Twisted Pairs Ethernet Cables: Categories and Shielding

TP: Twisted Pairs. The wires inside the cable are twisted together.
Cat: Stands for "category".

Twisted Pairs Cables

Type	Description	Pros.	Cons.
UTP	Unshielded Twisted Pairs. No foil or braided shielding.	Cheap Flexible	Lower signal quality Vulnerability for crosstalk
STP	Shielded Twisted Pairs. Has braided shielding to reduce noise and improve connection quality.	Versatile Strong Flexible	Bulky More expensive 70-90% of shielding coverage depends on the braid formation.
FTP	Foiled Twisted Pairs. Has foil shielding to reduce noise and improve connection quality.	100% of shielding coverage Lighter than braid Cheaper than braid	Less durable than braid Less flex than braid

Cable Category Standard

Category	Shielding	Max Transmission Speed (at 100 meters)	Max Bandwidth	Note
Cat 5	UTP	100 Mbps	100 MHz	Obsolete.
Cat 5e	UTP, F/UTP, U/FTP	1 Gbps	100 MHz	Common cheap cable. e = enhanced.
Cat 6	UTP, F/UTP, U/FTP	1 Gbps	250 MHz	10 Gbps up to 55 meters.
Cat 6a	UTP, F/UTP, U/FTP, S/FTP	10 Gbps	500 MHz	a = augmented.
Cat 7	S/FTP, F/FTP	10 Gbps	600 MHz	Not TIA/EIA standard. GG45 connector
Cat 7a	S/FTP, F/FTP	10 Gbps	1,000Mhz	Not TIA/EIA standard. 100 Gbps up to 15 meters. 40 Gbps up to 50 meters.
Cat 8/8.1	F/UTP, U/FTP	10 Gbps	2,000Mhz	For data center. Short cable, less than 30-36m. 40 Gbps up to 30m. RJ45 connector.
Cat 8.2	S/FTP, F/FTP	10 Gbps	2,000Mhz	Same as 8.1. GG45 connector.