Extending a Laptop Network Cable ?

[slinkeepie]

Hi folks,

quick and easy question if you dont mind

i am borrowing a friends laptop and its got a very short network cable attached to it, one end is the little thin PCMCIA (whatever its called) adapter to the laptop 3com card, and the other end is a regular cat5 end of course. I need this guy to run 50 feet to upstairs, how can I make this happen?

Radioshack didnt seem to have anything that would work and the guy there kinda looked at me like I was crazy and told me that 'those network cable coupler things make your speed slow down' Hmm.......didnt sound like legit info to me, but I could be wrong..


Thanks!

 

[WannaFly]

Your right about the coupler, thats what you need, and no, it wont slow it down (noticeably, that is).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3031980755&category=28025 is an example.

Those are pretty cheap ~$8 for 10. (i hope this is allowed...) If you cant find 'em locally, I can sell you one for a couple dollars shipped to you, if you'd like. In addition to the coupler you'd need the 50ft of cable or whatever too.

 

[JackMDS]

Radio Shack stocks the couplers.

Look for: Snap-In In Line CAT5 Coupler 278-2037

Link: Reasonably Priced Commercial CAT5e

 

[slinkeepie]

Thanks guys, I thought so.

and WOA, $6 bux for 50 feet of cat5e cable?!?!?
am i reading that table wrong or something?
is that the same cable that cost $40 at Radioshack?!?

radioshack was cool....in the eighties :\

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: slinkeepie
Thanks guys, I thought so.

and WOA, $6 bux for 50 feet of cat5e cable?!?!?
am i reading that table wrong or something?
is that the same cable that cost $40 at Radioshack?!?

radioshack was cool....in the eighties :\

It is probably better Cable.

Stores prices of Cat5e reflect packing shelve space and store front rent rather than the value of the merchandise.

 

[slinkeepie]

The Radioshack cable is probably better cable?
Thats hard to believe as everything I have from radioshack no longer works, pretty 'plastic-y' stuff these days there.

While Im at it, looking at these couplers... Im seeing shielded, and unshielded.
I am familiar how this can affect audio cable, and help reduce noise. Is this a similar affect with network cable?
And if so, why are only the couplers shielded, and not the cables? or is that what the E in Cat5e stands for? :\ wild guess.

 

[JackMDS]

Sorry, I meant that the inexpensive cable is probably better.

In normal setting using 100Mb/sec. Network you do not need shielded Cable.

 

[Bleep]

HeHe this is how I keep my grandkids from using the machine in the front room. The router is in a back room with my machine and I just disconnect the cat5 at the little junction box, they come in and see the cable is still plugged into the router but the coupler is under the desk drawer.

Bleep