Older versions of network cables: CAT3, CAT4, CAT5

Category	Shielding Layer	Bandwidth (MHz)	Transmission Rate	Length Limit (Transmission Distance)
CAT3	UTP	1~16	10Kbps~10Mbps	100m
CAT4	UTP	1~20	10Kbps~16Mbps	100m
CAT5	UTP	1~100	10Kbps~100Mbps	100m

CAT3 (Category 3)
Main applications: Older 10BASE-T networks
Features: Primarily used for older telephone lines and limited network environments.

CAT4 (Category 4)
Main applications: 16Mbps Token Ring networks
Features: Supports lower bandwidth and transfer rates, now rarely seen.

CAT5 (Category 5)
Main applications: 100BASE-T networks
Features: Supports Fast Ethernet, being replaced by CAT5e.