The ZILR shielded RJ45 Ethernet Cable supports maximum speeds up to 10 Gbps @ 55 m (164 ft). Cables are not the most exciting products, but they play a vital role in our industry.
These types of Ethernet reels are arguably primarily for productions or applications where you need to run a hard-wired internet connection that is away from where a router or wall socket is. This could be in studios, houses of worship, events, live streaming, or conferences. You could also use it for live crosses in news environments where you need to run an Ethernet cable from a hotel room out onto a balcony, etc.
Key features
- RJ45 LAN Male Connector on Each End
- 500 MHz Maximum Bandwidth
- Up to 10 Gb/s at 164′ (55m)
- 26 AWG Wire Gauge
What lengths are available?
It is available in the following lengths:
- ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel (32.8′ / 10m)
- ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel (65.6′ / 20m)
- ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel (164′ / 50m)
- ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel (328′ / 100m)
How much does it weigh?
The ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel (164′ / 50m) version I was reviewing weighs in at 5.1kg / 11.24 lb.
Cat 6a
The cables support the Cat 6a specification, and as I mentioned earlier, they are able to support speeds of up to 10 Gbps @ 55 m (164 ft).
A Cat 6a-rated cable is the most recent iteration of Gigabit Ethernet cabling. The ‘a’ stands for augmented. The Cat 6a doubles the data transmission bandwidth of Cat 6, from 250 to 500 MHz, along with decreasing the chance of crosstalk interference. In addition, and provides better reliability and transmission speeds when the cable is longer.
Build Quality
The ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel features a hard cover at the ends to protect the RJ45 Male connectors during transport and storage.
The cable reel is well-made and easy to use.
ZILR includes clear and concise stickers on the reel that let anyone know exactly what it is.
It has a nice contoured handle that makes it comfortable to pick up and carry.
I like that there are inserts that allow you to secure one end of the cable.
Performance
I tested out the ZILR ZRHAA18 8K Armored Fiber Optic HDMI Cable with Ethernet (164′) in two different ways.
For the first test, I plugged one end of the cable into a router, and then I rolled the reel out to its maximum distance of 50m / 164′ and plugged that end into a MacBook Pro using a ZILR Gigabit Ethernet Adapter.
The maximum bandwidth that the Ethernet adapter can pass through is a Gigabit.
When I did a speed test, I recorded a result of 890Mbps.
For the second test, I plugged one end of the cable into a router, and then I rolled the reel out to its maximum distance of 50m / 164′ and plugged that end into a Mac Mini Pro that has 10G Ethernet.
When I did this, I got a speed of 6.2 Gbps. This is the same speed I was able to obtain when using my normal setup.
My tests showed me that the ZILR performs as advertised.
Price & Availability
The cables cost the following:
- ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel (32.8′ / 10m) $89.99 USD
- ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel (65.6′ / 20m) $129.99 USD
- ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel (164′ / 50m) $249.99 USD
- ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel (328′ / 100m) $499.99 USD
Thoughts
Having the ability to run a reasonably long Ethernet cable is very handy for certain applications. Having 50m or 100m versions on reels keeps things tidy and organized.
The ZILR RJ45 LAN Shielded Ethernet Reel offers very solid performance and good usability.
