Longer network cable=higher ping?

caspur

Senior member
Dec 1, 2007
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Computer hooked up with 25ft cable has first hop to router at approx 21 ms.

Same computer hooked up with 6 ft cable has first hop to router <1ms.

Doesn't seem correct that the longer cable increases pings times that much.

If its a bad cable, shouldn't it just not work, rather than increase pings?

Or could it be interference of some kind?
 

RebateMonger

Elite Member
Dec 24, 2005
11,586
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It's not the length of the cable that's causing those long pings.

My CAT5 cable to my server is about 150 feet long, and the ping time is <1ms.
 

ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
39,838
20,433
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Bad cables may not be non-functional altogether. Do you have another 25ft cable to try? Are there any visually obvious causes of interference?
 

caspur

Senior member
Dec 1, 2007
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I don't have any other 25ft cables to test with. Guess I may have to buy one, since this one doesn't seem to be working properly. Its mounted with staples along the wall, so that maybe an interference factor. I probably wont staple it so tight next time.

There is no apparent loss or other errors , its just increases latency a wee bit. Doesn't affect normal usage, and its only about a 20ms increase in gaming. I've never seen a cable fail in this manner, usually its either working or not working.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
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Most of the time a bad cable with not show you it's bad. You'll just get bad performance or really weird problems as a result. Stapling a cable is a no-no, don't do that.

 

jaqie

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2008
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It's also possible you have a power line running parallel to the cable causing a reeking high interference... check where it is run, that could be the issue.

You shouldn't be getting more then 5-10uS at max with a 25ft versus 1ft cable, though if I looked it up I am pretty sure it should be even much lower then that...