Packet loss - 25ft cable

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ken Brown
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Ken Brown

I have a Linksys router connecting my pc with a 6ft CAT-5 cable & my Xbox
with a 25ft CAT-5e cable. I'm experiencing what Microsoft is telling me is
low upload speeds at the Xbox and an unacceptable Packet loss. They claim
it is due to the length of cable connecting my Xbox as suggested I buy a
repeater to boost the signal and can be had at local Radio Shack. Radio
Shack has no idea what a repeater is...I'm not surprised. Anyway I even did
a search at Radio Shack's site and turned up nothing. Internet wasn't
helpful either. Anyone have experience with this matter? Is mixing CAT-5 &
CAT-5e a bad idea? They never asked about the cables but I noticed it and
figured I'd check into that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Ken said:
I have a Linksys router connecting my pc with a 6ft CAT-5 cable & my Xbox
with a 25ft CAT-5e cable. I'm experiencing what Microsoft is telling me is
low upload speeds at the Xbox and an unacceptable Packet loss. They claim
it is due to the length of cable connecting my Xbox as suggested I buy a
repeater to boost the signal and can be had at local Radio Shack. Radio
Shack has no idea what a repeater is...I'm not surprised. Anyway I even did
a search at Radio Shack's site and turned up nothing. Internet wasn't
helpful either. Anyone have experience with this matter? Is mixing CAT-5 &
CAT-5e a bad idea? They never asked about the cables but I noticed it and
figured I'd check into that. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

--


Ken...
(e-mail address removed)
Click to expand...
The spec allows cables up to 100 meters (about 330 feet); 25 feet should
be no problem. Cat5e (meaning Cat5 extended +/-) cables should work
anywhere a Cat5 cable would.

It sounds to me like Microsoft is feeding you BS.
 
Thanks for the response. Here's what I just did. On the dslreporter web
site I ran the upload/download speed tests. At computer end I'm getting
1394/134 and I'm rated at 1500/128 by Verizon so this looks fine to me. On
the Xbox end I can run a hidden test that Microsoft informed exists in the
Xbox. My upload speed at that end is only 84kb and Packet Loss is 20 out of
21. At computer end upload is 134kb yet at Xbox it's only 84kb and
Microsoft said it needs to be around 124kb upload. So at the end of this
25ft cable something is going wrong. There's not much in the way around me
moving things to test a shorter run cable because the line coming into the
house is 18ft+ away. Any thoughts?
 
Ken said:
Thanks for the response. Here's what I just did. On the dslreporter web
site I ran the upload/download speed tests. At computer end I'm getting
1394/134 and I'm rated at 1500/128 by Verizon so this looks fine to me. On
the Xbox end I can run a hidden test that Microsoft informed exists in the
Xbox. My upload speed at that end is only 84kb and Packet Loss is 20 out of
21. At computer end upload is 134kb yet at Xbox it's only 84kb and
Microsoft said it needs to be around 124kb upload. So at the end of this
25ft cable something is going wrong. There's not much in the way around me
moving things to test a shorter run cable because the line coming into the
house is 18ft+ away. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

If you suspect the cable, then the best way to be sure is by
substitution with a known good one (or more typically a new one).
A 25 foot cable doesn't cost much -- in fact, I think they're on
sale at Fry's today (although it may have ended yesterday) for
about 8 bucks.

If you suspect your router, you can swap ports with the computer
that does not exhibit the problem.

Once you rule out both the cable and the router, all that's left
is the Xbox itself. Problems can implicate hardware, software,
or both.

You should try to avoid long cable runs alongside other cables that
might be emanating noise (e.g. extension cords) -- but you haven't
mentioned anything that indicates that could be an issue. Also avoid
sharp bends and kinks in the cable.

Personally, I'd sell it and get a PS/2.
--


Ken...
(e-mail address removed)

Ken Brown wrote:


Xbox

is

claim

did
Click to expand...

CAT-5 &
Click to expand...
 
Just tried yet another test. I ran the Xbox directly to the DSL modem to
see if router might be any form of issue. Had to reconfigure the Xbox to
directly connect but once that was done the upload speed was still the same
at 84kb but Packet loss changed from 20 out of 21...whatever that means. So
it's got to be the cable I'd say. If it is the cable then what is this
repeater/booster that I can't find anywhere?
 
Ok ran another test. Stupid me forgot all about that in my kids room
there's another pc with NIC that I can test. So I unplugged the Xbox and
hooked the 25ft cable to my kids pc...made a few system changes to get
working...went to the dslreport web site and ran the speed test. Download
was 1294kb and upload was 133kb. That's not far off from my main pc on the
6ft cable. So with the Xbox only having a reported upload speed of 84kb
something with either the Xbox Live server or the NIC inside the Xbox ain't
so swift, or is dying. I've contacted Microsoft and they claim they're
looking into it.

--


Ken...
(e-mail address removed)

CJT said:
Ken said:
Thanks for the response. Here's what I just did. On the dslreporter web
site I ran the upload/download speed tests. At computer end I'm getting
1394/134 and I'm rated at 1500/128 by Verizon so this looks fine to me. On
the Xbox end I can run a hidden test that Microsoft informed exists in the
Xbox. My upload speed at that end is only 84kb and Packet Loss is 20 out of
21. At computer end upload is 134kb yet at Xbox it's only 84kb and
Microsoft said it needs to be around 124kb upload. So at the end of this
25ft cable something is going wrong. There's not much in the way around me
moving things to test a shorter run cable because the line coming into the
house is 18ft+ away. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

If you suspect the cable, then the best way to be sure is by
substitution with a known good one (or more typically a new one).
A 25 foot cable doesn't cost much -- in fact, I think they're on
sale at Fry's today (although it may have ended yesterday) for
about 8 bucks.

If you suspect your router, you can swap ports with the computer
that does not exhibit the problem.

Once you rule out both the cable and the router, all that's left
is the Xbox itself. Problems can implicate hardware, software,
or both.

You should try to avoid long cable runs alongside other cables that
might be emanating noise (e.g. extension cords) -- but you haven't
mentioned anything that indicates that could be an issue. Also avoid
sharp bends and kinks in the cable.

Personally, I'd sell it and get a PS/2.
Click to expand...
 
Ken said:
Just tried yet another test. I ran the Xbox directly to the DSL modem to
see if router might be any form of issue. Had to reconfigure the Xbox to
directly connect but once that was done the upload speed was still the same
at 84kb but Packet loss changed from 20 out of 21...whatever that means. So
it's got to be the cable I'd say. If it is the cable then what is this
repeater/booster that I can't find anywhere?
Click to expand...

Any switch or hub will act as a repeater/booster, but you shouldn't need
such a thing below 100 meters, and certainly not for 25 feet. I've got
drop cables that are longer than 25 feet on the end of hundred foot runs
inside the walls.
--


Ken...
(e-mail address removed)

Ken Brown wrote:


Xbox

is

claim

did
Click to expand...

CAT-5 &
Click to expand...
 
Ken said:
Ok ran another test. Stupid me forgot all about that in my kids room
there's another pc with NIC that I can test. So I unplugged the Xbox and
hooked the 25ft cable to my kids pc...made a few system changes to get
working...went to the dslreport web site and ran the speed test. Download
was 1294kb and upload was 133kb. That's not far off from my main pc on the
6ft cable. So with the Xbox only having a reported upload speed of 84kb
something with either the Xbox Live server or the NIC inside the Xbox ain't
so swift, or is dying. I've contacted Microsoft and they claim they're
looking into it.
Click to expand...

No surprise there.

Good luck.

--


Ken...
(e-mail address removed)

Ken Brown wrote:


web

On

the
Click to expand...

out of
Click to expand...
 
Thanks and I appreciate all your help.


Ken...
(e-mail address removed)

CJT said:
Ken said:
Just tried yet another test. I ran the Xbox directly to the DSL modem to
see if router might be any form of issue. Had to reconfigure the Xbox to
directly connect but once that was done the upload speed was still the same
at 84kb but Packet loss changed from 20 out of 21...whatever that means. So
it's got to be the cable I'd say. If it is the cable then what is this
repeater/booster that I can't find anywhere?
Click to expand...

Any switch or hub will act as a repeater/booster, but you shouldn't need
such a thing below 100 meters, and certainly not for 25 feet. I've got
drop cables that are longer than 25 feet on the end of hundred foot runs
inside the walls.
Click to expand...
 
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