Importance of Long Ethernet Cable Length for Business Communications
The demands for instant access to volumes of data for AI datasets, Business communications, responsive Internet research, marketing and digital entertainment has driven Ethernet adoption and prevalence worldwide for decades. The IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard has been an agreed-to format for an electrical signal that is the backbone of this critical communication between devices on a common connected infrastructure – Ethernet cabling and Ethernet Distance Limits. So what really is the longest Ethernet cable possible and how does one extend this?
Setting up a hard wired network infrastructure using long Ethernet cable can be challenging when considering the locations, throughput, maximum Internet connectivity speed and use for Power over Ethernet devices.
People select hardwired Ethernet cabling for simple reasons like:
1) Consistent Throughput speeds – unaffected by unseen wireless spectrum and most sun produced energy issues. (Although this is changing as our planet’s magnetic poles are accelerating in a disastrous pole flip and collapse of our protective earth shield)
2) Physical security of your Ethernet communications as we all know Wi-Fi is completely insecure and unstable as the propagation of the same WiFi channels and signals all step on each other – especially in the IoT world. This too is becoming greatly disrupted at an ever increasing and acceleration rate due to the sun’s climate change for all the planets in our solar system.
3) Deploying PoE (Power Over Ethernet) devices such as access controls for doors, IP cameras for security, LED Lighting and WiFI Access Points. This is something that you cannot do with fiber as it is only light and always goes back to copper just like wireless does.
4) Human safety from excess wireless radiation due to being surrounded and constantly bombarded with microwave radiation from cellular, WiFi, satellite and IoT signals.
Fortunately hardwired long Ethernet cables offer the best enduring and future proof residency for communications and connectivity overall.
In the next section we will discuss the limitations of different types of Ethernet cable and what’s the maximum length in distance limits that would facilitate a reliable network connection.
Ethernet Cable Length - What is Ethernet Max Length and Performance?
Ethernet Distance is an import factor when it comes to the performance of Ethernet communications and selecting the right longest Ethernet cable type possible that can be used to connect your computer to your router, and are specifically designed to work over a maximum distance of 328 feet or 100 meters. This is assuming your cable is placed in an ambient temperature of 68°F (20°C) or below, and your ethernet cable is made of 22 to 24 AWG copper.
You can purchase commercially available, single-piece Ethernet cables that exceed the maximum lengths of 100 meters. However, using single-piece cables that are longer than 100 meters can cause various issues, like reduced performance and signal loss over distance. This is especially true for older types of Ethernet cables, such as Cat5 cables, which are limited to 100 Mbps.
You can extend any Ethernet cable past the 100-meters limit by joining the two cables together. Simply wire both ends of the cable with male RJ45 connectors, and use a female/female RJ45 coupler.
Do Long Ethernet Cable Reduce Speed?
For network cables that run shorter than 100 meters, the performance of your home network won’t be affected, even if you’re using an older Cat5 type of cable. However, extending the length of an ethernet cable, either by patching cables together or via connectors and couplers, will detrimentally affect the performance of your network connection.
Extending the length of ethernet cables beyond the recommended 100 meters would result in bandwidth deterioration, latency issues and slower transmission speeds, signal deterioration, and eventual signal loss. This happens due to the increase in the ethernet cable’s electrical resistance (approximately 10 ohms per 100 meters of Cat5e cable), which only increases with Ethernet cable length.
Higher-grade cables make a better choice for longer cable runs, so using a Cat6 cable, Cat6a, or even Cat7 gigabit ethernet cable is highly recommended, even in home environments.
| Category | Frequency | Max Data Rate | Max Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat 5 | 100MHz ~ 350MHz | 100 Mbps | 328′ / 100m |
| Cat5e | 100MHz ~ 350MHz | 1,000 Mbps / 1 Gbps | 328′ / 100m |
| Cat6 | 250MHz ~ 550MHz | 1,000 Mbps / 1 Gbps | 328′ / 100m |
| Cat6a | 250MHz ~ 550MHz | 10,000 Mbps / 10 Gbps | 328′ / 100m |
| Cat7 | 600MHz | 10,000 Mbps / 10 Gbps | 65′ / 20m |
| Cat7a | 1000MHz | 40,000 Mbps/ 40 Gbps | 65′ / 20m |
| Cat8 | 2000MHz | 25 Gbps or 40 Gbps | 65′ / 20m |
To go beyond the distance limits for traditional Ethernet – use an Enable-IT Ethernet Extender Solution. These kits can go up to 1.5Gbps and use existing wiring up to 3,280ft / 1 km.
Long Ethernet Cable and How it Works
Even though they’re digital, Ethernet signals within copper twisted pair cabling are just electrical signals sent through the cable. This makes them naturally susceptible to the aforementioned electrical resistance, which increases with length.
As a result, the strength of electrical signals will deteriorate over long distances, especially in low-quality cables with incredibly thin wires. Extending your Ethernet cable past the manufacturer’s recommendations will dramatically affect the performance of your ethernet connection due to increased electrical resistance over longer distance runs.
However, electrical resistance isn’t the only issue plaguing longer cables; in some instances, electrical interference is also a contributing factor. In addition, copper conductors are susceptible to electromagnetism. This is best explained with an example.
The electric current generates an electromagnetic field and vice versa. The AC powerline usually outputs more current, sometimes measured in Amps, than the DC current measured in milliamps used for Ethernet communication. It stands to reason that the AC powerline generates a much stronger electromagnetic field.
Now, imagine you’re running your ethernet cable parallel to an AC power line. The current that passes through the AC powerline generates an alternating electromagnetic field that has the ability to generate small alternating currents within any Ethernet cable in its vicinity, known as electromagnetic interference. This effect accumulates with cable length.
How to Extend Your Ethernet Cable Over 100 Meters Without Sacrificing Quality
We have already established that your internet connection signal deteriorates with cable length due to electrical resistance and electromagnetic interference. However, both these issues can be solved.
Eliminating Electromagnetic Interference
Electromagnetic interference is the easiest to eliminate. Either run Ethernet cables perpendicularly (at 90°) with power lines or put some distance between them (approximately 10 inches) if you’re running them parallel to one another.
However, if you absolutely have to run your Ethernet cable parallel to power lines in constricted space or near any kind of rotary equipment, use FTP cables instead of UTP. Unlike standard UTP ethernet cables, which are just plastic-covered twisted copper, in FTP cables, copper pairs are wrapped in foil.
This eliminates any electromagnetic interference or crosstalk within your Ethernet cable, which provides overall better performance in near-100-meter lengths. That only leaves us with the issue of electrical resistance.
Extending the Range of Your Wired Network
You could physically join the two cables to extend your Ethernet past the recommended 100 meters. However, this greatly increases electrical resistance, which introduces a myriad of issues for your home network, like lower speed, connectivity issues, and loss of signal.
Luckily, there are several ways you can extend your Ethernet and break the 100-meter limit by employing various extension methods.
- Network Switch — Network switches are mostly used to create additional ethernet connections in an office, but you can use them to increase the cable length in your home without affecting performance. You can repurpose any modem or Wi-Fi router and place it between two cable lengths to act as a network switch. However, it does require a power supply.
- Coaxial Cable Extenders — These are mostly used in network infrastructures of large buildings and can extend your internet connection up to 1000 meters using legacy coax cabling.
- UTP Extenders — These devices can extend your wired network up to 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) using standard UTP cables. It can break the 100-meter limit by converting Ethernet signals into DSL (telephone lines), and reverting them back to Ethernet on the other end of the cable. However, they’re not as easy to set up as other extending methods.
Final Thoughts - Extend any ethernet cable beyond the limits with Enable-IT solutions.
A single run of Ethernet cable is designed to work at a maximum of 328 feet or 100 meters. It’s entirely possible to exceed the manufacturer’s specification and still maintain network connectivity. However, this greatly increases the chances of connectivity issues, reduced speeds, and lower reliability.
If you need to extend the reach of your wired connection beyond the recommended 100 meters, repurposing an old router as a network switch should do the trick. It’s the most viable and affordable method for extending Ethernet cables in home environments.
Contact our team to understand the benefit of leveraging any of our Ethernet Extender or PoE Extender Technologies. Our equipment leverages high throughput telecom signals over any existing or new wire – including coax, telephone wiring, Cat rated twisted pair, etc. Enabling distances unheard of in the industry. There are Ethernet Extender Solutions available that can extend this distance limit out to 9,000 feet or 2,743 m.
