Shielded Cat 8 Ethernet Cable, 10 ft

Our analysis

A rating of 40 Gbps on the cable against a single gigabit port per adapter on the TP-Link TL-PA7017 powerline kit: when your desk sits within 3 m of the router, the direct cable is the faster path, and the kit is the route for when it does not.

What stands out

• A wired link instead of Wi-Fi. The cable takes the wireless link, and the interference it picks up, out of the path between the router and your PC or console.
• S/FTP double shielding. Foil around each pair plus an overall braid, the construction Cat 8 uses against electrical interference.
• Rated for 40 Gbps and 2000 MHz. Far above the 1 or 2.5 Gbps ports on the routers we list, so the port, not the cable, sets the speed.
• 26 AWG with shielded RJ45 plugs. RJ45 is the standard Ethernet connector, so it fits your router, PC or console without adapters.

Where it falls short

Three meters only works when your desk sits near the router; if the router lives in another room, this length will not get there. And a cable only helps where a cable can physically run: a rented or shared home, or a staircase in the way, can make that impossible.

Look elsewhere if

You cannot run a cable to your setup: the TP-Link AV1000 Powerline kit sends the signal through your home's electrical wiring and gives you a gigabit port next to the PC or console, with a pass-through plug that keeps the outlet usable.

We weigh Wi-Fi 7 against a plain cable in our Wi-Fi 7 vs Ethernet cable guide, and every option is in Ethernet cables and adapters.