Tech House Cabling Ended Up Being a HARD Choice
Linus Tech Tips
Jul 2, 2026
The hosts debate the necessity of Cat 6A versus Cat 5e cabling during a home renovation. While Cat 6A offers 10Gbps support and future-proofing, it is more difficult to install and more expensive. The project concludes that for residential use, a hybrid approach or 2.5Gbps switches can often suffice without requiring full 6A infrastructure.
Key insight: Cat 5e is surprisingly capable, officially handling up to 5Gbps at lengths up to 100 meters, which is more than enough for the vast majority of consumer smart home devices and gaming hardware.
