Ethernet Networking Cable

[nicoff]

Originally Posted by W9TR

I need to add some info about Cat 6A and Cat 7 cables.

While most Ethernet cables are not shielded, starting with Cat6a there is an option to use shielded cables.

Shielded Cat 6 cables have a foil shield and drain wire which is terminated with metal connectors on each end. This is not a requirement for Cat 6a cabling but an option.

Cat 7a adds a shield for each of the 4 twisted pairs and a shield for the entire cable, which is again terminated to the metal shell on the connector.

These standards were adopted to reduce unwanted crosstalk in large gigabit enterprise installations. To work they require that the infrastructure switches be grounded to the racks and the racks be earth grounded with #6 AWG or thicker copper.

I do not recommend using these shielded cables for home audio installations. Here’s why.

Consumer switches and devices have wildly varying shielding and grounding configurations for their female Ethernet jacks. Some are totally unshielded, some are shielded. For the ones that are shielded, the way the shields are connected is not standardized. They may be just connected together, or to the chassis, or they may be connected to an internal ground. Consumer switches have wall wart power supplies that float, so there is no direct path to earth ground at all. That path could be through your $10,000 streamer.

So, my point is that you are way better off using high quality unshielded cables. They do not connect noisy grounds from your digital gear directly to your expensive audio streamer. If you know how your gear is implemented you may find an advantage to using shielded cable if and only if ONLY one end of the cable is grounded and that end is connected to your streamer.

Tony, given all this I don’t have a direct answer for you. My gut reaction is no, it won’t make a difference since it is already unshielded and located far away from your gear. This is speculation on my part though.

There may a corollary between Ethernet and AC mains cables. That is cables close to the equipment may matter more than the in-wall wiring. But I haven’t had time to experiment much. So this is also speculation.

In unshielded systems, the quality of the cable and the tightness and uniformity of the twist all matter because they determine how much RFI and EMI is radiated by the cable. That RFI and EMI will impact your gear in unpredictable ways.

I think that is why audiophiles have very different experiences with Ethernet cables and switches.

Sorry for the long post but this is a complex topic. There is no one correct answer.

Tom

So which Ethernet cables do you use?