Ethernet Cabling

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Philica

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#63138 21-Jun-2010 19:13

As i plan on streaming video from my pc to my PS3 and currently only have a wireless g router i was thinking that running cat 5e or cat 6 would be the best solution. As i dont have any experience running cable i was wondering if it would be possible to run it from the router along the floor into the cupboard up the wall and into the ceiling, then the short distance to the lounge down the cupboard in there and along the floor to the PS3. As i was wanting to save money i was thinking this would be the cheapest option with the least negative impact.

Just a few questions, first off would there be any reason this wouldn't work? Or is there any other option i should consider instead? Also i dont think there is anyway to run it through the walls without significant cost.

Thanks.

Regs

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Snowflake

#343973 21-Jun-2010 22:23

maximum length for a cable run on ethernet is supposed to be 100m although you can still get signal beyond that.

normally, you would run solid cable for long runs but i've happily run with 30m ethernet patch cables, from DSE, from one side of the house to the other, via the ceiling or floor cavities, without issue.

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Philica

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#344223 22-Jun-2010 16:41

Yea it wouldn't be longer than 30m so if u used a 30m patch cable it should be all fine?

Regs

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Snowflake

#344335 22-Jun-2010 22:20

yeah, should be fine. just remember to keep it a good 300mm+ away from power cables.

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Philica

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#344628 23-Jun-2010 18:15

Sorry just one last thing. Having a patch cable 30m long, will it effect the transfer speed? Also what if i have to cross power cables? Will that be fine as long as its directly across like in a + fashion?

Regs

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Snowflake

#344677 23-Jun-2010 20:52

it 'may' affect the transfer speed, depending on the quality of the cable.

ethernet should be good for full speed over 100m of the right type of cable. E.g. 1Gbps over 100m Cat 6 cable.

in many cases it works over longer cable lengths too

even if you only got half of 100mbps over your cable, you'd still be better than wireless n....

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Che

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#344871 24-Jun-2010 13:34

If I could chime in, I was going to post a new thread, my router lives less than a meter away from the spaghetti behind my television.

While I can't complain about the performance, I often find myself wondering if it has an impact on "speed intensive" operations? Would shortening the Ethernet extension and moving the router away from all of that electrical leakage improve transfer rates?

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cyril7

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#344950 24-Jun-2010 16:56

As reg pointed out 100m is the maximum length that is rated for Ethernet cabling, however this is a conservative figure that the standards require you stick to (for professional installations) to ensure that it will work as intended, however you can go past this distance with varing results depending on the performace of the NICs at each end, and the exact performace of the cable and installation methods used.

Stranded cat5e cable has higher loss than solid, which is why its only used for patch cords and to connect between the TO socket and your PC etc, obviously being more flexible its better suited to that role, albeit with a higher loss. According to the standards stranded cat5e has 1.5x the loss of solid, so if you were to use an entire run of stranded to comply with the standards it has a maximum length of 67m.

End result is 30m of stranded patch cord is fine.

As for interference issues, in general UTP cabling is pretty immune, just pays to keep the noise down in the primayr spectral areas, ie 31MHz for fastethernet and 62 for GigE. Try avoid laying near power cables, and definetly keep away from switch mode supplies in particular those used in 12Vhalogen lighting applications and also fluro tube fittings, give all these a goo 300mm clearance, otherwise the standards require 50mm clearance from power cables for safety reasons.

Use a tool like wsttcp to test the speed between to PC's it bypasses the normal stack and can check TCP throughput and show if you have any dropped packets, this is an easy way to see if you have problems, otherwise a Fluke DS will set you back $20k or so.

Cheers
Cyril

Philica

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#344964 24-Jun-2010 17:43

cyril7: As reg pointed out 100m is the maximum length that is rated for Ethernet cabling, however this is a conservative figure that the standards require you stick to (for professional installations) to ensure that it will work as intended, however you can go past this distance with varing results depending on the performace of the NICs at each end, and the exact performace of the cable and installation methods used.

Stranded cat5e cable has higher loss than solid, which is why its only used for patch cords and to connect between the TO socket and your PC etc, obviously being more flexible its better suited to that role, albeit with a higher loss. According to the standards stranded cat5e has 1.5x the loss of solid, so if you were to use an entire run of stranded to comply with the standards it has a maximum length of 67m.

End result is 30m of stranded patch cord is fine.

As for interference issues, in general UTP cabling is pretty immune, just pays to keep the noise down in the primayr spectral areas, ie 31MHz for fastethernet and 62 for GigE. Try avoid laying near power cables, and definetly keep away from switch mode supplies in particular those used in 12Vhalogen lighting applications and also fluro tube fittings, give all these a goo 300mm clearance, otherwise the standards require 50mm clearance from power cables for safety reasons.

Use a tool like wsttcp to test the speed between to PC's it bypasses the normal stack and can check TCP throughput and show if you have any dropped packets, this is an easy way to see if you have problems, otherwise a Fluke DS will set you back $20k or so.

Cheers
Cyril

Sorry this has confused me slightly. So would either of these be ok?
http://www.notebookcity.co.nz/digitus-utp-cat6-patch-lead-30m-grey
http://www.notebookcity.co.nz/digitus-utp-cat5e-patch-lead-35m-grey

Also should i bother with cat6 or would cat5e be fine?

cyril7

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#345112 25-Jun-2010 08:54

Hi yes cat5e is fine for what you are doing, the extra 5m might come in handy if your measurements didnt take into account some obsticle.

Cheers
Cyril