I'm going to run a 50' LAN cord from my router to my Mac.

I'm averaging 200 MBPS, do I need to get a specific "Cat#" for that speed? (All I've ever known was Cat5, but now I'm seeing higher numbers).

Edited to change length to 50'

New Question !

I have a large monitor that I share with 2 computers:

A PC via VGA Cable
A MAC via HDMI

Currently I have to use the controls on the monitor to switch back and forth between the PC and the Mac, is there a device that I can buy that will permit me to do this easier?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ronin1069,

Cat5e is standard now but Cat6 is required for > gigabit speeds. Cat5 only carries up to 100 Mbps.

If the difference in price of the cables is marginal, use Cat6. They are all backwards compatible.

Cat 5e is perfectly fine.
No advantage only cost for Cat 6.
Plus every other connection in your LAN needs to be CAT6 to take advantage it might otherwise have.

All my drops are 5e.

Thanks guys

You're starting to get into a length where the quality of the cable/crimps/connectors/etc. will have a effect on performance. Each compromised component has a cumulative effect, problems are usually exhibited by "flakiness" (intermittent link/no link conditions) rather than lower perceived speeds. A lot depends on the run, crossing florescent ballasts, tight bends, extended runs alongside metal, etc. can seriously affect performance. That said, I have done 100' runs many times with the cheapest unshielded cable I could buy, self-crimped no-gold connectors, and nothing more than crown staples securing the cable run without any issues at all. High-frequency signalling is still, even in the 21st Century, somewhat of a mystic art. Unshielded Cat5 should be fine for most situations, but if you want a guarantee, be prepared to spend much more up front, even to the point of considering optical fiber with media converters on each end, assuming that your devices are not GBIC-equipped.

Hopefully, the SF electricians will chime in on the wisdom of long runs of metallic cable potentially exposed to high voltage (lightning) pulses.

Finally, I am not aware of an Ethernet PHY that supports a speed of 200mb/s, perhaps this is marketing speak for bidirectional half-duplex 100baseT, where salesmen are adding up each "direction" for a misleading "aggregate speed?" Cat 5 is specified for both 100baseT, and GigE, 10GigE and higher want Cat 6, etc. It makes little sense to buy cable "faster" than the interfaces on your devices.

At the risk of asking the obvious, why not just use wifi? I am at a solid ~300m on wifi connection far away from my router. Maybe not 100' of course.

That is quite a run. You either have a massive house or are running to another building?

Cat6 has better shielding and I use it for any long runs beyond 50 feet. It does not guarantee any faster speeds but it is insurance against interference and slower speed IMO.

Having said that, my whole house is wired with 5e. I have run 6 at my business for very long runs.

Regarding wired versus wireless....wired is ALWAYS faster period. No interference from other wireless channels and neighbors and less chance of electronic interference.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
I'm going to run a 100' LAN cord from my router to my Mac.

Monoprice. This should do you (cat5e): Monoprice Flexboot Cat5e Ethernet Patch Cable - Snagless RJ45, Stranded, 350MHz, UTP, Pure Bare Copper Wire, 24AWG (select length and colour)

If you want to spend a buck or two more and future-proof a bit (cat6), either Monoprice Flexboot Cat6 Ethernet Patch Cable - Snagless RJ45, Stranded, 550MHz, UTP, Pure Bare Copper Wire, 24AWG or Monoprice Cat6 Ethernet Patch Cable - Snagless RJ45, Stranded, 550Mhz, UTP, Pure Bare Copper Wire, 24AWG (select length and colour)

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
I'm averaging 200 MBPS,

To what?

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
do I need to get a specific "Cat#" for that speed? (All I've ever known was Cat5, but now I'm seeing higher numbers).

For gigabit Ethernet (GigE) you need a minimum of cat5e. Cat6 is better, but not required for GigE.

Naturally, all ports between Point A and Point B have to support the desired speed, or above, and the internal electronics have to be capable. E.g.: Even if your entire LAN, your Internet connection, the target host, and everything in-between can support it, if your border router and/or modem can't handle it, you won't get it.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
At the risk of asking the obvious, why not just use wifi? I am at a solid ~300m on wifi connection far away from my router. Maybe not 100' of course.

Right. Define "far away." Also, getting those speeds is dependent upon a variety of factors, including the WiFi capabilities of the devices at each end, distance, what's between the two points, and competing network traffic.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
That is quite a run. You either have a massive house or are running to another building?

Not necessarily. We, for example, live in a small ranch (1318 sqft). The run from the computer room in once corner of the house, to a switch in the other corner, in the basement, is easily 100 ft.

quote:

Originally posted by cruiser68:
Cat6 has better shielding ...

Cat6 UTP has no shielding. What it has is a semi-rigid plus-shaped core that preserves the relationship between the pairs more consistently.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
I am not aware of an Ethernet PHY that supports a speed of 200mb/s, perhaps this is marketing speak for bidirectional half-duplex 100baseT, where salesmen are adding up each "direction" for a misleading "aggregate speed?"

I was wondering this too. My guess is from the fact that 200 Mbps is a common FIOS speed from the ISP. Maybe that's how he's measuring it???

That said, my vote is also for Cat5e.

Cat6 is a bit more immune to crosstalk when you have multiple cables bundled together going to the same place. This is usually more of a concern for business installations , where you have bundles going to office areas, rather than residential.

After remeasuring, I can get away with 50' and will do that instead.

I do a lot of Zoom calls these days, and with my kids home from school there is a LOT of competition for wifi.

Going LAN on the bit to ensure a contant signal.

If you're pulling through walls - be gentle with it.


I had a thread here a year ago when I switched from a cable Internet provider to fiber... I screwed up the first Cat 6 cable by giving it a good yank when it was caught on something in the wall. That was enough to damage the cable.

Is there a way to tell the difference between Cat5 and Cat5e? If the cables aren’t visible? My house was wired before we bought it. So I can’t actually see any of the wires
Was going to bump up to 500mb service but if I am limited to 100mb guess I’ll bump up to that.

Things to keep in mind.

Category ratings are the theoretical testing benchmark. Supposedly, the cable is supposed to meet or exceed the category rating under lab testing. Actual performance will vary. I've heard that some people can achieve greater than 100mbps (e.g., gigabit speeds) on Cat 5 in their existing home wiring with updated connectors. This sorta makes sense, as the cables are the same, minus some shielding or differences in connectors?

For a house that's already pre-wired, if it was built before 2000, it's likely only Cat 5.

Don't forget that the connectors in the wall plates, or the switch in the data closet, need to be rated for gigabit as well.

My Cat-5 wired house is getting me internet speeds up to 150mbps (which is what I'm paying for). I haven't had an opportunity to update the connectors and switches yet, but hoping I might be able to get gigabit speeds into some rooms of the house. More testing is needed.
This would expand the possibilities of where I locate the NAS and where I can place wi-fi access points and the like.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Is there a way to tell the difference between Cat5 and Cat5e? If the cables aren’t visible? My house was wired before we bought it. So I can’t actually see any of the wires
Was going to bump up to 500mb service but if I am limited to 100mb guess I’ll bump up to that.

ID difference is printed on the box of course, but if cable is in place, you can also look at the printing on the outer sheath of the cable as to if it's Cat5 or Cat5e. Thinking back to when I pulled and chopped down cable years ago you can also ID the difference in the number of twists in either the green/white or the brown/white with the blue/white. Been a few years.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
Things to keep in mind.


This sorta makes sense, as the cables are the same, minus some shielding or differences in connectors?

Not entirely correct. There is shielding between the twisted pairs, the twisted pairs are more tightly twisted, and the entire assembly is also twisted. So the wiring has less loss from interfere from the wire itself internally as well.

With proper pling technique, good termination, and high quality connectors/Jack's. Cat5e is all a homeowner needs.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
At the risk of asking the obvious, why not just use Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is half duplex for one thing.

If you are simply basing Wi-Fi entirely on RSSI then you are missing the whole picture.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
I've heard that some people can achieve greater than 100mbps (e.g., gigabit speeds) on Cat 5 in their existing home wiring with updated connectors.

I've done it on short runs, a few dozen feet, and gotten away with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
Things to keep in mind.

This sorta makes sense, as the cables are the same, minus some shielding or differences in connectors?

Not entirely correct. There is shielding between the twisted pairs, the twisted pairs are more tightly twisted, and the entire assembly is also twisted.

That is not correct, either. There is no shielding in UTP cable at all. Not between the pairs, not around the cable. None.

Not foil shielding, unless you specifically buy shielded cable, but plastic barrier that physically separates the wiring, space is a form of shielding.

We ran Cat 6 for everything, at work.

Part of that was future proofing. If it’s going to be difficult to install the wire, put in the better wire. One, 50’ run, should have a minimal cost difference.