[X4U] Network Cables and Speed

[Robert Ameeti]

At 9:57 AM +0100, 4/7/08, David Ledger wrote:

>>>>>Do I need Cat6?
>>
>>If you expect to fully utilize a gigabit network. Regardless of how
>>short the distance is you need Cat-6. If you go this route, you can
>>achieve similar results up to 300 feet.
>
>That's what I thought until I checked. The standards (as reported on 
>wikipedia) only assume Cat5. "Cat5e and Cat6 are often recommended".

While it is commonly thought that Cat 5 and 5e are sufficient, this 
would only be from the electrical perspective. That is to say, if the 
user were to be doing all of the wiring them selves, then they could 
use Cat 5 wiring and use proper connectors wiring it for Gigibit 
speeds.

BUT... To enable 1000BASE-T to actually happen, the cable must be 
wired for all 4 pairs. The problem becomes that many Cat-5 or Cat-5e 
cables that you pick up off the shelf will only have 2 pairs 
terminated as that is all that Cat-5 and Cat-5e need or use. The 
manufacturers do not bother to terminate the other 2 pairs all too 
often. The 8P8C terminators used for Cat-5 and Cat-5e are also not of 
sufficient quality to achieve the noise reduction that 1000BASE-T 
would need for its speed benefits.

People must realize that any Ethernet looking data cable will 
probably work and accomplish data connectivity but the better quality 
the wiring and connectors, the less system noise and crosstalk that 
will occur. The less system noise and crosstalk, the higher the speed.

Kinda like a race car. Any tire will work. But the better the tire, 
the better the grip, and the better the grip, the faster it can go 
around the curves. Every component must be of the highest quality to 
achieve the highest speed. Everything matters.
-- 

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Robert Ameeti

Law of Reruns: If you have watched a TV series only once, and you watch it again, it will be a rerun of the same episode.
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