Flat Ethernet cables are probably not the answer to your home network problem

Unless you rely entirely on Wi-Fi, chances are that at some point in your life you’ll have to contend with an unsightly mess of Ethernet cables. One way to make your home internet setup a little easier on the eyes is to use flat Ethernet cables, which have become much more popular in recent years. Flat Ethernet cables can be easily bent and hidden from view, making it possible to connect a home to the Internet without causing eyesores.

But before you swap out all your chunky old Ethernet cables for aesthetically flat ones, there are some trade-offs you should be aware of that may not be obvious at first. While round and flat Ethernet cables rated for the same speed have nearly identical performance under perfect conditions, the real world is full of complications that often make round cables a better choice, even if they don’t look as good. It all comes down to why Ethernet cables are round in the first place and what it takes to make them into the more pleasing flat shape.

Standard Ethernet cables consist of multiple sets of wires strung together in pairs, with each pair then twisted around each other. The twist actually serves an important purpose, preventing the signal running through one pair of wires from interfering with the others, which could cause slow internet speeds and unstable connections. Flat Ethernet cables still contain twisted wires, but these pairs are laid in a line, making them more susceptible to interference from each other. Some round Ethernet cables include additional shielding to prevent interference from external devices, which is typically not available in flat cables.

Another potential problem comes from the gauge, or thickness, of the wires in Ethernet cables. To ensure that flat cables are as thin as possible, manufacturers typically use a thinner gauge wire than in round cables. The thinner a wire is, the more resistance there is to the current traveling through it, meaning that flat Ethernet cables can actually degrade signals over a long enough distance.

While the technical specifications of Ethernet flat cables make them a decent choice, the real problem comes from how they tend to be used. Flat Ethernet cables are easy to bend around corners, run under doors, and hide under carpets, but all of these applications make them much more likely to fail. Bending any cable or repeatedly compressing it under a door can damage the wires inside, no matter what shape it is. The thinner wires in flat Ethernet cables make them more fragile, and because they are laid in a row, they even lack the slight damping that the shape of round cables can provide.

While there are real drawbacks to using flat Ethernet cables, that doesn’t necessarily mean they should be avoided at all costs, and there are some circumstances where using them makes a lot of sense in a home setup. If you must run a cable under a door or through another room too narrow to fit a round cable, a flat cable may be your only option, especially if you rent and cannot make major changes to your living space. It may also be worth the risk of using flat cables that you can hide under carpets if the alternative turns your office into a rat’s nest of visible wires.

If you absolutely need the fastest and most reliable connection, round Ethernet cables are almost always the best choice. However, where this is not necessary or possible, flat cables can work well as long as you know their limitations. The increased risk of interference and signal degradation introduced by flat cables only really comes into play when using cables of considerable length, so it’s best to opt for round cables there as well. But over short distances where you don’t need to bend a cable to get it into place, flat Ethernet cables will still do the job.