The practical difference between 23 AWG and 24 AWG Ethernet cable starts with conductor size. In the American Wire Gauge system, a lower number means a thicker conductor. A 23 AWG solid conductor is therefore thicker than a 24 AWG solid conductor. With the same conductor material and comparable construction, that extra copper usually means lower DC resistance, less voltage drop, and less heat when the cable carries Power over Ethernet.
That does not make 23 AWG an automatic speed upgrade. Cable category, conductor material, pair geometry, insertion loss, crosstalk, termination quality, and total channel length still determine whether an installed link meets its target. This guide explains where conductor gauge matters, where it does not, and how to choose between the two without relying on a product title alone.
Quick answer
- 23 AWG is thicker than 24 AWG because AWG numbers run in reverse.
- Thicker solid-copper conductors generally offer lower resistance for long runs and PoE.
- Gauge alone does not define Cat 6, Cat 6A, 1 Gb/s, or 10 Gb/s performance.
- A connector must fit conductor gauge, insulation diameter, cable diameter, and solid or stranded construction.
- Copper-clad aluminum cannot be compared with solid copper by AWG alone.
What AWG actually measures
AWG describes the size of a round electrical conductor. Common nominal figures put 23 AWG solid wire at about 0.573 mm in diameter and 0.258 mm² in cross-sectional area. A 24 AWG solid wire is about 0.511 mm in diameter and 0.205 mm² in area. The 23 AWG cross section is therefore roughly one quarter larger. These figures describe the metal, not the insulated conductor or the finished cable.
An Ethernet cable adds insulation around each conductor, twists conductors into four balanced pairs, and may add a separator, foil, braid, and outer jacket. Two products with the same gauge can have different overall diameters and bend characteristics. Stranded patch-cord conductors also behave differently at a plug contact from solid horizontal cable. Treat AWG as one engineering parameter rather than a complete quality grade.
23 AWG versus 24 AWG at a glance
| Property | 23 AWG | 24 AWG | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominal solid diameter | About 0.573 mm | About 0.511 mm | 23 AWG has more conductor area |
| Typical tendency | Lower DC resistance | Higher DC resistance | Matters more for long PoE runs |
| Handling | Often thicker and stiffer | Often smaller and more flexible | Affects pathways and rack density |
| Common uses | Cat 6/6A horizontal and PoE | Cat 5e/6 and patching | There are many valid exceptions |
Actual product specifications illustrate the resistance trend. Belden lists its 23 AWG solid-copper Cat 6 model 2146A at a maximum conductor DC resistance of 78 ohms per kilometer. Its 24 AWG solid-copper Cat 6 model 2424DC lists 93.8 ohms per kilometer. These are examples from two specific products with different constructions and markets, not universal values for every cable with those gauges.
Does 23 AWG make Ethernet faster?
No, not by itself. A compliant 24 AWG Cat 6 channel can support the applications allowed by its category and installation limits. A cable marked 23 AWG can still fail a Cat 6 test if pair twists, impedance, insertion loss, return loss, or crosstalk are out of specification. Ethernet performance belongs to the complete channel: cable, jacks, patch panels, patch cords, length, workmanship, and environment.
If a home link negotiates only 100 Mb/s, replacing a short 24 AWG patch cord with 23 AWG is not the first diagnostic step. Gigabit Ethernet needs all four pairs. Check the wire map, damaged contacts, old two-pair building cable, switch settings, and device capabilities. If the existing channel already negotiates and transfers reliably at 1 Gb/s, gauge alone will not raise the speed of the internet service.
Gauge can contribute to margin, especially at long distances or elevated temperatures, but it is not an Ethernet speed label. Category certification and a field test provide more useful evidence than a large “23 AWG” claim on a marketplace listing.
Why conductor size matters for PoE
Power over Ethernet sends DC current over the balanced pairs that also carry data. Cable resistance creates voltage drop and converts part of the delivered power into heat. Resistive loss rises with the square of current, so the issue becomes more important with higher-power devices, longer channels, and large bundles. Under otherwise similar conditions, a thicker solid-copper conductor reduces resistance and provides more power-delivery margin.
This is why 23 AWG is common in full-size Cat 6 and Cat 6A cables intended for wireless access points, cameras, lighting, and other remote-power applications. It still is not enough to select by gauge. The manufacturer should state the cable’s DC resistance and resistance-unbalance performance and identify the remote-power installation guidance it supports.
For example, CommScope lists one 23 AWG Cat 6 cable at a maximum DC resistance of 7.61 ohms per 100 meters and says it complies with IEEE 802.3bt Type 4 remote-power recommendations when installed according to the cited regional cabling practices. That statement applies to the identified product under those conditions; it is not a certification automatically inherited by every 23 AWG cable.
When 24 AWG is a perfectly good choice
A standards-compliant 24 AWG cable is not inherently low quality. It can be suitable for ordinary horizontal cabling and many PoE loads when its category, length, temperature, and installation requirements are met. For short equipment connections, a factory-terminated 24 AWG stranded patch cord may be easier to route and less stressful on device ports than a stiff field-terminated horizontal cable.
Flexibility matters in desks, small enclosures, and patching fields that change often. Repeatedly bending solid conductors near a plug can cause fatigue. A correctly designed stranded patch cord is built for that movement. The useful comparison is therefore not “23 good, 24 bad,” but whether the selected construction matches the permanent-link or patch-cord role.
Shorter, lower-power links also have more resistance margin. Choosing a reputable, tested assembly and using it within its length and PoE limits is more defensible than buying an unknown thicker cable.
When 23 AWG deserves preference
Consider a verified 23 AWG solid-copper product for long permanent runs, high-power PoE, warm spaces, or installations with many energized cables grouped together. The lower-resistance direction helps reduce voltage drop and heating. Full Cat 6A systems also commonly use larger conductors and cable diameters to manage insertion loss and alien crosstalk, although Cat 6A is not defined by one mandatory gauge.
The tradeoff is physical. A larger cable can require wider pathways, larger bend radii, more room behind outlets, and compatible termination hardware. Tight hook-and-loop bundles or overfilled conduit can damage geometry and trap heat. Check fill capacity and bend requirements before ordering a thicker cable for an existing pathway.
Connector compatibility is more than gauge
An RJ45-style 8P8C plug or keystone jack has a specified conductor range. It may also distinguish solid from stranded conductors. Even when a plug accepts 23 AWG metal, the insulated conductor may be too large for its load bar, or the finished cable may be too large for the strain-relief system. A loose 24 AWG conductor can also make an unreliable contact in hardware designed for larger wire.
Match four dimensions and attributes: conductor gauge, solid or stranded construction, insulated-conductor diameter, and overall cable diameter. Shielded cable adds another requirement for shield continuity and bonding. Use the termination tool and wire manager specified by the connector maker. A connector labeled “Cat 6A” does not fix a physical mismatch with the cable.
Permanent solid cable is normally terminated on jacks or patch panels, then connected to equipment with factory patch cords. A modular plug terminated link can be appropriate for a ceiling device when the field plug and test method are designed for that application.
Do not ignore conductor material
AWG comparisons assume comparable conductive material. Copper-clad aluminum, or CCA, has an aluminum core under a copper-colored surface. Aluminum has higher resistance than copper at the same diameter, so an apparently thicker CCA cable should not be treated as equivalent to a solid-copper cable merely because both display an AWG number.
Fluke Networks documents performance, safety-listing, and PoE concerns involving CCA multi-conductor cable sold as standards-compliant category cable. Look for a traceable manufacturer part number and a data sheet that clearly identifies bare or solid copper conductors. A copper-colored cut end is not enough, because CCA also looks copper-colored on the surface.
For permanent building cabling, choose a product whose conductor material, category verification, and fire-safety rating can be checked in official records. The next paired article explains how to identify CCA Ethernet cable without relying on a single destructive trick.
Heat, bundles, and ambient temperature
One cable in open air and dozens of energized cables in a tray do not operate under the same thermal conditions. Conductors warm as they carry current. Cables near the center of a large bundle shed heat less effectively, and warmer copper has higher resistance. Cable makers and regional cabling guidance may specify bundle sizes, spacing, derating, or allowable ambient conditions for remote power.
Do not assume thicker wire makes every bundle safe. Jacket temperature rating, pathway ventilation, number of powered pairs, current, and connector performance remain relevant. Avoid overtight cable ties that deform pairs; use approved support and hook-and-loop methods. For critical high-power deployments, include DC resistance and resistance-unbalance tests along with the normal category certification.
A buying checklist that works
- Define the application: short patching, 90-meter permanent link, 10GBASE-T, or a particular PoE device.
- Verify category, conductor gauge, solid or stranded construction, and bare-copper material in an official data sheet.
- Check maximum DC resistance, resistance unbalance, temperature range, and remote-power guidance.
- Match every plug and jack to conductor gauge, insulation diameter, overall diameter, and shielding.
- Plan pathway fill, bend radius, and bundle management before selecting a larger cable.
- After installation, test the wire map and the performance parameters required for the link and PoE load.
Keep the box label, lot number, and test report with the cable records. Similar-looking products in the same category can have different conductor sizes, fire ratings, outdoor approvals, and powering guidance. For the broader channel-length rules, see why Ethernet is usually limited to a 100-meter channel. For plug and jack fit, see the Cat 6 and Cat 6A connector guide.
The practical verdict
| Question | Useful answer |
|---|---|
| Is 23 AWG always faster? | No. Channel category and installation quality determine supported Ethernet performance. |
| Which is better for high-power PoE? | A verified lower-resistance solid-copper cable, often 23 AWG, usually offers more margin. |
| Should 24 AWG be avoided? | No. A compliant product can be ideal for ordinary links and flexible patching. |
| What matters beyond AWG? | Copper material, resistance, category, temperature, length, connectors, and installation. |
Choose 23 AWG when electrical margin is the priority and the pathway can accommodate the cable. Choose 24 AWG when a verified product meets the link and powering requirements and flexibility or space matters. In either case, the official data sheet and the installed-channel test are better decision tools than gauge marketing.
Frequently asked questions
Will replacing 24 AWG with 23 AWG increase my internet speed?
Usually not. If the existing cable already supports the negotiated link reliably, gauge does not raise the ISP service rate. Diagnose wire-map, equipment, and channel faults first.
Is every Cat 6 cable 23 AWG?
No. Cat 6 products use multiple gauges and constructions. Category describes transmission performance, not one required conductor size.
Can 24 AWG carry PoE?
Yes, when the specific cable, channel length, bundle, temperature, and connectors support the required PoE Type and Class. Verify the manufacturer’s remote-power specifications.
Can any RJ45 plug terminate 23 AWG cable?
No. The plug must support the gauge, insulation diameter, total cable diameter, and solid or stranded conductor design.
Is a 23 AWG CCA cable equal to 24 AWG copper?
Do not assume equivalence. Material and measured resistance matter, and CCA sold as compliant category building cable raises separate standards and safety concerns.
Sources
- Belden 2146A — 23 AWG Cat 6 specifications
- Belden 2424DC — 24 AWG Cat 6 specifications
- CommScope 1071E — remote powering specifications
- Fluke Networks — PoE installation guide
Korean original: Read the Korean article on Tistory
