There are many reasons why an Ethernet cable gets damaged. Just to name a few, it could be because of its location, the people who have access to the cable, or even an accident.
Ethernet cables can be easily damaged by anything that can cause physical harm to them such as water, excessive heat, and sunlight. This guide will teach you how to shield and protect Ethernet cables.
Cable Location
One of the most common causes for Ethernet cables to get damaged is their location. For example, if you have your Ethernet cables at the bottom of a staircase and someone trips and falls, this could cause them to break and be rendered useless. To prevent this from happening, try putting the cables at the top of the stairs or in a secure area.

Cables and People
Most of the time, cables are damaged by people. In some cases, people will walk on a cable or even pull it out from a wall. You can protect your Ethernet cable from being damaged by people by installing a protective cover near the location of the cable. This way, if someone accidentally walks on the cable or pulls it out, they’ll just be stepping on a cover and not the actual cable.
In other instances, people have access to an Ethernet cable because of its location. If you have an Ethernet cable that’s easily accessible to areas of high foot traffic such as your office doorway, for example, you could shield it with a piece of wood so people don’t step on it and break it. And in situations where there is no option for shielding an area like this but there might be ways to limit access to the area like gates, for example, make sure they are always closed when not in use.
Cables and Environment
Electrical cables are usually only as strong as the environment they’re in. In order to keep them from being damaged, it’s important to not put them in a place where something can overwhelm or harm them. For example, if you have an Ethernet cable that runs through a wet area, it will more than likely get damaged. If you have a long Ethernet cable and it runs through a traffic area with heavy footfalls, the cable will be susceptible to getting damaged from being stepped on or crushed. This is because of how forceful people step on the cables and the weight that this could cause.
In order to shield your Ethernet cable from these kinds of environments, you need to find a way to keep the cable safe from these dangers without causing too much trouble for yourself.
Shielding and Protecting Ethernet Cable
One way to shield and protect your Ethernet cable is by using a cable jacket. A cable jacket is a tube that goes over the cable to provide protection from water, dirt, and other outside contaminants. The cable jackets are available in different colors so you can use one for each floor of your office or building so people can tell which floor they are on.
Another way to shield and protect your Ethernet cables is by using an outer sheath. An outer sheath is a specialized cover that protects the cables from physical harm such as being stepped on or cut with a sharp object. The shield will also help the cables last longer. This type of housing like the outer sheaths helps prevent unnecessary damage before it can happen.
Conclusion
It is important to shield and protect Ethernet cable because it is the main connection between your computer and the internet. The damaged cable could lead to network outages and internet access problems. There are a number of ways to shield and protect Ethernet cable, and the best way is based on your environment and how many people will be working near the cable and its location. The best way to shield and protect an Ethernet cable is to use a shielded RJ-45 connector.