Can a CAT3 cable reliably slow down a home network?
Asked by
MellowPine42
I'm dealing with roommates who regularly expect me to troubleshoot their internet problems, and I'm exhausted from handling technical issues early in the morning after work. I wondered whether replacing the short cable between the router and modem with an old CAT3 cable would reliably reduce the connection speed as a sort of parting prank. I'm not trying to damage anything, but I also don't want to keep managing the network. Is CAT3 cable still available, and would a three-foot cable actually cap the connection? I ultimately realized that since I legally own the router, taking it with me when I move out is the cleaner solution.
Answers
If you control the router, use its built-in bandwidth controls or quality-of-service settings instead of modifying cables. That lets you manage your own devices and avoid creating a fault that everyone will assume you need to fix. Also, make sure you’re authorized to change the network settings.
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Even a genuine slower link might not be noticeable for normal browsing or video calls, and it could create confusing intermittent problems instead of an obvious speed cap. Since the router belongs to you, taking it with you and arranging a proper replacement is the most straightforward option.
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CAT3 isn’t a dependable speed limiter. It’s rated for older 10 Mbps networking, but a short cable may still negotiate at a much higher speed. Finding genuine old stock would probably be harder than it’s worth, and the result wouldn’t be predictable.
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The practical answer is to set a boundary rather than sabotage the connection: tell your roommates you’re no longer providing technical support, document the handoff, and remove or take equipment you personally own when you move. That’s much less likely to turn into another argument about why the internet stopped working.
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