Best Ethernet Cables 2023

Ditch the unreliable Wi-Fi and favour the wired alternative with these top ethernet cables.

Owning one of the top ethernet cables can transform your patchy internet connection from subpar to superb, letting you forego the frailties of Wi-Fi and replacing it with a direct line to and from your router.

Though Wi-Fi is the most convenient form of receiving a connection on your devices - be they games consoles, smart home tech, or computers - it does often face issues with conflicting signals and can therefore be unstable. Having an ethernet cable run from your router or modem can help solve this issue, as it can essentially create a hardwired path for the internet to travel to your device.

However, with many of our gadgets often sitting far away from the access point, even the ethernet cable solution presents its challenges. The easy part is figuring out the length you need the wire to be, but you'll have to know what your internet speed is, too, and find the corresponding Cat - which is short for 'Category', and, unfortunately, nothing to do with felines.

Generally speaking, a higher Cat number will result in a more advanced cable that can accommodate higher speeds. As an example, if you have download speeds of roughly 10-20Mbps, anything that is Cat-5 or above will be just fine.

To help guide you through the wide web of wired internet connections, we've picked out some of the best you can buy.

Best overall

A seriously affordable ethernet cable that can handle high speeds.

Amazon

This AmazonBasics Cat-6 cable is the ideal pick in most cases, transmitting data up to 1GB per second and supporting bandwidth transmission of up to 250MHz.

Simply, that's more than enough speed for most homes, allowing you to receive a more reliable connection when fed into an access point.

This model is also available in smaller lengths, as well as 25-foot and 50-foot options (for when you really need to run the wire around the house), and all are available for a relatively reasonable price.

Durable and speedy

Link up your home the stylish way with this braided nylon, high-speed ethernet cable.

Amazon

If you prefer the durability you usually get from braided nylon options, DanYee's Cat-7 cable is definitely one to consider.

Not only will it avoid fraying, but it's also able to deliver seriously high speeds (up to 10GB per second) and support bandwidth transmission up to 600MHz.

Like the other options on this list, this 10-feet cable is available in longer and shorter variations and also features the standard RJ45 fitting.

Budget alternative

A very affordable ethernet cable that's perfect for those who want a bit of colour from their connector.

Amazon

If you just want a really affordable ethernet cable that's able to deliver data speeds that are suitable for most homes, this Cat-5e Rhinocable offering is a solid pick.

This 5-meter wire can serve up to 1GB per second of transfer, though there are sizes also varying between 12cm and 50 meters.

That allows you to tailor the wire for the job, with 11 colours also allowing you to match it to the wall's paint you're mounting on.

Best for mounting

A flat ethernet cable that's ideal for mounting - and one that even comes with the clips for the job.

A flat ethernet cable that's ideal for mounting - and one that even comes with the clips for the job.

Another Cat-7 cable, but one that's definitely worth considering if you need a flat design for mounting - and, handily, it even comes bundled with clips to lock it around your skirting board.

Since it's on the more advanced end of the ethernet cable spectrum, you'll get support for 750MHz of bandwidth, and up to 10GB per second of data transfer.

That's more than enough for most homes, naturally, and will remain useable for a long time to come.

Reliable transfer

A solid Cat-7 cable that's capable of delivering excellent transfer speeds between your router and device.

Amazon

Ugreen has another Cat-7 cable for you to consider, and one that's available in a wide variety of lengths.

Like others, it features a flat design, with the wiring inside helping to provide up to 600MHz transmission rate and up to 10GB per second of data transfer.

It's simple-looking, but it's an excellent way to ensure a solid connection between your access point and a device.

At first glance, most cables might look like they offer the same, but that's not always true. Here are some thoughts to consider while you pick.

This is a big one, even if it's not directly related to a cable's quality - make sure you know how much length you're buying when you commit to a choice. After all, if you need 12 feet and only land with six, you'll be up the creek. So, double-check your lengths and always overestimate.

As we said in this piece's introduction, there are many categories of ethernet cable, and while we won't run through them all, it's worth double-checking that the cable you're buying can support the bandwidth you're looking to pass through it. This is particularly important for businesses or enterprise usage, but will potentially save you a headache under any circumstances.

Ethernet cables all serve the same end, but they look different from each other. So, if you know where you'll be using a cable, you might want to bear that in mind on the decor front. You could pick one up in a particular colour (although black and white are by far the most common), or even opt for a braided cable for a bit more durability. Flat designs are also easier to mount on walls or skirting boards, so keep that in mind, too.

Conor started life in journalism at Digital Spy as a technology reporter, covering everything from Tim Cook's hypnotic dancing to the latest phone launches, before moving to Wareable Media Group in 2017.

As an associate editor of the group, Conor was responsible for the granular testing of every wearable, smart home and fitness device to grace store shelves — even being known to cycle the streets of East London in a wearable airbag — before moving to Pocket-lint in 2020.

Conor is a sport and fitness enthusiast in his spare time, and has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, The Daily Mirror, Metro and The Independent.