Why Does Cheap Network Cable Often Cause Problems?

Cheap no-name cables often don’t meet the specifications of their stated category. Common problems are:

• Poor shielding leads to interference and crosstalk between wire pairs
• Low-quality connectors cause high contact resistance and signal loss
• Conductors that are too thin or made of aluminum increase line resistance

These quality defects lead to instability, dropped connections and reduced transmission speed across the whole network. That’s why you should go for branded cables from reputable manufacturers that reliably meet their category specifications.

Bottom line: for future-proof gigabit and 10-gigabit networks, we recommend at least CAT 6a. CAT 7 offers even more performance headroom. When buying cable, put quality before quantity to avoid problems on your network.