American Wire Gauge, or AWG, measures the thickness of a wire (conductor) inside a cable. Here are four popular types: 24 AWG This wire type is the largest of the four and is primarily used in solid core cables. However, they’re also used in stranded cables for high performance due to the amount of conductive copper inside. 26 AWG This wire type is mainly used in stranded cables. It’s ideal for short runs and typically ships with foil shielding wrapped around the individual pairs. 28 AWG This wire type is used primarily in stranded cables and is ideal for short runs and high flexibility. Performance drops at longer distances due to the low amount of conductive copper inside. 30 AWG This wire type is the thinnest of the four. It has similar restrictions in performance and distance as the 28 AWG type.