On 19/03/16 15:07, David Christensen wrote: > On 03/18/2016 06:47 PM, Richard Hector wrote: >> On 19/03/16 14:01, David Christensen wrote: >>> I use category 5E cables for Gigabit. Category 5 and category >>> 6 cables were not reliable for me. >> >> Cat 5 cables _should_ work, in theory, though I gather some don't >> work so well. If you have any cat5 or better cables that are >> unreliable, I'd suspect the individual cable, not the stated >> spec. They may just be badly made. > > Along with the tester, I also bought a 1,000 foot spool of category > 5E riser cable, a crimping tool, and crimp connectors. Now I make > my own cables and test them. :-)
FWIW, most cabling professionals (of which definitely I'm not one) don't make their own cables unless they absolutely have to. Factory ones are so much more reliable. Riser cable, being intended for fixed installation, is solid core. The appropriate cable for patch leads and other flexible applications is stranded. To go with the 2 cable types, there are also different connectors for each. Since most flexible cables are stranded, so are most available connectors. If you're using solid cable with stranded connectors, you're quite likely to get an unreliable connection. As well as that, the solid cables are likely to fail sooner if they get flexed more than they're designed for. More specifically, stranded connectors have spikes intended to go through between the strands, while solid ones have springy things a bit like the connectors in a mains socket (for flat blades), but much smaller, that go either side and grip the solid wire. http://www.cableorganizer.com/articles/difference-between-solid-stranded-rj45-plugs.html Richard