In Wall Networking Cable

[MoneyDontMatter]

So, I'm setting up a network and running the cables through the walls and putting wall jacks in for a clean look. Should I just use cat 5 cable or do I have to use networking cable? When I look at my dsl line, it runs on 1 pair of wires, but then the networking cable with like 8 pairs connects to this. Are only 2 used because only 2 are connected to the dsl line? If so, why do they use so many wires in a normal network? Do they still use only 2? When settng upmy network do I use all 16 or so wires or just 2 in the walls? What if I am just sharing a dsl line through the built in hub and not a network at all? Do I need to use sheildd cables or any other type of special cables or just regular cat5? Can I just use a spare pair on my phone line?

 

[fergiboy]

Usually "network cable" is cat5 or cat5e.

 

[IsOs]

Since you're contemplating placing a new wiring, save yourself future trouble by using new CAT5 wires. 8 wires are use for 100MB connections and 4 are used for 10MB. Use CAT5 rated jacks as well. When you purchase your network cards, don't buy 10 MB cards, get 10/100 Fast Ethernet card. They are just usually $5 more. Realtek based cards are inexpensive and will do the job. They usually runs $14 a piece. Fast 10/100 Network Hubs are about $30 but you'll better off adding $30 more and get a 10/100 switch.

Do not run your new network wires in the same conduit as your electricity.


Bob Cerelli Page
J. Hemig's Page
Pratically Networked

 

[MoneyDontMatter]

So, I will need to use all 8 wires. What is cat5e, external approved cat5. But networking cable is so much thicker than cat5, why? What is the difference between a switch and a hub?

 

[TheyCallMeSAK]

Cat5 is just 8 conductor (4 sets of twisted pairs). Cat5 is unshielded. Cat5e IS shielded and is used frequently with gigabit ethernet. Cat5e usually isn't much more expensive. I like using it in permanent installations so that it will be ready for newer standards. Put simply, switches are better than hubs. Hubs send information to all of the ports, whereas switches only route information to the correct destination. Switches can handle more bandwidth and give each connection a dedicated amount of bandwidth. Even if you have many machines that don't require much bandwidth, it is good to have at least one switch and then hook hubs up from there.



<< But networking cable is so much thicker than cat5, why? >>



I'm not sure what you mean. Cat5 IS networking cable. It is used for Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit, and others. Please be more specific as to what you are talking about.

 

[MoneyDontMatter]

I'm just looking at my dsl line. Comming into the jack is cat 5 cable. Commming out of it is a pre-formed network cable with the connectors and shielding already on it that came with my router. These cabes are about 5x as thick as the cat5 comming in to the jack. If they are the same thing, why the difference in thickness?

 

[CapNjacK]

That jack you're looking at is just changing that wiring to what is needed for the ethernet setup. You need to look up wiring standards so you can see how the wiring is supposed to be done do not use the way your DSL is wired as an example it is not the same as standard ethernet wiring. Look at the wiring scheme on this pagefor 568b that is one of the more commom wiring schemes for ethernet wiring.

 

[Akash]

get cat 6

 

[MoneyDontMatter]

what is cat6? I have never heard fo this. How is it different from cat5?