Is a CAT5 "patch cable" different then a regular CAT5 cable?

[DPK]

I think I may have bought the wrong cable by mistake, because the CAT5 "Patch Cable", which the guy at CompUSA said would work isn't working. I am adding another PC to a network and and just needed another cable to connect it to my router. Should the patch cable work?

 

[brianp34]

It should. Does it say "crossover" on it anywhere? I think patch cord is just jargon for a straight piece of cable. A cross over cable is used to directly connect 2 computers or 2 hubs without uplink, so you don't want that.

 

[vegetation]

Patch cables is what you want with computer to router/hubs type of situations. A patch cable is a cat 5 cable, but the jargon just means the cable has been fully assembled so you just plug away and go. A regular cat5 cable usually has no plug on it, comes in huge spools, and often is of the solid-core type, as opposed to stranded wires in patch cables. Stranded wires allow the patch cable to bend and flex without the cable breaking, similar to a power cord.

 

[bgeh]

so it's exactly the same? i thought the wire configs were a little different?

 

[Macro2]

RE:"Should the patch cable work?"

A patch cable is just a ready made cable.
Look at the underside of the connectors for the colored wiring sequence. If both ends are the same you have a straight through cable which is what you want to connect dissimilar device like a computer (NIC) to a router.

If it doesn't work there are various possible reasons. One of which is a bad cable.

 

[ndee]

Originally posted by: bgeh
so it's exactly the same? i thought the wire configs were a little different?

It's either a crossover cable or a straight one. Use a crossover cable for direct PC-to-PC connections. If you connect to a hub, you need a straight one, the hub is doing the "crossover". All assuming, you have no auto-sensing hardware.

 

[TheCorm]

Another useful tip is that if you use an RJ45 coupler with two crossover cables then they become a longer straight/patch cable.

 

[WobbleWobble]

Originally posted by: TheCorm
Another useful tip is that if you use an RJ45 coupler with two crossover cables then they become a longer straight/patch cable.

Has this worked for you? I've tried this before and it hasn't worked for me!

 

[J1600B]

It should. Or you can just get some cable/connectors/crimpers and do it yourself for close to the price.

 

[Fabius101]

Thanks for the useful tip TheCorm.

So what is the difference between a Cat5, Cat5e and Cat6 cable?
Would anyone notice the difference in a 100mbit network?

 

[Paulson]

Nope, hard drives are too slow at this point to notice a difference between any of those... cat6 is for gigabit ethernet I believe...

The router should be able to connect to the pc assuming it has a built in switch w/auto sensing crossover and what not...

What router is it?

 

[fargus]

It's called a patch cable because it's original use was to connect from a Patch Panel to your equipment.
If you connect two crossover cables with a coupler, they only become a straight through cable if you've connected the proper ends together... both crossed ends should meet at the coupler.