and Intel developed and published the first standard for 10-megabit-per-second Ethernet cable in 1980. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) put out its own standard three years later, essentially transforming the technology from a corporate-owned asset into an item of the public domain. In the decades since, the IEEE has amended these standards numerous times to keep pace with new cabling innovation.

Today, there are approximately five varieties of Ethernet cabling that see widespread use. These cable types include:

Each variation facilitates a different standard bandwidth and maximum data transfer speed. Shielding capabilities vary among Ethernet cabling solutions too. Virtually all Ethernet cabling solutions center on twisted pairs of copper wire.

Understanding Category 8 Ethernet cable

Manufacturers began releasing Category 8 Ethernet cable products in late 2016. These solutions immediately caught the attention of consumers due to their advanced networking capabilities. Category 8 cables boast standard bandwidths of 2000 megahertz and facilitate data flow rates as high as 40 gigabits per second. This is a massive improvement over Category 7 iterations, which have standard bandwidths of 600 MHZ and can move information at speeds of just 10 Gbps. Increased information transmission capacity and speed are not the only benefits that accompany Category 8 Ethernet Cable use. For one, the installation process mirrors the one employed with Category 7 cables, meaning adopters do not have to learn new implementation techniques or acquire new tools. Additionally, these cables are of the highest quality and hold Intertek's ETL Verified designation. Category 8 Ethernet cables are also backward compatible with Category 6A variations due to their RJ45 connectors. Finally, these networking resources generally have longer lifespans, leading to lower cost of ownership figures.

The prospect of adopting Category 8 Ethernet cables might appear over the top to some. Why invest in new equipment if earlier Ethernet iterations can do the job? This is the exact question some of the original Category 8 Ethernet adopters asked themselves. These entities ended up moving forward with implementation with the future in mind. For instance, AT&T began installing Category 8 Ethernet cable solutions in 2016, just months after the first products hit the market. Why? The telecommunications giant understood that future technological development would necessitate advanced connective equipment. Many small- and medium-sized data centers have conducted the same calculus and installed Category 8 fixtures that support high-bandwidth client applications, including cloud services and internet of things hardware and software.