A Cat5e Ethernet cable is technically capable of Gigabit speeds, but is inferior to Cat6 cables in terms of grounding and overall cable durability. This is a common source of failure in Cat5e cables that can lead to unstable connections and dropped speeds, even though they are technically certified for up to 1 Gbps speeds. It's better to go for a higher-grade Cat6 cable to minimize the chances of cable-induced connection issues.