Cat5e Speeds: 1 Gbps CCTV Guide UK 2026

Cat5e is rated for Gigabit Ethernet: 10/100/1000 Mbps, up to 1 Gbps over a maximum of 100 m. For most CCTV installs, the cable on each camera run isn't what limits your system. The usual bottlenecks are the switch uplink that carries all the cameras' traffic together, the NVR's input capacity, and the condition of the existing cable. Check those before you pull out cabling that may already be fine.

How fast is Cat5e, and what is its top speed?

Cat5e runs at 10, 100 or 1000 Mbps, with Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbps) as its rated top speed. It supports data transmission at up to 100 m with 100 MHz bandwidth.

Cat5e runs at 10, 100 or 1000 Mbps, and Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbps) is its rated top speed. That covers the "cat5e speed in mb" and "cat5e max speed" searches. Comms Express puts the gigabit rate as the maximum for Cat5e. It adds that the switches and routers at each end must also support the speed you want.

The numbers behind the ceiling

• Speed: 1 Gbps, matching the figure in Cablify's comparison table.
• Bandwidth: Comms Express gives 100 MHz for Cat5e, and notes that cables are available with up to 350 MHz capabilities. Its own text still treats gigabit as the maximum.
• Length: Cablify's table gives 100 m at full speed, and Comms Express gives a 100 m limit for speeds below the maximum rate.

Can Cat5e do 2.5 Gbps?

Cat5e is rated for Gigabit Ethernet, and 2.5 Gbps is possible only with compatible equipment on both ends and a suitable run. Cablify's guide mentions Cat5e at 2.5 Gbps, but that is not guaranteed on every existing run. If you need more than 1 Gbps reliably, Cat6 is rated for 10 Gbps, at up to 55 m according to Cablify's table.

Read the datasheet for the exact cable you're buying and go by its stated bandwidth and rating, not the sales headline.

Can Cat5e do 2.5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, or beat Cat6?

Cat5e is rated for Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbps) and can carry 2.5 Gbps with compatible equipment and suitable cabling, but it is not faster than Cat6, and 10 Gbps should not be assumed on an existing run. Cat6 is the higher grade, with 250 MHz of bandwidth against Cat5e's 100 MHz, per Cablify's comparison and the 250MHz rating on our own 2m Cat6 patch lead.

	Cat5e	Cat6
Rated top speed	1 Gbps	10 Gbps
Bandwidth	100 MHz	250 MHz
Distance at full speed	100 m	55 m at 10 Gbps, 100 m at 1 Gbps

So when comparing Cat5e and Cat6 speeds, the two are level at 1 Gbps over 100 m. Cat6 only pulls ahead if you need 10 Gbps over short runs.

Sources differ on anything above gigabit. One vendor guide says Cat5e supports 2.5 Gbps, while Comms Express lists 10, 100 and 1000 Mbps as Cat5e's operating speeds. Comms Express also says the connected switches and routers must support the speed you want.

A faster link therefore needs compatible switch and network card hardware plus cable in good condition, and it is not guaranteed on every existing run. If you want headroom, Cat6 leads such as the 25m CAT6 RJ45 Ethernet cable are available on trade accounts, with account pricing applying.

Plan on 1 Gbps for Cat5e. Anything higher is a bonus, not a design basis.

Will Cat5e handle my cameras? A capacity-planning method

Cat5e will handle your cameras if the combined stream of every camera stays comfortably inside the 1 Gbps link and the NVR's stated incoming bandwidth. Calculate total stream by multiplying the number of cameras by per-camera bitrate from the datasheet.

Cat5e will handle your cameras if the combined stream of every camera stays comfortably inside the 1 Gbps link and the NVR's stated incoming bandwidth. Gigabit Ethernet is the rated maximum for Cat5e, per Comms Express. Faster links over an existing run depend on the equipment and the cabling, so plan around 1 Gbps and work out what you are putting down it.

The formula

Total stream = number of cameras × per-camera bitrate

Take the bitrate from each camera's datasheet, at the resolution, frame rate and codec you will actually configure. Then compare the total with two limits: the 1 Gbps link and the incoming bandwidth on the NVR's own spec sheet. Use the datasheet figure, not a rule of thumb.

General guidance, not a fixed rule

• Leave sensible headroom rather than loading a link to its limit.
• Higher resolution, higher frame rate, higher bitrate caps and the choice of codec all raise per-camera load.
• Storage uses the same input: bitrate (bits per second) × recording seconds per day ÷ 8 × retention days gives bytes. With continuous recording, that is 86,400 recording seconds per day.

The per-camera run

In a star layout each camera has its own cable back to a switch or recorder. One 4K camera sits far below 1 Gbps on that run, but confirm it on the datasheet rather than assuming.

The sum of streams is the real figure to test, not the per-camera run. It lands on the switch uplink and the NVR input.

Where does Cat5e become the real bottleneck?

Mostly at the aggregation points and in the physical condition of the cable, not in the rated 1 Gbps speed. Cat5e is specified for up to 1000 Mbps over 100 m, and a healthy run delivers that.

The limits below are general installer guidance rather than a standard:

• Shared uplinks. Switch-to-switch or switch-to-NVR links carry every camera behind them. If the combined camera streams approach 1 Gbps on one link, that link saturates long before any individual run does.
• Runs over 100 m. Past the specified length the link is out of spec, so expect drop-outs or a fall in negotiated speed.
• Damaged or badly terminated pairs. Gigabit uses all four pairs, so one bad pair can drop a link to 100 Mbps. That is still enough for many single cameras but not for an uplink.
• Cheap or mixed-quality cable. A weak link anywhere in the run limits the whole run. Camera PoE draw and distance also affect what the cable can deliver, so work through our PoE power-budget guide rather than relying on the data rating alone.

A cabled run also gives each camera a dedicated, predictable link, whereas Wi-Fi shares airtime, so wired is the safer choice for CCTV.

Test the worst run on the site, usually the longest or the most heavily terminated, and size the uplinks for the combined load.

Keep your existing Cat5e or replace it?

Keep existing Cat5e if every run is within 100 m, tests clean at Gigabit, and the summed camera bitrate leaves headroom on the uplink; otherwise replace the run or add an uplink.

Keep existing Cat5e if every run is within 100 m, tests clean at Gigabit and the summed camera bitrate leaves headroom on the uplink; otherwise replace the run or add an uplink.

Decision checklist

• Keep it: the run is 100 m or less, the tester reports a pass at 1 Gbps, and the combined stream bitrate on any shared link sits comfortably below the 1 Gbps link speed. Cat5e can carry 2.5GBASE-T with compatible equipment and suitable cabling, but do not count on it for an existing run until it has been tested.
• Replace or add an uplink: the totals are close to the limit, or a run fails testing. A second uplink or a fresh run can work out cheaper than chasing intermittent drops.
• Cat6 on new pulls: if the site may grow, Cat6 offers 250 MHz of bandwidth against Cat5e's 100 MHz (Comms Express for Cat5e; our own Cat6 listings below for Cat6). Our 3m Cat6 lead is listed for 10 Gbps networks, though achievable distance at that speed depends on the installation.

Leads for rack and patch work

Patch leads are a separate decision from the in-wall run. The Cat6 RJ45 Ethernet Cable 2m is 250 MHz U/UTP. The CAT6 RJ45 Ethernet Cable 3m adds an LSZH jacket and a snagless boot. For longer runs between devices, the CAT6 RJ45 Ethernet Cable 25m is listed for CCTV, router and PC installations. Account pricing applies; open a trade account to see it.

Related products

Related products from our own range:

• Cat6 RJ45 Ethernet Cable 2m – Fast Speed LAN Lead — Cat6 RJ45 Ethernet cable, 2m, 250MHz bandwidth for routers, PCs, PS4 and CCTV. Gold-plated connectors, U/UTP shielding, reliable high-speed data transfer.
• CAT6 RJ45 Ethernet Cable 3m – Gold Connectors — CAT6 RJ45 Ethernet cable with gold-plated connectors for 10 Gbps networks. 3m U/UTP, LSZH jacket, snagless boot. Compatible with routers, PCs, CCTV systems.
• CAT6 RJ45 Ethernet Cable 25m – Gold-Plated LAN Lead — 25m CAT6/CAT5e RJ45 Ethernet cable with gold-plated connectors, suited to CCTV, router and PC installations across offices, retail and warehouse sites.