The Bright Origins of Ethernet: Why Cables Were Once Yellow

Have you ever wondered why Ethernet cables come in so many colors? From standard black and white to vibrant shades of blue, green, and even the occasional red, there’s a rainbow of options out there. But here’s a fun fact: when Ethernet was first rolled out in the 1970s, the original cables were all a striking yellow! And there’s a pretty interesting backstory behind this choice.

Rich Seifert, one of the minds behind Ethernet, was a huge fan of the color yellow. During a talk at this year’s Vintage Computer Festival, he revealed, “It’s my favorite color. I drove a yellow car, I have yellow furniture.” Sporting an actual vintage Ethernet cable from his collection, he showcased just how vivid this shade was back in the early 1980s when the technology began to take off. Known as “1968 Corvette yellow” (or “Safari yellow” among car enthusiasts), this bright hue was deliberate for two key reasons.

The first reason, as mentioned, was Seifert’s personal affinity for the color. But the second reason was far more practical. In those early days, Ethernet technology relied on bulky coaxial cables that needed a unique installation method involving something called a vampire tap, which would literally bite into the cable. Seifert and his team were concerned about blunders that could occur during installation, especially the risk of mistakenly drilling into a power cable instead of an Ethernet line. This was especially relevant since many cables were strung up in ceilings and could easily get confused.

Seifert said, “This stuff was strung up in ceilings, and it’d run all over the place.” The last thing they wanted was for someone to inadvertently attach a transceiver to a power line, which could have disastrous consequences. So, to avoid such mix-ups, they made sure the Ethernet cables were as bright as possible—hence the eye-catching yellow.

Even though the Ethernet specification was cutting-edge for its time, boasting a capacity of 10 megabits per second that would take years for computers to fully utilize, it also had its challenges. Early Ethernet technology was power-hungry, requiring hefty circuit boards and consuming up to 60 watts of power. Contrast this with today’s tech, where devices like the Raspberry Pi 5, which includes an Ethernet controller, only needs a mere 27 watts to function.

So, the next time you plug in your Ethernet cable, take a moment to appreciate the vivid history behind that color choice and the innovations that have come since those early days!