Home network wiring questions

[GGKoul]

Hello

I'm trying to wire up some CAT5 cable and I have a couple questions.

I wired up a RJ45 Modular Jack using the B layout.  And I'm wonder if I can wiring up a the RJ45 plug to the other end?  And would that be in B formation?  As I tried that and I got no signal.  Can a jack be wired to a plug?

When I tried to wire a RJ45 Modular Jack to another RJ45 Modular Jack.  Both were wire in B formation. When I tried to use the Jack to Jack collection.  I got no connection again.  Do I need to wire one jack B and the other one A? 

I have no idea what I'm I doing wrong?  Is there as good site that outline how I wire 2 modular jacks?  As I know how to wire the one jack.  But I'm having an issue when I wire something else up.

Many Thanks!!
-GG

[quarterback]

Don't wire one end "A" and the other end "B"

Yeah, you should be able to wire a plug to a jack, just make sure you've got the correct wires going to the correct pins.

[cdbrown]

1 thing I have been told that when running the cables through the wall and roof etc, use the solid core type Cat5 for long runs especially when using the non-crimp type face plate plugs.  The multi-strand Cat5 is generally used for patch cables and such and are suited for crimping and are a lot more flexible (easily bent), but not recommended for long runs. 

Caveat - this is what I've been told and both the multistrand and solid core where the same price so they weren't trying to rip me off.

[quarterback]

Take a look at these diagrams.

The top one is a basic cable you might create.

[cdbrown]

good work quarterback.  But don't forget that alot of new routers and ethernet cards can work with cross-over and straight-thru cables and can switch in between.  Mine does anyway 

[GGKoul]

Take a look at these diagrams.

The top one is a basic cable you might create.

[quarterback]

good work quarterback.

[quarterback]

So if I'll trying to wire a Jack to another Jack, do I wire them the same or flip the wiring on the 2nd jack to 1 - Brown 2 - Brown/white....... 8 - Orange/White?

Jack to Jack should be 'the same'.

[GGKoul]

Yes. If by "the same" you mean that they're the same if you're looking right at them, but if you made a circle out of that cable, they opposite pins would meet (1 to 8, 2 to 7, 3 to 6 etc etc )

AHHH!!!

I was viewing the ends side by side... that's why this looked the same... Now I understand what your talking about...

[quarterback]

Yes. If by "the same" you mean that they're the same if you're looking right at them, but if you made a circle out of that cable, they opposite pins would meet (1 to 8, 2 to 7, 3 to 6 etc etc )

AHHH!!!

I was viewing the ends side by side... that's why this looked the same... Now I understand what your talking about...

Yeah.

[cdbrown]

After having a look through things the following is all you really need to know -
Make sure all your patch cables are one type either A or B.  All your wall plates will then be the same.  If you have different types of patch cables then you need to marry the cable to the wall plate

Patch A - A wall
Patch B - B wall

You can wire one end A and the other B as long as you have the correct patch cables for each end.

[GGKoul]

Yea!!

I just got my test jack to jack cable to work! 

Next test... Jack to plug...

[quarterback]

Yea!!

I just got my test jack to jack cable to work!

[ChadTower]

I'm probably a little late, but shouldn't someone have told him not to use Cat5, as it's outdated and will be a limiting factor?  He should at the very least be doing permanent wiring with Cat5e, and I would always recommend Cat6 going forward.

Plus, if you're just doing straight through runs, such as router to jack, jack to jack, etc, the color scheme is irrelevant.  It just has to be the same on both ends.  They're just wires.

[GGKoul]

I ran Cat5e.  Now I wish I ran Cat6, another coaxle line and some audio cables. 

But the Cat6 cable wasn't locally available when I ran the wirings in the walls during my home construction 2 years ago.

[Crazy Cooter]

That's a good point CT, I've been considering switching to a gigbit network myself (still a little expensive, but coming down in price).

What are the bandwidth ratings of cat5, 5e and 6?
found it FYI:

Cat3
 UTP
 16 MHz
 100m
 10Base-T, 4Mbps
 Now mainly for telephone cables
 
Cat4
 UTP
 20 MHz
 100m
 16Mbps
 Rarely seen
 
Cat5
 UTP
 100MHz
 100m
 100Base-Tx,ATM, CDDI
 Common for current LANs
 
Cat5e
 UTP
 100MHz
 100m
 1000Base-T
 Common for current LANs
 
Cat6
 UTP
 250MHz
 100m
 

[ChadTower]

It can be found cheaply if you look around enough.  When I started doing my house I paid $60 for 1000' of cat6 and that was 3 years ago.  I got it off ebay and the company was 5 miles from where I was working at the time.

Put a fraction of the amount of effort into finding the cable as you do into finding a cab and you'll find it.   

[GGKoul]

But Cat5e cable can still run a gigbit network...

[ChadTower]

Less reliably so, and that's the max of what it is rated to do.  Cat6 will be able to handle the next step up, most likely, while 5e will be left behind.  Cat6 is also more tolerant of things like interference.

[GGKoul]

In my next house I'll be sure to wire Cat6... 

[ChadTower]

Hell, by that time, you'll be looking at cat16 or more.

[GGKoul]

well.. by that time wireless will probably be 100m if not more.  So there won't be a need for cables.

[ChadTower]

There will ALWAYS be a need for cables.  Wired is faster, will be faster, because you can't shoot electrons through the air.  Wire is more secure because you can't sit outside the building and snoop on it.  If they were the same speed I'd still want wired over wireless.

[saint]

I would recommend always following the color scheme. The 4 pairs of wires are twisted at a different rate, and the 568a or 568b schemes were designed for maximum reliability based on the properties of the 4 pairs at their different twist rates.  It's why the schemes exist...

--- saint

I'm probably a little late, but shouldn't someone have told him not to use Cat5, as it's outdated and will be a limiting factor?  He should at the very least be doing permanent wiring with Cat5e, and I would always recommend Cat6 going forward.

Plus, if you're just doing straight through runs, such as router to jack, jack to jack, etc, the color scheme is irrelevant.  It just has to be the same on both ends.  They're just wires.

[lucindrea]

Plus, if you're just doing straight through runs, such as router to jack, jack to jack, etc, the color scheme is irrelevant.  It just has to be the same on both ends.  They're just wires.

that statement gets sooo meny people into problems .. over 10 feet i have seen badly done wires ( not useing the colors ) get hickups in data transmission where properly done ones work fine ... the # of twists per inch is differnt for each color and you want the pairs to be color matched ...
the short of it is , use the colors that are in the standards!!!