Earlier, to meet the demand for high bandwidth and high traffic, networks also required an upgrade from 10G to 25G, 40G, and even higher. Compared with optical cables, copper cables are not only easy to deploy but also cheaper, and they have a higher cost-performance ratio in short-distance applications. Based on this, 25G/40GBASE-T (high-speed Ethernet copper port) came into being. In the process of data center network upgrade, 25G/40GBASE-T is used.
As a transmission medium, it can achieve a maximum transmission distance of 30 meters, and there is no need to purchase additional hardware products, which not only improves the installation efficiency but also saves wiring costs.
Overview of 25G/40GBASE-T The 25GBASE-T standard was developed by IEEE 802.3bq in 2016, which can achieve data transmission up to 25Gbps through twisted pair. In addition, it is based on 10BASE-T technology, which can not only be backward compatible with existing 10GBASE-T but also forward compatible with 40GBASE-T through automatic negotiation.
40GBASE-T was also developed by IEEE 802.3bq, but in fact, 40GBASE-T was approved before 25GBASE-T. To meet the demand for high bandwidth, 25GBASE-T has now been included in the IEEE 802.3bq (40GBASE-T) working group to formulate standards covering 25G/40GBASE-T specifications.
Overview of Category 8 Cables Category 8 cable (also called Cat8 network patch cable) is a new generation of double-shielded (SFTP) network cable, that supports a bandwidth of 2000MHz, and the transmission rate is up to 40Gbps. It is designed for 25/40GBASE-T applications, and the farthest transmission distance is only 30 meters, so it is often used for short-distance wiring in indoor data centers, such as interconnection from switches to servers.
| Cable Type | Transmission Rate | Shielding Method | Maximum Transmission Distance | Bandwidth | Twisted Pair | Crystal Head | Wire Gauge (AWG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 8 Cable | 25/40Gbps | Double Shielded (SFTP) | 30 meters | 2000MHz | 2 pairs | Class I(RJ45) or Class II(Non-RJ45) | 22AWG |
Note: At present, manufacturers on the market have provided 22/24/26AWG Category 8 cables.
Category 8 Cable
What advantages does Category 8 cable have compared to fiber optic patch cables for 25G/40G network upgrades?
Easy migration to higher bandwidth: Category 8 cable can share the RJ45 port, meaning it can easily upgrade the network rate from 1G to 10G, 25G, and 40G.
Easy to deploy: Category 8 cable not only supports plug and play but can also be field-terminated like other cables, making installation convenient.
Cost-saving: In the 25/40GBASE-T network, when the link length does not exceed 30 meters, the cost of Category 8 cable is lower than that of fiber optic patch cables. In addition, the maximum transmission distance of Category 8 cable is only 30 meters, so the power is smaller, and there is no need for additional heat dissipation, saving some installation costs.
