Many Ethernet cables sold online are labeled as Cat 7, but that does not always mean they meet real Cat 7 standards. In this video, five Amazon-purchased Cat 7 cables are inspected and tested, followed by a bonus look at an Amazon Basics Cat 7 cable. The review covers cable shape, wire gauge, shielding, connector type, continuity, and link speed, then compares those findings to what a genuine Cat 7 cable should include. The conclusion is eye-opening for anyone shopping for Ethernet cables online.
This video takes a practical, hands-on look at several Ethernet cables marketed as Cat 7 on Amazon. Instead of trusting the product title or package claims, each cable is examined using basic physical inspection, cable testing equipment, and in some cases a teardown to inspect the inner construction.
The overall finding is simple: all of the tested cables were marketed as Cat 7, but none of them qualified as true Cat 7 based on the standards discussed in the video. Some worked reasonably well as Ethernet cables, but they still failed the Cat 7 label test.
| Cable Brand | Main Issues Found | Passed Basic Cable Test? | Final Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sur Play | Flat design, 32 AWG, FTP, RJ45 connector, low twist rate | Yes | Fake Cat 7 |
| Meek | RJ45 connector, poor build quality, failed continuity on pin 7 | No | Fake Cat 7 |
| Dillion DA | Labeled as both Cat 7 and Cat 8, misleading marketing | Yes | Fake Cat 7 |
| Garrett | No jacket markings, RJ45 connector | Yes | Fake Cat 7 |
| Yung Qui | 26 AWG, RJ45 connector | Yes | Fake Cat 7 |
| Amazon Basics | 27 AWG, flexible jacket, RJ45 connector | Yes | Fake Cat 7 |
Throughout the video, several key traits are used to judge whether a cable is truly Cat 7. While some viewers may use the term loosely, this review applies a stricter standard and looks for construction details that match genuine Cat 7 expectations.
The biggest reason these cables were rejected as true Cat 7 cables came down to the connector. Even when a cable had decent shielding, copper conductors, and acceptable internal twist rates, it still failed because it used a standard RJ45 connector. According to the testing criteria used in the video, a real Cat 7 cable should use a GG45 or TERA connector.
This matters because many online listings rely on labels like Cat 7 or Cat 8 to attract buyers, even when the physical construction does not fully match the standard. In some cases, the cable may still function for normal networking, but that does not make the product label accurate.
The review goes beyond packaging and product claims. Each cable is checked in a few different ways:
This combination of tests helps separate cables that merely work from cables that are honestly labeled and built to the specification they claim.
One of the most useful lessons from this video is that passing a basic cable test is not the same as being a real Cat 7 cable. Several of the tested products passed continuity and link speed checks, yet still failed the authenticity review because of incorrect connectors, suspicious gauge ratings, or misleading labeling.
Buyers shopping on Amazon or other marketplaces should pay close attention to the product photos, cable jacket markings, and connector style. Listings that mix Cat 7 and Cat 8 in the same title or description should also be treated with caution. That kind of labeling can be a sign of marketing hype rather than technical accuracy.
The final result is surprisingly consistent: every cable tested in this video was judged to be a fake Cat 7 cable, including the Amazon Basics version. Some were far worse than others, and a few came close in internal design, but none met the full standard used in the review. If you want to avoid misleading Ethernet cable listings, this video offers a practical checklist for what to inspect before you buy.
To see the full side-by-side inspection process, cable teardowns, and tester results, watch the complete video review on YouTube.
I bought five Cat 7 Ethernet cables on Amazon to find out whether they were actually Cat 7, and the results were shocking.
To verify whether these Cat 7 cables were real or fake, I put them through a rigorous inspection process. As a bonus, at the end of the video, I also inspected an Amazon Basics Cat 7 Ethernet cable to see what Amazon is really selling.
Our first test cable came from a company called Sur Play, and yes, it was made in China.
This was supposed to be a three-pack of Cat 7 cables. With a quick visual inspection, the first thing I noticed was that it was a flat Ethernet cable, which is already a problem. Authentic Cat 7 cables are normally round, not flat. Flat cables can compress twisted pairs and reduce performance.
Sur Play did print information directly on the cable, which was helpful. The cable was listed as 32 AWG, and that is another issue because Cat 7 is typically 23 AWG. It was also labeled FTP, but true Cat 7 is generally SFTP, or shielded foil twisted pair.
Another major red flag was how flexible the cable was. Authentic Cat 7 cable is usually thick, rigid, and not easy to bend. This cable also used RJ45 plugs instead of GG45 connectors. Even though Sur Play printed Cat 7 on the plug, genuine Cat 7 cables should use GG45 or TERA connectors.
I then tested the cable using a NetAlly LinkRunner AT-1500. The continuity test passed, and the cable also passed a basic link speed test. After that, I cut the cable open to inspect the inside. It was very easy to cut, which was not a great sign. Inside, the wire twists were minimal, around one twist per inch, while true Cat 7 should have closer to two or three twists per inch. A magnet test showed that the wires were not aluminum, which was good, but overall the cable was clearly not Cat 7. Cable number one was a fake.
The second cable came from a company called Meek, and again it was made in China. This cable looked thicker than the first one, but it was still far too flimsy. True Cat 7 cable should be stiff and rigid.
The jacket labeling was a little better this time. It said Cat 7 SFTP and 24 AWG. While 24 AWG can be used, 23 AWG is the more common standard. Even so, the flexibility of the cable was still concerning. It also used an RJ45 connector instead of GG45 or TERA.
When I ran the continuity test, pin seven, the white-brown wire, was broken. That is a major quality issue for a brand new cable. Even though I opened it up and found shielding and a twist rate that looked much better than the first cable, it still was not a true Cat 7 cable. Worse, it did not even work properly. This one was both fake and a failure.
The third cable came from a company called Dillion DA. As soon as I looked at it, I noticed it said Cat 8. When I bought it online, the listing said Cat 7 and Cat 8. That is a marketing scam because one cable cannot legitimately be both Cat 7 and Cat 8 at the same time. Those categories have different performance specifications.
Everything on the cable itself was labeled Cat 8. The plugs looked fine, and the cable was nice and stiff. It passed continuity and link speed testing. Since it was clearly being sold with conflicting labels and was obviously not Cat 7, I did not cut it open. It may have been a decent Cat 8 cable, but it was still a fake Cat 7 listing.
The fourth cable came from a company called Garrett. Again, it was made in China. The first issue here was that there were no markings on the cable jacket at all. Ethernet cable should have writing on the jacket that identifies what it is. If there are no markings, that is suspicious.
Even though the cable felt thick and rigid, the connectors were still standard RJ45 instead of GG45 or TERA. It passed both continuity and link speed testing, and when I opened it up, it appeared to have shielded foil twisted pair construction with a good twist rate of about two to three twists per inch.
Even so, the lack of jacket markings and the use of RJ45 connectors meant this was still not a true Cat 7 cable. It worked, but it was still fake Cat 7.
The fifth cable was from a company called Yung Qui. Once again, it was made in China. This cable felt thick and heavy, which was a good sign, and it also had writing on the cable jacket. It was labeled Cat 7 SFTP 26 AWG.
That 26 AWG rating was the first red flag because true Cat 7 should be closer to 23 AWG, or at most 24 AWG in the context of this review. The cable did feel thick and rigid, which was encouraging, but when I checked the connectors, it once again used RJ45 plugs. The bright red connectors looked nice, but they did not make the cable a real Cat 7 cable.
The cable passed continuity and link speed tests. I then opened it up and found what appeared to be shielded foil twisted pair construction, a copper ground wire, and a good twist rate of two to three twists per inch. This one came close, but because it used RJ45 connectors and had 26 AWG conductors, it still failed as a real Cat 7 cable.
Finally, I performed a bonus test on an Amazon Basics Cat 7 cable. The jacket printing listed it as Cat 7 SSTP, with 27 AWG conductors. The first problem was how flexible the cable was. A true Cat 7 cable should be thick, stiff, and hard to bend.
The next problem was the connector. Amazon Basics also used a standard RJ45 connector instead of GG45. I tested the cable, and it passed continuity and link speed without any issues. When I opened it up, the inside actually looked pretty decent. It had SSTP construction, a ground wire, and a good twist rate of about two to three twists per inch.
Even with those positives, the cable still failed as a true Cat 7 cable because it used the wrong connector. So in the end, every cable I tested turned out to be a fake Cat 7 cable, including the Amazon Basics cable.
That was disappointing because I was hoping at least one or two would be legitimate. Some of the cables came close, but the connector issue kept showing up over and over again. Based on the standards used in this review, you cannot call it a true Cat 7 cable if it uses a standard RJ45 connector.
Thanks for watching, and I will see you in the next video.
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