Color Codes for Ethernet Cables

Again, while there is no direct industry standard for one color relative to another, there is some consistency worth mentioning:

Gray Ethernet: Gray Ethernet cables typically represent “standard” Ethernet connections, such as those found in residential and business networks.

Green Ethernet: Green Ethernet cables can classify cross-connects, which connect different computers and devices directly together.

Yellow Ethernet: Yellow Ethernet cables are commonly used for so-called “Power over Internet” (POE) connections. Interestingly, this standard was created by the IEEE in 2009 to help classify wires that provide 30W at the port level when used with Ethernet twisted-pair pairs.

Blue Ethernet: Blue Ethernet cables are typically used for terminal server connections. A terminal server can connect multiple systems to a LAN network without modems or other network interfaces.

Cat6 Cable Color Standard

Whether it is a Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, or Cat6a Ethernet cable, the outer color code should not be confused with the inner twisted pair that has its color code. While the Cat6 cable is a twisted pair network cable used for Ethernet networks, it is also backward compatible with other categories such as Cat5 and Cat5e.

Some of the more common color standards for Cat6 cables include:

blue – indicates a network connection

Yellow – usually used for wired security cameras

White – also used for wired security cameras

Gray – used as an interconnect, also known as a “jumper.”

Black – typically used for devices, peripherals, and workstations in a network

Red – Typically used for VoIP phone systems or other emergency communication systems.