Difference between these cat5e cables?

[GavCity]

That last link is laughably inaccurate by the way.

[Technique]

I guess my bid to bring it back on topic & be of some use to me was a waste :woot:

 

Let me know when you've finished disagreeing, but by then it'll probably be too late to be of any help since i need to buy & order & have it delivered before carpet fitting at the start of next week :)

[GavCity]

Buy a reasonably decent cable and socket and you should be happy enough with the result if you do your bit right :-)

[sc302 Veteran]

It's funny you doubt me when there is plenty out there that shows proof and you have yet to show any fact that states otherwise. Where I have shown fact and a users claim (other than my own) that it does work.

To the op, whatever you get will be fine.

[+BudMan MVC]

So lets clear up 1 thing, your not going to see 1gbps anyway, its going to be something a bit shy of that, just like you don't see 100mbit, there is overheard! etc. etc..

So just put this to bed about not getting gig over 20mtr with cheaper cable, etc. I have a run of the mil cable 100ft, don't recall if got it from monoprice or deepsurplus. 100ft = 30meters. It sure and the hell was not expensive..

So here is iperf from my pc to my laptop plugged into same switch sg300.. So what 2 7ft patches..

So then I took the laptop into the living room and plugged into that switch gs108t.. So now is there not only 2 switches and 2 7ft patch cables, there is also a 100ft cable that runs up into the attic and then back down into the living room. And is has other traffic running on it right now as well, my son is currently streaming a video off my storage vm here in my computer room to the popcorn hour in the living room cabinet - that traffic runs over the same trunk between switches.

So yeah sorry if cable meets spec, and your nics and hardware can push it, the cable will handle it.. Be it 10meters or 20, 30, 100, etc..

Different runs produce slightly different numbers, not like you get X number ever single time you run iperf.. But so here you can see I got better over the longer run, etc..

So let me guess you think the $100 monster cable has a better picture than the $10 hdmi cable from monoprice as well ;)

[T3X4S]

Wouldn't Cat6 be better for distance ?  I guess if you're on a tight budget it may not be worth it...


I wish Black Hole Cable was still around - I bought some of their Cat5 back in the day - stuff was cool looking.

 

[+BudMan MVC]

If as he mentioned this is a backbone type run that is going to a jack.. Your only talking a few bucks difference at these sorts of lengths - sure why not run say 6a, solid -- the stuff for runs like this. You can pick up a 100ft for like $40..

example

http://cables4sure.com/100ft-cat6a-solid-utp-copper-bulk-cable-white.html

Good for up to 10ge, so future proof the ###### out of the run ;) or then again he is running only gig, and can get cable that will do the job for <10 and spend saved money on beer ;)

[GavCity]

You actually just admitted there is variability. No two cables are exactly the same. Many cheaper network cables will give you a poor speed. As for HDMI it tends to just stop working over poor cables with a poor signal. We have two runs under a table in a meeting room at work and actually the longer run works whereas the shorter run is intermittent and can depend on the device plugged in. They should have put in a 24AWG HDMI cables in my opinion but didn't. You put in cheap crap, you can expect hit and miss results whether it be HDMI or network cables.

I wouldn't pay a fortune for HDMI or network cables but I would pay a decent price for decent quality. For me the 26 AWG cable in the original post would be out of the question. I would make sure to get 24AWG over any distance.

Interesting you now link 23 AWG cable thanks. Now we are getting some proper cables.

[Technique]

Just to say I ordered in some cat6.

Like you said Budman - the difference in price was minimal so I opted for cat6.

Question: can you mix & match cabling?

To explain:

The router will be downstairs. A cable will run through the ceiling from this to a cat6 faceplate socket in the room above.

This socket will connect to a switch. From this switch a cable will connect direct to the PC. All Cat6 so far.

Since I have some cat5e cabling spare I was thinking of running this cat5e cabling from the switch to [somewhere] upstairs which connects to an access point in order to give good wireless signal upstairs (quite liked those UFO looking ones Budman linked to in another thread).

Would the cat5e cable to the AP work in that instance since the rest of the cabling would be cat6 or would I need to buy in another length of cat6 for the job?

Side note: for anyone questioning why the faceplate/socket & not just a switch instead:

1) I don't want a hole in the ceiling any bigger than needed which it would have to be if I tried to fit a connector through

2) in the event I don't need the AP or want to remove it for whatever reason, I still have the socket & can do away with the switch

3) i'd prefer a fixed point upstairs to connect to.

[+BudMan MVC]

"Question: can you mix & match cabling?"

Yes.. And I only say buy cat6 or better yet 6a if your putting a perm sort of configuration is to future proof. Cat6 is capable of 10ge, while 5e is not.. Maybe you will want to use 10 gig interfaces next year? 5e is the OLD standard, why not use the current standard if your only talking a few bucks. Maybe it saves you in the long run, maybe not. But its not like cat 6 is going to be worse than 5e.. The standard is higher, etc. So if your worried about if you can run gig or not with the "cheap" cable you buy. Then buy a cheap cat6 ;)

And yes I admit there is difference in cable, you have cat 3, 5, 5e, 6, 6a etc. These are all different standards that rate the quality of the cable and what you can expect from it. Yes a cable that is 6 can handle more traffic than 5e.. Sure there can be difference in quality of the boot, of the jack at the end. Have had the little plastic break off on the cheap cables, etc. But none of this has to do with the actual performance.

This is completely different than what your say, your saying if only pay $5 for a 5e cable, that it will not give me gig speeds. Vs if I pay 20$ it will -- which is just freaking nonsense.. The standard is there to say what the cable can or can not do. I clearly showed that my cheap 100ft cable is giving me same speeds even if the 100ft run is not even there.. So your BS about less performance is just that BS!

[GavCity]

Nice easy world you live in there where all cables are the same but I have found that occasionally swapping out cables can make a big difference in a problem and more often than not it is the cheap crap ones that need to be swapped out not the ones that have a decent build.

[Intersect]

Nice easy world you live in there where all cables are the same but I have found that occasionally swapping out cables can make a big difference in a problem and more often than not it is the cheap crap ones that need to be swapped out not the ones that have a decent build.

/facepalm

 

budman knows what he is talking about.

[sc302 Veteran]

gavcity has shown 0 to prove his point other than what he/she thinks.  What you think is irrelevant when proof has been given, standard definitions have been given, and lack of any evidence to give your point any merit has been non existent.  I chose to not use my network as any sort of means to prove my point, budman did.  There is plenty out there that prove the point, simply by searching cat 5e 1Gb/s max distance or playing around with that phrase a bit. I chose the first thing that came up...if you don't like that example chose one of the others that do, there are quite a bit...perhaps none as detailed as budmans but there are plenty none the less.   If the max distance were small you would find out in that search, but you will find that people are reporting that the speed is capable of the entire max length of the cable (100m or 300ft).

[Technique]

I should perhaps buy in all options & take it from there since I keep changing my mind :lol: I could buy a double socket faceplate & do away with the need for a switch. Ok I'll need to run 2 cables from below, but keep these tight together & all should be well once they're hidden in some sort of tidy.

It'd probably be cheaper too since it'll just be a few ? vs a good few ? for an additional switch which may/may not require mains power which takes up another socket of an already limited room.

With there being no boarded walls though, the task is to get an AP amounted somewhere & have it all still looking tidy.

[sc302 Veteran]

for the cost difference of what is needed to complete the job the way you want to, I don't see why not go with cat 6.  You are only talking a few ? difference between cat 5e and 6.  Do cat 6 and not have to worry about it later.  You could always skip 6 and 6a and go straight to 7 but the cost may make you cringe.

 

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vandesail%C2%AE-Computer-Networking-Professional-15-meters-Black-White/dp/B00M7UAHZO/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1417536767&sr=8-7&keywords=cat+7+20m

[+BudMan MVC]

Sure if your going to be running 1 cable, running 2 or 3 or 4 shouldn't be that much extra work. Punching down the cables into the jack is the hardest part if you ask me. This is were many connections normally go wrong. Do you have a tester, punchdown tool? You mentioned your going to cut off the end of the cable to connect it to the jack. They do sell inline keystone jacks so you can use premade cables for your runs.

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=105&cp_id=10519&cs_id=1051902&p_id=7302&seq=1&format=2

So you could get say a 4 port keystone wallplate.. Get 4 cables the length you need, or made to order length and there you go.. Now your not cutting ends off, hoping you punch it down correctly.

You put wall plate with these near your switch, and then 1 where you want the runs to go and will look sharp!!

[GavCity]

You

 

gavcity has shown 0 to prove his point other than what he/she thinks.  What you think is irrelevant when proof has been given, standard definitions have been given, and lack of any evidence to give your point any merit has been non existent.  I chose to not use my network as any sort of means to prove my point, budman did.  There is plenty out there that prove the point, simply by searching cat 5e 1Gb/s max distance or playing around with that phrase a bit. I chose the first thing that came up...if you don't like that example chose one of the others that do, there are quite a bit...perhaps none as detailed as budmans but there are plenty none the less.   If the max distance were small you would find out in that search, but you will find that people are reporting that the speed is capable of the entire max length of the cable (100m or 300ft).

 

None of what you quoted stated that it guarantees the full speed over the full distance it merely said that you can use 1Gbps ethernet over that distance if you use 10m of patch cables and 90m of solid core. Being able to use it is not a guarantee of full speed and if you use one cheap stranded cable over that distance you aren't meeting the specification!

 

One person running one test does not scientifically prove anything, it just proves that one person gets that result in that instance.  I couldn't be bothered to check the overheads in the protocols he is using to make sure that the 933 or whatever reported actually corresponds to the full 1Gbps anyway.

 

Yes, Budman generally knows what he is talking about but if he buys the cheapest cables at every job he will eventually hit a problem. Though I strongly suspect that he doesn't, I reckon he buys at least half decent cables and wouldn't touch the 26AWG cable mentioned in the initial post with a barge pole.

 

I will stick to buying decent cables for my jobs and getting cable runs properly tested with fluke testers.

[Technique]

To be honest, when i used the punch down tool on the cabling i did at my mums i found it simple. It never gave me a problem. It was cutting wire & putting RJ45 caps on the ends that gave me trouble - crimping too hard was the problem at the beginning.

 

I had a look at those keystones. Nice idea although i'm not sure it's the best thing for me.

 

I also had a look at the floorboards leading to the master bedroom. I think wiring into the bedroom from the PC room is going to be a no. I don't fancy whipping those boards up.

 

The PC room on the other hand, i got a board up but it was hard work. Drilled through with a very small bit & snapped this off :( But at least i have a reference point.

 

I think the best thing now would be to drill from the ceiling upwards (using the current bit that's stuck as a reference point) & then just poke the wire through.

 

 

Oh sorry - to answer your question yes i do have a cable tester. It was essential when doing the network at my mums.

 

 

Budman - i read your post on another thread about having APs near electrical equipment. My initial idea was to have an AP on my PC desk to serve upstairs. I've had a look at wiring it under boards discreetly but i don't think this is going to happen. I'm running out of time & don't have the confidence/know-how to start going down the route of ripping up boards that haven't already previously been done etc.

So i'm back to the initial idea - Access Point on the computer desk.

 

It should still serve ok as a wireless AP though shouldn't it?

 

Also do these things require separate power supply or are they powered through the router somehow?

[+BudMan MVC]

What AP are you getting - the unifi ones? They are meant to be mounted, wall or ceiling. I wouldn't put them on a desk. As to the POE question, yes they are POE, you inject the power onto the ethernet cable.. Let me guess GavCity is going to think that lowers performance as well ;) But then again you do it to AP that is not going to be anywhere near gig or speeds of the cable anyway.

What AP, or wifi router as AP are you planning on using.. I do like the unifi stuff, and sc302 has way more experience with it then me.. He has setup a quite large wifi network with them.

When it comes to wiring in the walls and such, if its not your gig its not your gig. Hire someone - then you are sure it will look sharp and wiring will be good. Its not really all that expensive for something that just adds value to your house. Unless when you sell it we are running 10gig as standard and you went with the 5e vs 6a to save a few bucks ;) eheheheh

[Technique]

In an ideal world i would have one of those flying saucer APs http://linitx.com/product/ubiquiti-unifi-uap-300-mbps-aphotspot/13542?gclid=CMiflJ67qMICFWL4wgodDnEAXA, it'd be mounted on the landing/hallway & everything would be hidden.

 

Unfortunately i have left things too late to be trying to find people to make this happen & look professional at the same time. It's not the be all & end all. There are other ways :)

 

As for what router i am going to be using, it'll be the ISP fibre provided one. As far as i'm aware i have to use it as part of the deal.

 

Looks crap, but here it is: http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-home-hub-5-90RY.html

 

As for the AP, to be honest i haven't thought that far. I've got so much going on right now that all i'm thinking of is running wires up into the PC room, terminating them on a socket which would enable a lead to run to the PC & another lead to run to an AP that will likely sit on the desk.

 

As for which AP sits on that desk, at this moment in time i don't know, so i'm open to suggestions :)

[chrisj1968]

there are two types of Cat5 as well. shielded and unshielded twisted pair. My dad was a telephone engineer and he said shielded is good for protecting against interference.

 

but other than that Cat5 is pretty straight forward and the same

[Technique]

I forgot to tell you guys. I emailed the company to enquire what the difference was between the 2 cables.

 

Their response is brilliant...

 

 

Yes, we have two differing cable types but both are 10m CAT5e.

 

 

Oh really?

[+BudMan MVC]

While yes there is STP and UTP, there is also other differences in the cable. You can have different types of STP, you have foil twisted pair sometimes seen as FTP, or S/FTP, where each twisted pair is shielded, or just the outside or both, etc. So lots of different combinations there.

You then have what type of outer covering, normally pvc but most runs in walls and such depending on your local fire codes might be required plenum rated cable where the covering doesn't give off toxic fumes if burned, etc.

There are also all kinds of coverings for if the cable will be outside or buried, etc. And let us not forget the solid or stranded. Most keyjacks and patch panels are designed for the solid cable for easier connection. Solid cable is easier to work with running in walls and such because its not as flexible - if you have ever tried pushing a cable up through a wall when its stranded vs solid you will know what I mean ;) Solid is designed for the long runs, etc. While you can use stranded without any issues in the performance. And is fine for home sort of setup where you need to run the cable from room to room in your attic or basement, etc. In a business setup, or professional install you would normally use solid wire.

So if you take into account all the different variables, and then with the different certifications on the cable 5, 5e, 6, 6a, 7, etc.. There are lots and lots of combinations..

I can understand why users might have questions ;) But in the day to day home use, whatever certified stranded UTP they can get for a good price is what they could use for any sort of run in the home - be it just patch from pc to switch port, or running a cable into another room, etc. I say this because solid cable can be a pain to work with if you have no experience with it.

As to that response - did you expect anything different? ;) I would prob shop elsewhere for cable to be honest.. From a quick google this seems like a good place to get cables http://www.cablemonkey.co.uk

[An_Englishman]

I've not used Cablemonkey myself before but have heard good things about them.

 

I just purchased quite a bit of cable from: http://www.cabling4less.co.uk/

 

I find them pretty good.

[+BudMan MVC]

Prices look good there, better than the link I pointed too, and found something never seen before - that bare wire to plug adapter tooless thing

http://www.cabling4less.co.uk/products/2025/tool-less_cat5ecat6_2_wire_pairs_ethernet,_bare_wire_to_plug_adaptor/