Yes, you can use UTP Cat 6 cable for Wi-Fi 7 if your goal is to support 2.5 Gbps wired backhaul or uplink/downlink speed — but with some caveats:
Cat 6 for 2.5 Gbps: YES, but...
- UTP Cat 6 is rated for up to 10 Gbps at 55 meters (180 feet).
- For 2.5 Gbps, Cat 6 is more than sufficient — it can easily handle:
- 2.5GBASE-T (2.5 Gigabit Ethernet)
- 5GBASE-T (in shorter runs, usually under 55m)
- PoE++ (Power over Ethernet), if powering the Wi-Fi 7 access point.
- 2.5GBASE-T (2.5 Gigabit Ethernet)
Distance Consideration
| Speed | Cat 6 Max Distance |
| 1 Gbps | 100 Meters |
| 2.5 Gbps | 100 Meters |
| 5 Gbps | 55 - 70 Meters |
| 10 Gbps | ~37 - 55 Meters |
For 2.5 Gbps, you’re safe at up to 100 meters (328 feet).
Wi-Fi 7 Context
Wi-Fi 7 supports:
- Theoretical wireless speeds over 30 Gbps
- In practice, wired backhaul is critical to reduce bottlenecks
- 2.5 Gbps Ethernet is becoming a standard minimum for Wi-Fi 7 access points
So, using Cat 6 UTP cabling to connect a Wi-Fi 7 router or AP to your network switch is completely viable for 2.5 Gbps speeds.
Recommendation
If you're:
Installing new cabling and want to future-proof → consider Cat 6A (supports 10 Gbps up to 100m)
Using existing Cat 6 → you're fine for 2.5 Gbps over normal distances
US 11627 
GB 9371 
CA 8570 
AU 7736 
IE 5728 
NZ 2085 
BR 1897 
CN 873 
