Ethernet Cables and Their Abbreviations

Here is a detailed explanation of the different Ethernet cable grades and what the abbreviations mean:

Unshielded twisted pair cables (UTP)

UTP cables have no additional shielding around the twisted wire pairs. They are susceptible to electromagnetic interference, but are commonly used in offices and residential buildings, where interference is low.

Shielded twisted pair cables

There are several types of shielding for twisted pair cables:

Foil shield (F/UTP, F/FTP):

The twisted wire pairs are wrapped in a foil that acts as a shield
F/UTP: overall foil shield, wire pairs unshielded
F/FTP: overall foil shield, each wire pair individually wrapped in foil. Offers good protection against electromagnetic interference

Braided shield (S/UTP, S/FTP):

A braid of copper wires surrounds the wire pairs and acts as a shield
S/UTP: overall braided shield, wire pairs unshielded
S/FTP: overall braided shield, each wire pair individually wrapped in foil (also called PiMF)

Very good shielding effect, but somewhat stiffer than foil shielding alone

Combined shielding (SF/UTP, SF/FTP):

A combination of foil and braided shield for maximum shielding
SF/UTP: overall shielding of foil + braid, wire pairs unshielded
SF/FTP: overall shielding of foil + braid, each wire pair individually wrapped in foil
Used for the highest demands on interference immunity, e.g. for Cat.7 and Cat.8

Cable categories

The categories specify performance characteristics such as frequency and transmission rate:

Cat.5e: up to 1000 Mbit/s, 100 MHz
Cat.6: up to 1000 Mbit/s, 250 MHz
Cat.6A: up to 10 Gbit/s, 500 MHz
Cat.7: up to 10 Gbit/s, 600 MHz
Cat.8 (8.1 / 8.2): up to 40 Gbit/s, 2000 MHz — Cat.8.1 with RJ45 connectors (backward compatible with Cat.6A), Cat.8.2 with GG45 or TERA connectors

Higher categories generally also require higher-grade shielding such as S/FTP in order to minimize interference and reach the specified transmission rates.

Bottom line: for demanding networks with high transmission rates, we recommend at least Cat.6A with S/FTP (PiMF) shielding. For maximum performance up to 10 Gbit/s, Cat.7 with SF/FTP shielding is the best choice.

Is there a Cat.9 yet? No. As of September 2026, there is no category above Cat.8 that has been adopted or officially announced by ISO/IEC, TIA or CENELEC/EN 50173. The occasional “Cat.9” mention is manufacturer marketing, not a standard.

Schematic cross-section of the Ethernet cable shielding types: U/UTP, F/UTP, U/FTP, F/FTP, S/FTP, SF/UTP and SF/FTP, showing the outer jacket, foil and braided shield and the four wire pairs.