Common Ethernet Cable Types, Shielding, and Maximum Lengths

Ethernet Cable Type	Max Length (Meters)	Max Length (Feet)	Shielding Type	Notes
Cat 5e	100 meters	328 feet	UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair)	Supports up to 1 Gbps at 100 MHz
Cat 6	55 meters (10 Gbps)	180 feet (10 Gbps)	UTP or STP (Shielded Twisted Pair)	Can reach 100 meters at 1 Gbps, 55 meters at 10 Gbps
Cat 6a	100 meters	328 feet	STP (Shielded Twisted Pair)	Supports up to 10 Gbps at 500 MHz
Cat 7	100 meters	328 feet	S/FTP (Shielded Foiled Twisted Pair)	Supports up to 10 Gbps at 600 MHz, fully shielded
Cat 8	30 meters	98 feet	S/FTP (Shielded Foiled Twisted Pair)	Supports up to 40 Gbps at 2000 MHz, designed for data centers