I never want to see another ethernet cable. Ever again.

[Penth]

Yeah, do you really need cat 6? Won't cat 5e do? I found them for $3.20 per 50' cable. Is everyone gonna be on gig-e. I'm pretty sure gig-e runs on cat5e anyway. check out monoprice.com

 

[brxndxn]

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I'm not sure what spec you read, but the spec for ethernet-over-UTP at 10/100/1000mbit speeds is 150m - and the connector on the end doesn't matter as far as the length goes, and all "patch cable" tells you is that you have a straight-through male RJ45-male RJ45.

And what, precisely, do you mean by scan? Packet loss tests? The worst-made CAT5 installations on earth seem to pass those tests with flying colors, except in very odd situations.

I'm referring to EIA/TIA 568 specifications which calls for no more than 5 meters of patch cable on each end (90 meters of horizontal cable, 5 meters of patch on each end for no more than 100 meters)

By scan I mean running a cable certification on the channel and link. this measures all aspects of the cable (NEXT, FEXT, return loss, attentuation, etc). It "scans" the cable by measuring all these parameters while running through the frequency range from 1 to 250/350 Mhz. You may find that all of your cables using category 6 equipment might not even pass category 5 parameters.

The number 1 cause of network performance problems is the cable - like 90%. I just don't like mucking with the physical layer.

If you're going to be working with cabling much you might want to pick up a cat6 scanner. Fluke makes a good one...runs about 4 grand I think. But they are worth their weight in gold. It's almost a required tool to for a network.

Spidey is right. Hand made cables really have no place in enterprise class deployments.

This is a LAN party.. wtf..

You guys just sound like a bunch of network admins that try to make an almost blue-collar job sound like it's akin to being a doctor. If you need a $4k piece of equipment to make a bunch of 50ft patch cables, then you're incompetent. Maybe if this was fiber optics, you'd have to be perfectly precise.. But, for CAT5/6, if the connections are done correctly, it connects..

IMO, if you're making patch cables, I'd say to spend extra getting the network cable spool that has high-quality shielding and is twist resistant.

But, imo.. $6 each for 50ft cables compared to using a spool and connectors and then spending tons of your own time making them is a no brainer.. I'd buy the patch cables outright.

$4k to make patch cables.. lol..

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I'm not sure what spec you read, but the spec for ethernet-over-UTP at 10/100/1000mbit speeds is 150m - and the connector on the end doesn't matter as far as the length goes, and all "patch cable" tells you is that you have a straight-through male RJ45-male RJ45.

And what, precisely, do you mean by scan? Packet loss tests? The worst-made CAT5 installations on earth seem to pass those tests with flying colors, except in very odd situations.

I'm referring to EIA/TIA 568 specifications which calls for no more than 5 meters of patch cable on each end (90 meters of horizontal cable, 5 meters of patch on each end for no more than 100 meters)

By scan I mean running a cable certification on the channel and link. this measures all aspects of the cable (NEXT, FEXT, return loss, attentuation, etc). It "scans" the cable by measuring all these parameters while running through the frequency range from 1 to 250/350 Mhz. You may find that all of your cables using category 6 equipment might not even pass category 5 parameters.

The number 1 cause of network performance problems is the cable - like 90%. I just don't like mucking with the physical layer.

If you're going to be working with cabling much you might want to pick up a cat6 scanner. Fluke makes a good one...runs about 4 grand I think. But they are worth their weight in gold. It's almost a required tool to for a network.

Spidey is right. Hand made cables really have no place in enterprise class deployments.

And I agree fully. The issue apparently seems to be that he disconnected the cabling from the context - this ISN'T an enterprise deployment, this is a raging fvckton of cable being thrown on the floor for 14 hours with rolling chairs, directly connecting PCs to switches. We're using CAT6 STP because it's less apt to get owned in the face by a chair wheel or encounter obscene data loss because of someone's f'd up power strip, than, say, CAT5e UTP. The extra $100 overall that it cost us is well worth my not having to get up from my chair in the middle of a good match because someone just rolled over a bundle of cable and 15 people are now without connectivity.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: brxndxn

Originally posted by: acemcmac

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I'm not sure what spec you read, but the spec for ethernet-over-UTP at 10/100/1000mbit speeds is 150m - and the connector on the end doesn't matter as far as the length goes, and all "patch cable" tells you is that you have a straight-through male RJ45-male RJ45.

And what, precisely, do you mean by scan? Packet loss tests? The worst-made CAT5 installations on earth seem to pass those tests with flying colors, except in very odd situations.

I'm referring to EIA/TIA 568 specifications which calls for no more than 5 meters of patch cable on each end (90 meters of horizontal cable, 5 meters of patch on each end for no more than 100 meters)

By scan I mean running a cable certification on the channel and link. this measures all aspects of the cable (NEXT, FEXT, return loss, attentuation, etc). It "scans" the cable by measuring all these parameters while running through the frequency range from 1 to 250/350 Mhz. You may find that all of your cables using category 6 equipment might not even pass category 5 parameters.

The number 1 cause of network performance problems is the cable - like 90%. I just don't like mucking with the physical layer.

If you're going to be working with cabling much you might want to pick up a cat6 scanner. Fluke makes a good one...runs about 4 grand I think. But they are worth their weight in gold. It's almost a required tool to for a network.

Spidey is right. Hand made cables really have no place in enterprise class deployments.

This is a LAN party.. wtf..

You guys just sound like a bunch of network admins that try to make an almost blue-collar job sound like it's akin to being a doctor. If you need a $4k piece of equipment to make a bunch of 50ft patch cables, then you're incompetent. Maybe if this was fiber optics, you'd have to be perfectly precise.. But, for CAT5/6, if the connections are done correctly, it connects..

IMO, if you're making patch cables, I'd say to spend extra getting the network cable spool that has high-quality shielding and is twist resistant.

But, imo.. $6 each for 50ft cables compared to using a spool and connectors and then spending tons of your own time making them is a no brainer.. I'd buy the patch cables outright.

$4k to make patch cables.. lol..

It all depends on what type of Network Admin position you're taking.

If it's in a multi-billion dollar company where network downtime can lead to thousands upon thousands of dollars lost, you better believe everything is going to be done by the book, with redundancy and testing available for every single component.

If it's some dinky LAN party, who cares?

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
And I agree fully. The issue apparently seems to be that he disconnected the cabling from the context - this ISN'T an enterprise deployment, this is a raging fvckton of cable being thrown on the floor for 14 hours with rolling chairs, directly connecting PCs to switches. We're using CAT6 STP because it's less apt to get owned in the face by a chair wheel or encounter obscene data loss because of someone's f'd up power strip, than, say, CAT5e UTP. The extra $100 overall that it cost us is well worth my not having to get up from my chair in the middle of a good match because someone just rolled over a bundle of cable and 15 people are now without connectivity.

you used STP!!!!!!!!!????????????

Good luck with those antennas.

But heck if it's just a lan party who cares.

 

[Crucial]

I just finished installing 20,000' and 150 drops along with terminating everything in the patch panel. I am burned out on cat5 for awhile. At least it was new construction and there was conduit in all the walls.

 

[Kenazo]

Why not put up 2x4's on each side of the halls and put the cables over people's heads, rather than have ppl walking/rolling over the cables?

 

[Goosemaster]

lan party in maryland? interesting? what games?

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
lan party in maryland? interesting? what games?

York, PA, actually. CS, CS:S, COD, BF2, UT classic, WC3, that kind of stuff. The truly interesting bit, to me, at least, is that we have 3 giganormous projectors from hell, and we intend to throw classic console games up on every last one of them.

 

[her209]

Could've saved yourself the headache and just bought the pre-made ones.

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
Turning 3000ft of CAT6 manually into 50ft patch cables... sucks. Badly.

I can't feel with my thumbs anymore. My eyes hurt from focusing so close all the time. I can't get "whiteorangeorangewhitegreenbluewhitebluegreenwhitebrownbrown" out of my head. It's BAD.

I feel you man. I once had to manually make 150 3 ft patch cables for a voip deployment. Took several days of pur torture heh.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: her209
Could've saved yourself the headache and just bought the pre-made ones.

For a significant price difference that would have removed all semblence of fundraiser from this event, sure.

 

[vshah]

Originally posted by: jonessoda
Does it even matter what order you put the wires in so long as you do it exactly the same on both sides?

i think it matters because of the twisted pairs

 

[her209]

Froogle is your friend.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: her209
Froogle is your friend.

Froogle is worthless in this scenario.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: her209
Froogle is your friend.

Went there first. Every website with the things cheap charges per-cable shipping that quickly blows the whole thing out of the water.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: her209
Froogle is your friend.

Went there first. Every website with the things cheap charges per-cable shipping that quickly blows the whole thing out of the water.

At thenerds.net shipping was like $25 for 60 $8.83 50' cables.

$25 / 60 < $0.50 each

 

[NTB]

Originally posted by: her209
Froogle is your friend.

Give it up. He obviously likes torturing himself, or he would have given up a long d@mn time ago. I know I would have

Nate

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
lan party in maryland? interesting? what games?

York, PA, actually. CS, CS:S, COD, BF2, UT classic, WC3, that kind of stuff. The truly interesting bit, to me, at least, is that we have 3 giganormous projectors from hell, and we intend to throw classic console games up on every last one of them.

cool....

 

[Goosemaster]

when is it?

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
when is it?

YGPM

 

[JDrake]

I wish York were closer

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: joedrake
I wish York were closer

We have people coming from Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, New Jersey (ew), and FRICKIN' MASSACHUSETTS. Get in your car and drive.

 

[JDrake]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: joedrake
I wish York were closer

We have people coming from Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, New Jersey (ew), and FRICKIN' MASSACHUSETTS. Get in your car and drive.

$60 for gasoline alone :Q + 4.5 hour drive

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: joedrake
I wish York were closer

We have people coming from Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, New Jersey (ew), and FRICKIN' MASSACHUSETTS. Get in your car and drive.

$60 for gasoline alone :Q + 4.5 hour drive

We'll have a shipping pallet of Bawls. You know you want to be there.