patch or UTP cable?

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pentiumPunk

I know this is a little off topic, but i couldnt find another newsgroup that
was on networking. i need 50ft of CAT5e cable. whats the difference between
patch and UTP? what do need for a basic cable router to pc network? thanks!
 
pentiumPunk said:
I know this is a little off topic, but i couldnt find another newsgroup that
was on networking. i need 50ft of CAT5e cable. whats the difference between
patch and UTP? what do need for a basic cable router to pc network? thanks!
Click to expand...
You will need an RJ-45 connector for the cable modem.

Then the question is how you are going to attach to your "network". I
suggest a standard RJ-45/EIA-568-B type female network connector (wall
plate type?).

Then a patch cable will work fine. This avoids bad connector problems
in the cable, assuming that the manufacturer has tested it.
 
pentiumPunk said:
I know this is a little off topic, but i couldnt find another newsgroup that
was on networking. i need 50ft of CAT5e cable. whats the difference between
patch and UTP? what do need for a basic cable router to pc network?
Click to expand...
thanks!

There are really only a few factors to look at in Cat5e cable.

Patch cables are pre-made cable with Male-Male ends to plug into equipment
and wall jacks. They are typically made with stranded core copper as opposed
to bulk cable which is usually solid core copper. Either will work fine in
any application.

UTP stands for Unsheilded Twisted Pair. This is the most common type of
cable used in Ethernet networks. Both patch cables AND bulk cable are
usually UTP. STP stands for Sheilded Twisted Pair.

If you are just connecting a router to a pc or switch and you are not going
to wire in the walls, I would suggest just getting a patch cable...otherwise
you will need to crimp your own cable ends if you buy bulk. Also, the
stranded core in patch cables handles mistreatement better than solid core
(bending, walking on, etc...)
 
pentiumPunk said:
I know this is a little off topic, but i couldnt find another newsgroup that
was on networking. i need 50ft of CAT5e cable. whats the difference between
patch and UTP? what do need for a basic cable router to pc network? thanks!
Click to expand...

You're getting your names confused here.

UTP stands for "Unshielded Twisted Pair" which is the standard kind of cable
for RJ-45/Ethernet networks. Note that this has nothing to do with the
connector on the end itself, only the cable in between.

A patch cable is a whole cable (ends and all) that is used to connect from a
"patch panel" to your network hardware. Patch can also describe any whole
network cable that connects one device to another. They come in three
flavors ... straight, crossover, and rollover. Straight and crossover are
the two most widely used, whereas rollover cables are used for very limited
console applications that most people will never need to know about.

Your cable modem should have come with a patch cable suitable for connecting
directly to your PC, this can be connected to your router via the WAN port.
There should be a switch on the back that tells the router whether the cable
is a crossover or straight cable. If the "pc" or equivalent light (on your
modem) does not come on when plugged into your router, just flip the switch
and see if that helps.

You should use STRAIGHT CAT5e patch cables for connecting your computers to
your router. They will not likely be labeled as such, as straight is the
standard way of wiring cables. Only crossover cables will be labeled. As
long as it says "CAT5e" on the packaging and has RJ-45 connectors on the
ends (looks like a telephone cord plug, but wider) and does not say
"crossover" anywhere, you'll be fine.

Note: to clear up any confusion the types of patch cables are normally used
for the following:

Straight-thru - used to connect PC's to network equipment
(router/hub/switch)

Crossover - Used to connect pieces of network hardware together (i.e. router
to switch, switch to hub, hub to hub, etc.) Also used to connect PC to PC
for direct communication.

Roll-over - This may be a Cisco only thing, as I've only ever seen a
rollover cable used to connect to the "Console" port on a Cisco router.

To further complicate things most network hardware has the capability to
internally "cross over" a single connection. This can allow you to connect
together two pieces of network hardware without using a crossover cable. If
you look at most hubs you will see a port marked "Uplink", or a switch on
the front marked "X". An "Uplink" port is always internally crossed, so it
can be used to connect the hub to another hub higher in the chain without
using a crossover cable. The "X" switch allows the port it's nearest to be
switched to either straight or crossover depending on whether it's connected
to a PC or another network device (switch, hub, etc.)

Have I thoroughly confused ya' yet? Once more, just for clarity's sake.

You should use STRAIGHT CAT5e patch cables for connecting your PC's to your
router. As long as it says "CAT5e" on the packaging and has RJ-45 connectors
on the ends (looks like a telephone cord plug, but wider) and does not say
"crossover" anywhere, you'll be fine.


Drumguy
 
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