One-Stop Guide to the Most Common Cables & Length Reaches

Most of the time when we get computers or theater equipment, they come with cables that are of a proper length and we have no problems. However, there are times when these cables simply aren’t long enough. For example, perhaps we want to run music to the living room, but the equipment is in the basement.

Here we take a look at the most common cable lengths and their recommended lengths per purpose.

Cat 5e / Cat6 / Cat7

The common network cables, the Category 5, Category 6 and Category 7 cables have some limitations with respect to cable length. Although there’s no definitive cut off point where the signal simply will not travel past, the maximum recommended distance to run a Cat5 cable is 100 meters, or around 329 feet for a 10/100 connection, and only about 82 feet for a gigabit connection.

This is not to say a Cat5 cable won’t work if the distance is longer, however, the risk of signal degradation is far higher at longer distances.

Should you need to go longer than these lengths it’s recommended that you use either a repeater, or a network switch to boost the signal to around 100 meters.

Audio

The common audio cable we use to plug our earphones into our MP3 players delivers high quality stereo sound, but will experience quality loss at around 25 feet. For connections longer than this, it’s recommended to use either a stereo audio extender, or a digital audio extender.

Coaxial

The length of a coaxial cable really depends on the type of signal it’s carrying. Higher bandwidth traffic is going to require a shorter travel distance. An analog standard definition television signal will maintain quality on a high end coaxial cable at around 1,000 feet or more, whereas an HD signal is limited to closer to 300 feet. Cable quality is also a big factor. A low end cable will run about 100 feet, where high end cables with proper terminations can carry the same signal for over 1,000 feet.

Fiber

Multi-Mode and Single-Mode. The difference being that Multi-Mode has a bigger core. This basically means the Multi-Mode can carry many more wavelengths of light, thus more data. However it has a shorter distance restriction.  

There are two major kinds of Fiber cables,

Multi-Mode cables can handle 10Gbit/s over 1000 feet without a repeater, and anywhere between 10Mbit/s to 10 Gbit/s up to 2,000 feet. 

Single-Mode can carry 10Gbit/s or up to around 62 MILES, and 1 Gbit/s up to 621 miles!

DVI

Typically you can use up to a 50 foot DVI cable with monitors up to around 19 inches (up to 1280x1024 resolution). For bigger monitors it is recommended that you use cables no longer than around 15 feet in length.

Maximum Length: Up to 15 feet at high resolutions (above 1280x1024), or up to 50 feet at lower resolutions (1280x1024 and below)

Firewire

this product has a distance limit of 14.5 feet, although using active repeaters can enable the daisy chaining of up to 10 cables.

Introduced in the late 1980s by Apple,

HDMI

The currently reigning cable for high definition audio / visual experiences, the HDMI cable has a maximum length of 16 feet with a standard cable, and up to 50 feet with a high quality cable.

Component / Composite

There is currently no published maximum distance for these cables because they are analog and subject to too many variables to accurately predict. However, length will play a part in the quality of the signal and the standard accepted limit for these is between 25 and 30 feet.

USB
 

Developed in the mid-90s, this cable was designed to standardize connections of most computer peripherals. As such, it is not designed to go super long distances without a repeater. Standard maximum length of a USB cord is generally 16 feet.

VGA

Perhaps the most recognized video connection for computer users is the blue connector with the two thumbscrews, known as the VGA connector. This carries a video signal from your computer to your monitor. This is an analog signal, and is thus greatly impacted by a number of variables. The length of this cable will drastically impact your video image. 

The maximum length depends greatly on the resolution of the image it carries. Low resolution (up to 800x600) can be carried around 100 feet before running into troubles. Mid-range (1280x1024) maxes out somewhere between 50 and 100 feet. Anything higher should be limited to around 25 feet.

Like the composite / component connections, there is no standardized limit, as it’s an analog signal, so these are the generally accepted limits.

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