Ethernet cables are a key piece to be able to connect to the Internet. They are essential to navigate in a wired way, connecting for example a computer or television directly to the router without having to use Wi-Fi networks. This offers greater stability, speed and also quality of the connection. However, it has its limitations and sometimes it is necessary to take measures. When should I buy another new Ethernet cable? We are going to talk about it in this article.
Why do you have to change the Internet cable?
Typically, the Ethernet cable you use to connect to the network will last for many years. They have a very long useful life, unless it has a problem or is technologically outdated. For this reason, there are circumstances in which it is convenient to change the Internet cable for a new one.
You are limited to Fast Ethernet
One of the most important reasons to need to change the network cable is when we are limited to Fast Ethernet. Keep in mind that there are different categories, which you can see inscribed on the cable itself, and depending on which one you use, you can achieve more or less speed. If you use a category lower than 5e, your Internet speed will be limited to Fast Ethernet.
What does this mean? You will not be able to navigate beyond 100 Mbps. If, for example, you have contracted a 300 Mbps fiber optic rate, you will not be able to take advantage of it if you connect by cable. Therefore, you will need to buy a new Ethernet cable that has at least category 5e to be able to reach speeds of up to 1 Gbps, which is the maximum that we can hire fiber optics in Spain today.
It is possible that you use an old cable, for example if you had contracted ADSL and have switched to fiber optics, and that cable does not offer more than Fast Ethernet. Therefore, in that case we advise you to choose a good Ethernet cable and thus achieve the maximum possible speed.
You will connect from further away
You should also take into account the possibility that you will be connecting from a very far distance from the router. Here the cable category will come into play again. Some will be limited to 20 meters and from there the performance will drop. Others, the higher category ones, will allow you to connect even up to 100 meters away without losing speed.
If you plan to make a fiber optic installation at home to connect from other rooms that are far from the router, the cable you are going to use may not be of a suitable category and you will have problems. Keep this in mind and you may need to buy a new cable, with higher capacity, to avoid dropouts and loss of speed.
There is a physical problem with the cable
Of course, another reason to have to change the Ethernet cable is that there is something wrong with it. For example, if you have yanked it without realizing it and a connector has broken or if it has deteriorated over time and no longer works as it should, something common if, for example, you store it rolled up in a bad way.
If it does not work well, it could mean that you will not have more than 100 Mbps speed. Even if your cable is Gigabit Ethernet and it can work and you connect to the network, you will not have adequate speed. That happens if any connector has broken.
In short, these are some reasons why you may need to buy a new Internet cable. If you have problems, if you see that the speed is not adequate or navigation problems arise, it may be the solution.