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Will CAT-6 Make a difference in internal Network Speeds?

ComputerWizKid

ComputerWizKid

Golden Member
I just bought (Well not new but back in October 2009) a Netgear WNR-3500 Gigabit router and my internal speeds are lacking (I think, Because I don't know the whole bit Vs. Byte Thing:thumbsdown🙂 with a large video file from my HTPC I can get upwards of 47-50MB/S but just for a couple of seconds and then it goes to about 17-25 it varies between files. Anyway I am using CAT-5E Cables (Most of them are old and the wires are exposed at the RJ-45 end (I bought these and I did not make them the ends were crimped improperly, Damn computer show cables:twisted🙂Anyway I am in an old place and the cables are run between the baseboards so changing the cables out is no problem for me. I just want to know if it will make a difference in my speed before I pay $ for new cables
and yes I know about Monoprice so if it need be I will get my cables from them
Thanks and sorry for the probably stupid questions
 
If your network cables are old, improperly terminated, or suffering from extreme wear (such as when solidcore cable is used for making patch cables, which sounds likely in this case), then, yes, replacing the cables will help immensely.
 
bit = a single 1 or single 0
byte = 8 bits
mb = megabit, or 1024 ones or zeros
MB = megaBYTE or 1024 bytes or 8192 ones and zeros

Gigabit speed is much higher than what you are getting. You may need to play around with your MTU, RWIN driver version, or even cabling. The key is to change one thing at a time.

Start by going to good, factory made cables within the distance limitations (100 meter) and also check to make sure the disk at one end isnt the bottleneck. Proceed to checking software like stated above
 
so go buy a 50ft or 100ft cat6a and run it up between the two points and see if it solves the problem?? monoprice 🙂
 
It's probably a limitaton of the hard drive speed. Could be either end of the file transfer or both. If either side is fragmented the transfer rate will slow down alot.

What hard drives are you using and how full are they?
 
MrChicken said:
It's probably a limitaton of the hard drive speed. Could be either end of the file transfer or both. If either side is fragmented the transfer rate will slow down alot.

What hard drives are you using and how full are they?
Click to expand...

this.


Especially true if you are copying a large directory of small files.

You could also be on the slow part of your hd's.
 
On my main computer at my desk the HDD Is a Seagate ST3160811AS 7200.9 160GB
and my HTPC's drive is a Seagate ST3500630AS 7200.10 500GB and the drive on my HTPC has multiple partitions as the drive on my main computer and each partition is more then 1/2 full
 
Not stupid questions. If your network cards are reporting the connection as 1.0 Gbps
(My network Places,View Network connections, click on connection, shows speed in 'general' tab), then you are connecting at gigabit speeds.
From the transfer rates you reported, it is clear that you are indeed connecting at 1.0 Gbps.
The next thing to do is run a test and look for packet loss.
Download qcheck here for free.
http://www.ixchariot.com/downloads.html
Read the directions and test your network. if you don't have significant packet loss, then you can forget about needing cables.
That is the way network standards work. If you have a bad connection you will find it; if it is not bad it is by default "Good". There is no middle ground.
 
New cables may not make a difference in speed, but if the existing ones are not properly crimped, and the cores are exposed at the RJ45s then I would replace them.

Cables like that have cost me days of work wasted investigating problems because some one tried to use dodgy cables. They may have saved a few UK pounds on cables, but it wasted several days work. When I find cables like that, or known faulty ones, I cut the RJ45s off the cable before binning them, otherwise some one decides to put them back with the good cables.

Rob
 
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Inspect the cables carefully for wear. Unless you have mice/squirrels in your home, the cabling is unlikely to fail on it's own. There's probably no need to run new cabling.

If the only problem is the poorly terminated connectors, take the money you would have spent on new cabling and invest in a quality crimping tool instead.
 
Here's what I call a bad termination
RJ45end.jpg

The jacket is supposed to be into the connector at the first point of crimp I used to have a good crimper but is was stolen from me at my old house, I never could get the cables in right though even when I had the tool (I bought these cables at a computer fair/show before I knew about MonoPrice So they probably bought a roll of cable and had their tech Monkeys assemble them:thumbsdown🙂
Edit: I am connected at 1GBS says Windows and my Router/Motherboard
 
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Yes it will make a huge difference. Just make sure you get cat6 keystones for the jacks! In fact I've heard that even when it comes to making cables you need to use cat6 network connectors. I learned this the hard way as I decided to make cat 6 cables with cat5e connectors and the performance of those cables was actually WORSE then cat5e cables that I made! I don't know why this is the case as you'd think it would at least be the same.

You are better off buying premade cables though. I'm waiting till I need enough stuff from monoprice and I will order a bunch.

With a few cat5e cables along the route I can get about 300-400mbps from my PC to the server. Once I buy some good cat6 cables I'm sure that will increase even more, and I should probably enable jumbo frames too... lot of optimizations can be done.

At my parents house it was all cat5e and I used to get a bit over 100mbps from my server to my pc.
 
You never said what OS's the file transfer is taking place...XP sucked at file transfers, the most I got on my gig network was 30-40MB/s, now I get 100-110MB/s with Windows 7 and server 2008.

This might actually be an issue.
 
Both computers have Windows 7 Ultimate x64 and my notebook which I occasionally transfer files to is Windows 7 Home Premium x64
and to RedSquirrel whats a keystone jack? My place is so small (330 SQFT efficiency Apartment) and I use WiFi for my laptop in the other room and for all of my wired connections the longest cable is 25FT (I just use patch cables that I run along the floor) with a bunch of it coiled up behind my TV Stand
I have 2 wired computers constantly on Main Computer Port 1 and HTPC Port 2
Port 1 My Computer at my desk (GA-EP43-UD3L, E5200 2 GB, 160GB)
Port 2 HTPC (GA-73PVM-S2H, E2200, 2GB 500GB)
Port 3 Xbox 360
Port 4 Spare cable that I occasionally use my laptop or another computer
 
330ft apartment? set up a couple of strings and cans, you should get 10 Gbps!
I kid I kid🙂
No need to use anything other than patch cables.
 
If you're using wireless then I don't think you'll ever get gigabit, unless N can go that high, I'm not too familiar with wireless as I have everything wired.

Keystone jacks are basically a standard for putting jacks on a wall. You buy plates then keystones.

Basically for a good jack you need something like these:

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/elect/remodel1/lighting/track2ft/oldworkbox.htm

http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=keystone&x=0&y=0
You'll want cat6e, but they have quite a few various types. Then the wallplate (also in that link).

What I did at home is terminate all the jacks to a keystone patch panel. It's same concept as a wallplate but physically different (24 holes on a single "plate").

Jack:
lrg-845-dsc02639.JPG


jacks terminate at patch panel above:
lrg-904-dsc02794.JPG


I use the patch panel for pretty much all data runs, so phones, in the future, cable TV, etc.
 
ComputerWizKid said:
Both computers have Windows 7 Ultimate x64 and my notebook which I occasionally transfer files to is Windows 7 Home Premium x64
and to RedSquirrel whats a keystone jack? My place is so small (330 SQFT efficiency Apartment) and I use WiFi for my laptop in the other room and for all of my wired connections the longest cable is 25FT (I just use patch cables that I run along the floor) with a bunch of it coiled up behind my TV Stand
I have 2 wired computers constantly on Main Computer Port 1 and HTPC Port 2
Port 1 My Computer at my desk (GA-EP43-UD3L, E5200 2 GB, 160GB)
Port 2 HTPC (GA-73PVM-S2H, E2200, 2GB 500GB)
Port 3 Xbox 360
Port 4 Spare cable that I occasionally use my laptop or another computer
Click to expand...

Probably wont make a difference, but pull the unused cable, you got an antenna hanging off your switch.
 
A few simple points.

Do not try to make up your own patch leads. Hand crimping multistrand into RJ45s will cause problems, usualy sooner rather than later, but a some inconvient time almost certainly.

For patch leads use decent ones where you can see the sheath of the cable is moulded into the termination.

If the patch leads are longer than 10 metres, aprox 39ft, they are too long.

Cat6 will have no benefit at 1 Gigabit over Cat5e. Its much more likely to cause problems.

Why spend money on nice new routers/switches and ignore the cables they run through.

Cat6 will give 0 percent increase in speed over cat5E.

Do not use disk transfer rates as a measure of network performance. If you need to test the performance of the network use iperf (see Madwands posts) or a similar utility.

Gigabit networks in home use have many many more variables than 100M. There are many many posts on this forum about this.

Did I already mention, Cat6 has no benefit over cat5e at 1 gigabit.

Rob.
 
I thought cat5e was 100mbps guaranteed with potential to go a bit higher, while cat6 is guaranteed 1000mbps? This is theoretical speeds and assuming there is no other bottleneck.
 
Cat5e is gigabit supported for up to 100 meters (300 something feet). Cat 6 is gigabit and has the potential to go higher (10-Gigabit) but only for like 50 meters. Cat 6a has 10-gigabit and can do the full 100 meters I think.
 
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If you search the net for 802.3ab and physical layer you can find more details on how the data is sent over the copper cable.

The standard was developed to allow gigabit ethernet to work over properly installed Cat5 utp cables, using all 4 pairs.

The way the data is sent is quite complex, and if you want more details search google for it. Because of the way the data is transmitted the actual frequencies used are similar the 100 Mbps ethernet (FE).

What is important is that 1Gbps does not mean 1GHz on the cable. This is not that new as normal 100 Mbps fast ethernet uses a method of transmission which reduces the frequencies used, so as with gigabit ethernet 100Mbps does not mean 100MHz on the cable.

Rob.
 
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