Where did you read it would be slower?

I found an old article on the Belden website that talked about the then upcoming release of CAT8 cabling. It stated it would be 100% backward compatible with older CAT versions.

https://www.belden.com/blog/smart-building/how-does-category-8-compare

The actual speed you achieve will be based on the slowest device at either end of the cable. I suspect the 12 mbps speed you are getting for you Internet connection is more likely due to the speed your ISP can or is willing to deliver to your location.

 

RE
I googled search cat 8 and read over a dozen articles on CAT8.
99.999% said CAT 8 is backward compatible but all said words to the effect, CAT5e would likely be sufficient in my circumstance.
1 article said may a CAT8 may actually slow down speed. Just wanted to run that by here in Tech Guy forum.
12mbps is the fastest speed in my area from ISPs

 

Yep, CAT5e would be good enough in most cases. Do you have multiple networked devices within your location? CAT5e would easily give you 100 mbps connections between wired devices.

 

If you are replacing or adding any permanent Ethernet cabling at your location, you might want to upgrade to using CAT6 as a future-proofing measure at a not very much cost increase.

 

Cat 8 has a lower length limit.
https://www.sfcable.com/blog/cat-7-vs-cat-8-cables-difference

Perhaps it slowed down someone's network because the length was exceeded? (I'm just guessing here.)

 

RE
I need 6 feet ethernet cable for 12mbps speed
A Cat 5e is about $5. A Cat 8 is about $8.
I figure go with the CAT 8 for a couple of dollars more. CAT 8 being newer technology.May not help much or any. Unless there would be negative going with CAT 8.


EDIT:
I just read this about CAT 8 from one of the articles above:

What does this mean outside of what it says bluntly.
"Cat 8 Cables:
Cons – Due to different connectors, they are not compatible with cat5e and cat 6 cables"

 

What does this mean outside of what it says bluntly.
"Cat 8 Cables:
Cons - Due to different connectors, they are not compatible with cat5e and cat 6 cables"

CAT8 cable has a continuous metallic shield wrapped around the twisted pair bundle. The shield terminates on special RJ45 plugs that have metal wrapped around three sides of the plug that goes into an matching RJ45 jack that has in internal metal shell that would then be grounded in the equipment that has the jack. AFAIK, the metal does not increase the overall dimensions of the RJ45 plug as compared to a non-shielded RJ45 plug used for CAT5 and CAT6. The plug on a CAT8 cable will fit into a non-shielded RJ45 jack, but the shield in the cable will not be grounded.

 

Each higher level of Category cabling is certified to be able to support up to a certain bandwidth/frequency.

Category 5e 100MHz
Category 6 250MHz
Category 6a 500MHz
Category 7 600MHz
Category 8 2000MHz

Why are these bandwidth/frequency numbers relevant? They tie into the max Ethernet speed that is supported on that cabling. Category 5e and 6 easily support 1Gbps at the standard 100meter spec. However Category 6 can support 10Gbps at a max distance of about 55meters. Category 6a supports 10Gbps per second at the standard 100meter spec. Category 7 is just an incremental improvement in cabling but still supports 10Gbps at the standard 100meter spec. Category 8 is where things jump in supported Ethernet speeds. Category 8 cabling can support 25Gbps or 40Gbps at a max cable length of 30 meters. It supports 10Gbps and below to the full 100meter spec.

Unless you have plans to run 25Gbps or 40Gbps on your network, there is absolutely no need to use Category 8 cabling. The only cabling I would invest money in to include wiring up your home is Cat6a.

 

RE: I will be 170 years old by the time 25Gbps or 40Gbps gets to my area.

 

Bought,arrived,now using, and satisfied, this Cat8 cord that replaced a 10 year old ethernet cord.
The plugs of this Cat8 cord fit snugly into the modem and the router. The CAT8 has the feel of excellent quality
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QLXC6QR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Will mark this thread solved in about a week in case someone wants to reply
thanks for the replies