
Monoprice
Monoprice 113126 Zeroboot Cat5e Ethernet Patch Cable 5ft
★★★★★
Gold-plated contacts, pure copper conductors, and a lifetime warranty — Monoprice's 5ft Cat5e delivers rack-grade reliability at commodity pricing.
$4.98*
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jul 14, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.
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Overview
Key Features
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) Category 5e Ethernet cable
24AWG stranded, pure bare copper conductors
350MHz bandwidth
No protective plug retaining clip covers
Monoprice Lifetime Warranty
50µm gold plated contacts
Specifications
Cable Type
Cat5e Ethernet Patch Cable
Length
5 ft
Conductor Material
24AWG stranded, pure bare copper
Bandwidth
350 MHz
Shielding
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP)
Plug Retaining Clip Covers
None
Contact Plating
50µm gold plated
Warranty
Monoprice Lifetime Warranty
Pros & Cons
👍 Pros
- 50µm gold-plated RJ45 contacts resist oxidation and maintain low contact resistance across years of use and repeated re-patching cycles.
- Pure bare copper 24AWG conductors meet PoE and PoE+ current-carrying requirements without the resistance penalties of CCA wire.
- 350MHz bandwidth delivers 3.5x the headroom required for Gigabit Ethernet, ensuring the cable won't limit a properly built 1GbE infrastructure.
- Lifetime warranty is a meaningful differentiator — Monoprice will replace a failed cable without a cost-per-incident calculation.
- Compliance with TIA-568-C.2 and UL Code 444 confirms the cable meets independently verified performance and safety standards.
👎 Cons
- ZEROboot connector design leaves the RJ45 clip exposed, which increases the risk of accidental disconnection in environments with active cable movement or vibration.
- UTP construction offers no EMI shielding — unsuitable for runs adjacent to power conduit, motors, or fluorescent ballasts without additional cable management separation.
- Cat5e is capped at 1Gbps — this cable cannot support 2.5GbE, 5GbE, or 10GbE speeds regardless of switch or NIC upgrades.
- 5-foot length is the minimum practical run for desktop-to-switch connections — it won't reach in installations where the switch is more than a few feet from the endpoint.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 50µm gold plating on the RJ45 contacts actually do for a network cable?
Gold plating at 50 microns resists oxidation at the contact surface, which maintains low-resistance electrical continuity over years of use and repeated insertions. For a patch cable that may be moved during network changes, gold contacts preserve signal integrity longer than bare tin alternatives.
Is 350MHz bandwidth necessary for standard Gigabit Ethernet, or is that overkill?
Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T) requires 100MHz minimum. The 350MHz spec on this cable provides a 3.5x margin above that floor, which means the cable's bandwidth will never be the limiting factor in a GbE network — useful headroom if you're running long runs or pushing the physical limits of the infrastructure.
Does the ZEROboot design affect the cable's retention in patch panels compared to standard booted cables?
The absent boot means the RJ45 locking clip is exposed, which allows faster insertion and removal in dense panels. However, in environments with frequent cable movement, the exposed clip has a marginally higher chance of accidental release compared to a booted connector. The trade-off favors maintainability over mechanical retention.
Does this cable comply with fire safety codes for in-wall or plenum installation?
This cable is rated to UL Code 444 and TIA-568-C.2 standards, which cover performance and general safety. However, in-wall or plenum installations typically require CMP (plenum-rated) or CMR (riser-rated) jacket designations. Confirm the specific jacket rating before using this cable in a code-governed building installation.