What Is Cat 8?

Date First Published: 25th May 2022

Topic: Computer Networking

Subtopic: Data Transmission Technologies

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty Level: 5/10

Learn more about what Cat 8 is in this article.

Short for Category 8, Cat 8 is the latest and fastest IEEE copper Ethernet cable standard that supports data transmission speeds of up to 40 Gb/s and frequency transmission speeds of up to 2000 MHz, equal to 2 GHz. Cat 8 uses standard RJ45 connectors and has backwards compatibility with previous standards.

Differences Between Cat 8 and Other Standards

Shielded twisted pairs use a layer of conductive material to provide protection for the internal conductors against electromagnetic interference, resulting in fewer signal transmission issues. Cat 8 has even more protection against electromagnetic interference by each twisted pair being wrapped in foil to completely eliminate crosstalk and enable higher data transmission speeds, resulting in a thicker cable that is harder to install in small spaces.

Is Cat 8 Used?

Cat 8 enables maximum speed and performance. However, due to its high costs, incompatible hardware, and unnecessarily high speeds, Cat 8 is rarely used for homes. Most homes use Cat 5, Cat 5e, or Cat 6, which are more suitable. In addition, most home networking equipment cannot function at Cat 8 speed. The Cat 8 cable is often used for communications in data centres where the distance between switches and servers is short and a high data transmission speed is required.

Maximum Length

Cat 8 has tighter length restrictions than most Ethernet cables. Depending on the patch cords used, Cat 8 has the ability to extend up to 30 metres or 36 metres. This means that they have the ability to extend to 30-36 metres between connected devices in both business and home networks. Without the use of a bridge or other network device, exceeding this length could result in network difficulties such as data packetloss and transmission speed reduction.