AWG

AWG is the North American standard for specifying wire size. The scale runs inversely: as the AWG number increases, the wire gets thinner. 10 AWG is thick, heavy cable suitable for high-current circuits; 24 AWG is the fine wire inside an Ethernet cable.

The gauge determines two things: how much current the wire can safely carry, and its resistance per unit length. Thicker wire (lower AWG) carries more current and has less resistance — both important for longer runs and higher-power applications.

Common AWG values you'll encounter in IT infrastructure:

• 24 AWG — standard conductor in Cat5e/Cat6 Ethernet cable. Fine wire, low current capacity, fine for data.
• 23 AWG — thicker conductor in Cat6/Cat6a. Better performance at higher frequencies, stiffer cable.
• 22–18 AWG — typical for low-voltage wiring: alarm systems, access control, intercom.
• 14–12 AWG — standard for 15A and 20A branch circuits. Romex in walls, PDU power cords.
• 10 AWG — 30A circuits, large PDUs, generator feeds.

For PoE installations, wire gauge affects how much power loss occurs over the run. Cat6 23 AWG cable has lower resistance than Cat5e 24 AWG, which means slightly more usable power at the device end on long runs — relevant for high-wattage PoE devices at the edge of the 100-meter spec.