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I had this 30m gigabit cable which registered as a gigabit connection via my router. I noticed recently that it's now a 100 mbps connection. I tried short gigabit cables for testing and they all registered as a gigabit connection.
Maybe I mishandled the cable and one of the wires broke? I remember pulling it out with some force when I was changing routers. I guess I should just buy a new cable?
Really bugging me ever since I got a 100 mbps internet subscription. Also, I remember getting 50 MBps in my NAS transfers, now it's back to 10 MBps.
Is it common for CAT6 cables to lose their gigabit speed?
NOTE: My cable goes from one aircon opening to another, meaning that a lot is exposed to electricity and the outdoors as it travels from a room to my room.
1UTP cables have a maximum pulling tension and bend radius. Exceeding either of those while installing can damage the cable. Also. most UTP cables are not suitable to be run outdoors unless specifically designed to do so, and getting them wet can cause permanent or intermittent failure. Also, running a cable outdoors requires it to be properly grounded Gigabit ethernet requires all four pairs to be working correctly, otherwise it can negotiate to fast ethernet. – Ron Maupin – 2016-02-27T02:45:24.740
@RonMaupin So I should be more careful in pulling and bending the cables? It's not waterproof? Properly grounded? – Vic – 2016-02-27T02:47:47.860
Correct. You need to get an indoor/outdoor version to have a sheath which can get wet. Water changes the dielectric properties which high-speed ethernet depends on. Normally, running the cable outdoors is done through conduit which can itself be grounded. This is a huge subject, but lightning strikes send electricity through the surrounding air and ground, too. They can induce large electrical spikes in cables, which your sensitive equipment can't handle. Basically your cable is a long antenna. – Ron Maupin – 2016-02-27T02:53:41.007
@RonMaupin But it still works, just with less performance. Is that supposed to happen? – Vic – 2016-02-27T02:59:01.703
As I explained, gigabit ethernet (1000BASE-T) requires all four pairs(1-2, 3-6, 4-5, 7-8) to be working correctly. If they are not, the standard call for it to try to negotiate fast ethernet (100BASE-TX) or ethernet (10BASE-T). The latter two only need two pairs (1-2 and 3-6) to function. – Ron Maupin – 2016-02-27T03:09:35.130
"My cable goes from one aircon opening to another" -- "aircon" -- ??? -- Do you mean A/C or air conditioning? Local fire or building code probably requires plenum-rated cable for such installs. – sawdust – 2016-02-27T03:16:36.567
@sawdust Shhh! It's not illegal if they don't know about it. – Vic – 2016-02-27T03:17:12.213
@Vic, no, but it could be deadly in case of a fire. Most people die in fires from what they breathe, not flames. – Ron Maupin – 2016-02-27T05:07:23.763