Straight or Crossover?

S

sth128

Weaksauce
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Nov 14, 2006
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I'm setting up a home network with my Wireless router through cable (the computers are next to each other, cable is cheaper than a wi-fi adapter).

I was wondering if I should use straight through cables or crossover ones? I'm not quite clear on what crossover does exactly... What does it do?

Also, would it make a big difference between a Cat5 and a Cat5e? Would it make the transfer speed between the computers faster?
 
Crossover is becoming less common because switches are autosensing. Use two straight through cables from the computers to the switch in the router.

Crossover makes it so that the transmitting pair of wires connects with the receiving pair on the other wise.
 
So with my D-Link DIR-615 I just plug one straight cat5 to each computer?

What about Cat5e then? Does it help?

Thanks for your help.
 
sth128 said:
So with my D-Link DIR-615 I just plug one straight cat5 to each computer?

What about Cat5e then? Does it help?

Thanks for your help.
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If you mean 1 straight cable from each computer to the router, yes. Cat5e support gigabit, your router does not, so nothing gained there.
 
straight through is generally to connect devices of a different type together (computer to switch). Crossover for devices of the same type together (computer to computer, switch to switch).

Most gigabit devices + switches have auto internal crossovers, so its not as important as it used to be.
 
ambientZ said:
straight through is generally to connect devices of a different type together (computer to switch). Crossover for devices of the same type together (computer to computer, switch to switch).

Most gigabit devices + switches have auto internal crossovers, so its not as important as it used to be.
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QFT.

Really the ONLY thing I use crossover for is direct computer to computer, and even then, rarely a need to connect stuff that way.

pigster said:
Except that if you buy Cat5e/Cat6, you can use them in the future when you do go gigabit.
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Yup- CAT6 is a bit more expensive, but CAT5E I'd say is pretty "standard", I'd get CAT5E personally.
 
TechieSooner said:
Really the ONLY thing I use crossover for is direct computer to computer, and even then, rarely a need to connect stuff that way.
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Even for the past "quite a few years"..since most rigs have gigabit NICs..don't need crossover. They auto MDI-X themselves.
 
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