What is cat3 cable?

Cat3 cable, short for Category 3 cable, is a type of twisted pair Ethernet cable that was commonly used in the 1990s for telephone and data transmission. It is an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable with a maximum data transfer rate of 10 Mbps and a maximum bandwidth of 16 MHz.

Cat3 cable consists of four pairs of twisted copper wires that are color-coded for easy identification. It typically has a maximum length of 100 meters (328 feet) and is commonly used for voice and low-speed data applications. However, it is now considered outdated and has largely been replaced by newer and faster Ethernet cable categories such as Cat5, Cat6, and Cat6a.

Despite being outdated, Cat3 cable can still be found in some older installations or in situations where only basic voice and data transmission is required. It is also a cost-effective option for short-distance applications in non-critical environments.