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Ethernet Cable Question

M

mpic92

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
155
I need to wire two Ethernet cables from one side of my house to the other, Both of them won't lead to the same place though. One will go upstairs into one room; it will connect to an Xbox 360. The other cable will go downstairs and connect to a wireless access point for Internet use.

My question is, should I use cat5e cable or cat6? I know cat6 has more than double the bandwith but I'm going to only be using the internet and Xbox Live. In this case, will cat5e and cat6 make a difference? I want to know if cat6 is even a bit faster.
 
Unless you're absolutely needing cat6 for some reason just get 5e, it will be alot cheaper and will do the same thing.
 
nah, don't waste your money one cat6, 5e is just fine. i'm running 100/1000mbps 8 port switch and 10 ethernet devices, 6 of which on connected at 1000mbps.

i needed some cables quick and i found a really good deal on newegg the other day.

i don't know how long you need, but i ran this 100' cable from 2nd floor of a 3 bedroom house, to 1st floor to the farthest end of house and still had ~25 left of cable.


These cables are very good despite me piercing about a dozen holes trying to run the cable .
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16812105312

couldn't find a better price at the time, i looked at local places that had some belkin 100' cable for upwards of $60.
 
yeah, cat6 cable is a waste unless you have the proper tools to teminate the ends. They are so strict on tolerances, you'd probably end up with cat5e according to the standards. Also cat6 is a bitch to work with compared to 5e, it's stiffer and doesn't like to pull.

5e ftw.
 
When running wire, always think towards the future. You only want to do it once :)

Run CAT6.

-Larry

mpic92 said:
I need to wire two Ethernet cables from one side of my house to the other, Both of them won't lead to the same place though. One will go upstairs into one room; it will connect to an Xbox 360. The other cable will go downstairs and connect to a wireless access point for Internet use.

My question is, should I use cat5e cable or cat6? I know cat6 has more than double the bandwith but I'm going to only be using the internet and Xbox Live. In this case, will cat5e and cat6 make a difference? I want to know if cat6 is even a bit faster.
Click to expand...
 
CAT6 isn't that expensive. Hell, I just bought very nice 50 foot pre-assembled CAT6 cables for $8 apiece :)

You can buy 500 ft of the stuff in bulk from CablesToGo for $100. I suspect it can be found cheaper. That was just a 10 sec search.

-Larry

Kaos said:
Unless you're absolutely needing cat6 for some reason just get 5e, it will be alot cheaper and will do the same thing.
Click to expand...
 
For web browsing and game consoles though, cat6 won't make a difference right? I know that cat6 is better in a way but I don't want to do it unless I'm going to benefit. With a wireless network hooked up to one of the cables and a Xbox 360 on the others, would a cat6 ever come in handy?
 
Category 6 UTP will help with signal quality as a whole. If it will cause a noticeable improvement I don't know since I don't have any to test, or the proper equipment to do so.
 
Also - if you are going from one end of your house to another I would definitely consider shielded cable also.
 
If you are really only using the cable for the internet you barely even need cat5e, so there's no way you need cat6. However, if it was me I would use cat6. My reason? You never know when you are going to replace that xbox with a pc and want to network over the cable you just spent all that effort installing.

Its your call; do you ever see yourself wanting to run gigabit over the line?
 
Well I don't think there will ever be a need for a computer network in my house.

Someone mentioned the signal being stronger as a whole... but with just simply the internet, will there be any difference what so ever?
 
mpic92 said:
Well I don't think there will ever be a need for a computer network in my house.

Someone mentioned the signal being stronger as a whole... but with just simply the internet, will there be any difference what so ever?
Click to expand...

Between 5e and 6? Hell no. You won't even begin to push what the 5e can handle.
 
smizack said:
Between 5e and 6? Hell no. You won't even begin to push what the 5e can handle.
Click to expand...

Okay thats good. I keep hearing this stuff about how regardless of my situation, cat6 will be a much smoother connection. So your confirming there is absolutely no difference between cat5e and cat6 if the Internet is all thats being used?
 
mpic92 said:
Okay thats good. I keep hearing this stuff about how regardless of my situation, cat6 will be a much smoother connection. So your confirming there is absolutely no difference between cat5e and cat6 if the Internet is all thats being used?
Click to expand...

No difference.
 
Cat 5 is for 10 Mbps
Cat 5e is for 10/100/1000 Mbps

Your internet is what? 1.5 Mbps? Maybe 5 Mbps if you're into it. Cat 5e is 200 times what you need.
 
mindstormsguy said:
Cat 5 is for 10 Mbps
Cat 5e is for 10/100 Mbps
Cat 6 is for 10/100/1000 Mbps (Gigabit)

Your internet is what? 1.5 Mbps? Maybe 5 Mbps if you're into it. Cat 5e is 20 times what you need.
Click to expand...


Cat 5 is 10/100
Cat 5e is 10/100/1000
Cat 6 is 10/100/1000 & 250mhz
 
mindstormsguy said:
If you are really only using the cable for the internet you barely even need cat5e, so there's no way you need cat6. However, if it was me I would use cat6. My reason? You never know when you are going to replace that xbox with a pc and want to network over the cable you just spent all that effort installing.

Its your call; do you ever see yourself wanting to run gigabit over the line?
Click to expand...

Considering you can run gigabit over Cat5e......;)
 
Any specific types of cat5e cable that I may want to look into. The cable will be run about 100 feet through the attack and go down two floors.
 
GlobalFear said:
Considering you can run gigabit over Cat5e......;)
Click to expand...

Your right, I never realized it is technically supposed to, my mistake. I didn't think it was supposed to work (although I realize it does). My assumption was partially based on my experience.

I do not own any cat 6, so the only way I am currently able to run Gigabit is over cat 5e cables, and I have got to say my performance is unsatisfactory. (and I'm talking about a single patch cable between two computer sitting right beside each other) It could very possibly be the general crappiness of the onboard lan on the P5B Deluxe though.
 
mpic92 said:
Any specific types of cat5e cable that I may want to look into. The cable will be run about 100 feet through the attack and go down two floors.
Click to expand...
I'd say to use solid cable, and terminate each end with something like a keystone jack/wallplate combo to give it a clean look.

I suppose it would be "correct" to use something meant for in wall use, but it doesn't really matter that much. I'm guessing that most bulk, solid conductor cable is already rated for in wall anyway.
 
mpic92 said:
Any specific types of cat5e cable that I may want to look into. The cable will be run about 100 feet through the attack and go down two floors.
Click to expand...

Because of how my parent's house is, I ended up stringing a standard 100' pre-crimped Cat5e cable through the attic then back down into the basement from my mom's computer room. It works just fine, and I was even forced to go near some electric conduits.
 
I'm not worried about wiring the cable through my house. I am already pretty sure of where I'm going to wire the cable.

What technically is the kind of cable called that I want? I've heard many different terms. Also, I'm going to have a professional come in and do the wiring for me.
 
You could go with Riser, its cheap. I don't know how much it really matters in your case, just go with whats cheapest
 
Stranded is always better. Always. But putting ends on it can be a pain.
We just did 400+ ends about 2 weeks ago and around 150 was on stranded cable. That sucked.
 
Stranded wire cable is NOT always better.

Stranded is better if you're putting ends on a cable and/or if you need a cable that needs to be flexible. If you're putting in a permanent installation, and terminating into patch panels or jacks, then you want to stick with solid wire cable. Stranded wire cable does not seat well into 110 patch panels, and even when it seats OK it's way too easy for the next person working in the jack/rack/closet to knock something loose.

Solid strand cable is best for permanent installations (running through walls, etc).and is also known as "riser" cable. There are two flavors, PVC and Plenum, referring to different jacket/wire coatings. Plenum cable does not produce the same level of toxic fumes when it burns and is required by fire code in many new/remodal installations.

Most people use PVC cable when they're simply making additions to their homes. If you want to be really picky about it (or make sure you're not dinged when you go to sell your home and the home inspector comes through), check with your local fire marshal on the local residential regulations.
 
I believe (In my area at least) plenum is required when the wire is ran through airducts and above drop ceilings.

Personally, the toxic fumes released by the pvc will be the last thing on my mind when THE FUCKING BUILDING IS ON FIRE. ;)
 
jpochedl said:
Stranded wire cable is NOT always better.

Stranded is better if you're putting ends on a cable and/or if you need a cable that needs to be flexible. If you're putting in a permanent installation, and terminating into patch panels or jacks, then you want to stick with solid wire cable. Stranded wire cable does not seat well into 110 patch panels, and even when it seats OK it's way too easy for the next person working in the jack/rack/closet to knock something loose.
Click to expand...


Meh.. Your opinion.
I've made thousands of connection in patch pannels and stranded goes in and stays in just as well as solid. And if you've ever ran long runs of solid only to realize a kink somewhere in the middle rendered it useless, you would retract that statement.
Stranded is more durable. Period.
And if someone is knocking connections loose from your patch pannel, you did something wrong to begin with in your planning.
 
Well mines going from one room and two floors and into the attic. Then it's traveling across my attic and is come down again. Because of this, I'm sure I would need something that iss easy to work with. It doesn't have to be super-flexible but as long as it can bend alright. Once it's installed, I won't be messing with it much. Pretty much all of it will be in the attic and walls so no one willl have access to it. The only part that will be exposed is the part coming into my room and connecting to my Xbox 360... I may run it through a switch though first before I connect it to my 360 but I'm not reallly sure yet.
 
Also, does the cable come with the ends on it already... does that depend on where I get it?
 
smizack said:
Meh.. Your opinion.
I've made thousands of connection in patch pannels and stranded goes in and stays in just as well as solid. And if you've ever ran long runs of solid only to realize a kink somewhere in the middle rendered it useless, you would retract that statement.
Stranded is more durable. Period.
Click to expand...

While stranded can be more durable, the tradeoff is performance. All things being equal, stranded cable does not perform as well as solid cable. According to ANSI/TIA/EIA , solid cable is used for horizontal and backbone connections. That is not opinion.

FYI - If your getting kinks in the middle of your installations, look at who is installing it, not the cable itself as the problem.
 
How big is this trade off in performance? Is it noticeable if the internet is all that will be used.
 
mpic92 said:
How big is this trade off in performance? Is it noticeable if the internet is all that will be used.
Click to expand...

Not likely. However if you choose to use stranded cable, make sure the jacks and plugs you purchase are designed for stranded cable.
 
mpic92 said:
Well what are the plugs that an Xbox 360 and computer have?
Click to expand...

They are RJ45s, however they are manufactured for both solid and stranded cable. If you use stranded cable, you need RJ45s that are made for stranded cable. Solid cable needs RJ45s made for solid cable.
 
But for a PC, ethernet switch, or Xbox 360, either stranded or standard will do??
 
And also, whats the problem with using regular patch cable to wire across my house?
 
Again, you can't think in the now. You have to think to the future.

I have 15mbit cable, that actually provides me around 27mbit/sec (I'm not asking questions) and may go to 30 or 50mbit FIOS this year.

Just talk to all the business that ran 10mbit cabling 10 years ago... And see what they are paying to get that all replaced.

-Larry

mindstormsguy said:
Cat 5 is for 10 Mbps
Cat 5e is for 10/100/1000 Mbps

Your internet is what? 1.5 Mbps? Maybe 5 Mbps if you're into it. Cat 5e is 200 times what you need.
Click to expand...
 
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