Questions tagged [cable]

The questions tagged that way are for the physical aspect of the cable, like length limitation, physical properties, tubing, installation, etc..

Networking cables are networking hardware used to connect one network device to other network devices or to connect two or more computers to share printers, scanners etc. Different types of network cables, such as coaxial cable, optical fiber cable, and twisted pair cables, are used depending on the network's physical layer, topology, and size. The devices can be separated by a few meters (e.g. via Ethernet) or nearly unlimited distances (e.g. via the interconnections of the Internet).

There are several technologies used for network connections. Patch cables are used for short distances in offices and wiring closets. Electrical connections using twisted pair or coaxial cable are used within a building. Optical fiber cable is used for long distances or for applications requiring high bandwidth or electrical isolation. Many installations use structured cabling practices to improve reliability and maintainability. In some home and industrial applications power lines are used as network cabling.

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How to test cat5/cat6 cable runs, using software-only, or simple tools?

Are there any utilities or simple tools or techniques to easily test a CAT5 cable, to see how well was it installed? Cat5 is often installed by amateurs, but has been installed and "working" for years. Proper cable testers and certifiers like a…
user135698
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Cat 6e vs Cat 6a

From what I can understand, Cat 6e does not actually exist but a number of manufacturers are selling some cable labeled as Cat 6e. Some sources say that Cat 6e is just Cat 6a but the manufacturers just added a few extra things to "improve" on it…
Jack
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What is the difference between pvc and plenum cabling?

I'm looking into buying a few rolls of bulk Cat6 cable to wire up a few cubicles to a test rack we have. One of the choices is PVC cable versus Plenum cable. What is the difference? Will this make any difference with crimping or…
romandas
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Are SATA 1, 2 and 3 cables interchangeable?

I've got an older SATA drive (not sure if it's SATA 1 or 2). Same size plug as my new SATA 3 M/B. Are the cables interchangeable? Any decrease in performance from using a "lower" cable?
Clay Nichols
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Why is CAT rating not applied to switches?

I see patch panels all come rated as CAT5e, or CAT6 (and so on). I understand the difference between CAT5e and CAT6 cables, more stringent interference shielding, etc. What I don't understand is why switches aren't rated as CAT5e or CAT6? Instead,…
Slav
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Is crossover cable still needed?

Do I still need a crossover cable to connect two PC's directly? (NIC <-> NIC)? If not, then why was this needed in the past, and when was it used for this? Specifically, when did crossover cables stop being needed to directly connect 2 PCs?
evachristine
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How to use a Tone Generator to trace a network cable

We have a tone generator kit for tracing network cables, but I am having trouble using it correctly. The tone generator end plugs into the network cable I am trying to trace, and then I assume I should be able to go into the server room and just…
Brent
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Network cables - make them or buy them

First of all, I must say I've never had a problems with making cables by myself, last years stopped using cable testers just because they always say the cable I've made is ok. But I see there's a lot of the factory-made cables on the market, they…
disserman
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Physical difference between Cat 5 and Cat 5e cabling?

(This isn't really server-related, but it seems more appropriate here than SO or SU.) When we had this house built, we had network cabling run inside the house, or so I'm lead to believe. It's currently hooked up to the phone line. Unfortunately,…
Ryan McCue
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What is a RAID Controller's Sideband Cable used for?

I have some Adaptec SAS raid controllers and the fanout cable comes with an extra cable called a SideBand but I am curious what it does? I know it plugs into the backplane, but other than that I can't seem to find anything on google The adaptec site…
Chad Grant
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Is APC's smart-signaling cable (940-0024) really proprietary?

First, not sure if this question belongs here or SU, so please advice accordingly before wildly down-voting or blasting me. We have a UPS unit for which we recently configured to work on our network. The UPS unit uses an AP9606 network card, but…
Chad Harrison
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Server room wiring questions

I'm looking at rewiring our server room to be more presentable, organized, and easier to troubleshooting. Right now we currently have 4 HP racks (don't know the model right now). We do not have a building UPS so we are placing UPS's in each rack…
Jacob
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Why is a suspended ceiling not allowed in a wiring closet?

I have read in the book Cabling: The Complete Guide to Network Wiring that wiring closets should not have a suspended ceiling. In a few Google searches, I see this concept repeated. I have not been able to find a good source on the reasoning of…
Creativehavoc
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Industry Standards for Network Infrastructure Labeling

Are there any current industry standards IEEE, ISO, ANSI.... available that state how a buildings physical infrastructure should be labeled at the rack and jack and how the documentation should be laid out? I know there is IEEE Std 200, but that is…
Peter
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Why straight-through ethernet cables?

I was explaining the difference between straight and crossover cables to my friend, and began wondering why on earth the early designers thought it was a good idea to use two different cable types? Is it just some strange historical artifact which…
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