CAT8.1 S/FTP Shielded Cable - LSZH, 23AWG Solid Copper 40G

This is Cat8, the fastest copper cable there is. It's rated to 2000 MHz, four times Cat6A, and carries 25GBase-T and 40GBase-T over a 30 m channel, which is exactly the distance you need for a top-of-rack switch to reach every server in the row and no further. Each of the four pairs is wrapped in its own foil, and a tinned copper braid surrounds all four, because at these frequencies shielding isn't optional. Cat8.1 is the version that terminates on RJ45, so it works with standard shielded Cat8 jacks and plugs. The jacket is low-smoke zero-halogen, so it gives off little smoke and no corrosive gas in a fire, which is what data hall specifications ask for.

The 23 AWG solid copper conductors have HDPE insulation. It comes on a wooden spool, 500 ft or 1000 ft, with footage markings on the jacket.

Features

• 25GBase-T and 40GBase-T over a 30 m channel. It also runs 10G, 5G, 2.5G, and 1G links, and works with Cat6A, Cat6, and Cat5e equipment.
• 2000 MHz, ISO/IEC 11801 Class I and ANSI/TIA-568.2-D Category 8. Four times the bandwidth of Cat6A.
• S/FTP double shielding. Foil on every pair plus an overall tinned copper braid, which Cat8 requires; the braid is the shield's path to ground.
• RJ45 termination. Cat8.1 uses standard shielded Cat8 RJ45 jacks and plugs, unlike Cat8.2 and Cat7, which need their own connectors.
• LSZH jacket, IEC 60332-1. Low smoke and no halogen acids in a fire, for data halls, enclosed spaces, and specifications that require it.
• 23 AWG solid bare copper. Full-gauge solid conductors for the lowest loss. No copper-clad aluminum.
• HDPE insulation. Tight, consistent pair twists for crosstalk control.
• Sequential footage markings. You can see what's left on the spool and cut runs to length without a tape.
• Wooden spool, 500 ft or 1000 ft. Standard TIA-568 pair colors inside.

Where It Fits

It suits top-of-rack switch to server links, switch-to-switch links inside a data center row, storage and HPC cluster interconnects, custom 25G and 40G patch cords for the rack, broadcast and post-production equipment rooms, and any short copper backbone where the spec calls for Class I or Category 8.

Good to Know

Cat8 is a 30 m cable by design; the 25G and 40G ratings apply to a channel of 30 m including patch cords, and past that it's a very well shielded 10G cable. Most 25G and 40G switch ports today are SFP28 and QSFP+ rather than RJ45, so check that your switch and NICs have 25GBase-T or 40GBase-T copper ports before buying for those speeds; on 10G ports it works, but the shielded Cat6A cable does the same job for less. LSZH is an international classification, not a North American one: this cable carries the IEC 60332-1 flame rating, not a CM, CMR, or CMP listing, so under the NEC it's for data halls, equipment rooms, exposed runs, and conduit, not for walls, risers, or plenums in a U.S. building. A shield only works when it's grounded: terminate on shielded Cat8 jacks and patch panels that bond to the braid, ground at one end, and use shielded patch cords and switch ports. Terminating S/FTP takes longer than F/UTP, so allow for it. At 7.8 mm it's a stiff cable; plan for a bend radius of about four times the diameter. The 0 °C to 60 °C operating range is an indoor range; this isn't an outdoor or burial cable. Solid conductors are for permanent runs; terminate on jacks and patch panels, not crimped plugs.

Specifications