cable terms

pinoypc · Post by **pinoypc** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 12:37 am

are patch and straight cables the same thing? what cables am i supposed to be using to connect my comps to my router?

smidley · Post by **smidley** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 3:15 am

You should use regular grade CAT5 cables. And yes Patch just means CAT5 cable. But Striaght Through is used for connecting computer systems without a router. You will want to use regular ethernet cable and not straight through.

texaport · Post by **texaport** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 4:08 am

Hope I'm not stepping on any toes here, but a straight through cable has the same pinout on both ends, and is the same as a patch cable. A crossover cable has 2 of the pairs of wires swapped around so there is no data collision as both NICs transmit. It would be used to connect 2 computers directly to one another. Here's a couple decent links for more detail, if needed.
http://www.stg.brown.edu/~sjd/wiring/CA ... ml#pinouts
http://www.cabletron.com/support/techtips/tk0231-9.html

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Mon Sep 16, 2002 1:06 pm

Originally posted by smidley
You will want to use regular ethernet cable and not straight through.

Err....when referring to RJ-45 cables, straight cable IS regular networking cables, also called patch cable, twisted pair, ethernet, fast ethernet, etc.

Purchase any length of RJ-45...and it will come straight..that's the norm. As opposed to "crossover cables"...which you have to specially ask for. Those are used when you just connect two computers...no hub/switch in the mix....just NIC to NIC. Also used

rpeAMP · Post by **rpeAMP** » Tue Sep 17, 2002 11:01 pm

Originally posted by texaport
Hope I'm not stepping on any toes here, but a straight through cable has the same pinout on both ends, and is the same as a patch cable. A crossover cable has 2 of the pairs of wires swapped around so there is no data collision as both NICs transmit. It would be used to connect 2 computers directly to one another. Here's a couple decent links for more detail, if needed.
http://www.stg.brown.edu/~sjd/wiring/CA ... ml#pinouts
http://www.cabletron.com/support/techtips/tk0231-9.html

This is correct.

Technoid · Post by **Technoid** » Tue Sep 24, 2002 12:34 am

You can usually find cat5e for just a few bucks more.
If so, use 5e vs. cat5