help on a home network system

[tempo123]

Hi, here is my problem: I am trying to connect my router via a cable from the front room (where the router is) to the small office that I am creating. I have laid a cable from point a to point b and is about 40metres long, I have connected the ethernet socktes both ends and plug in the leads but I am not able to get internet connectivity in my office. Cable isn t damaged because I have tested continuity/isolation. The cable is away from any other electrical cables around the house (only the last 2metres are running close to an power cable)
Two questions: how long can be a cable before the lenght stop the signals travelling?
Second do I have to use twisted pairs cables? Reason I am asking this is because I have used a 4pairs cable untwisted that I have been given for free....
many thanks

[oneman]

Ethernet standard allows 100m between devices so 40m is not a problem. However you should absolutely 110% be using proper networking cable. Your untwisted pair cable is useless for networking. It does not matter that you have continuity, cross-talk is too much for networking especially at the lenth you are using.

Get yourself some cat5e or cat6 cable, it doesn't cost much and it will actually work.

[tempo123]

You are right, I must say that cable look like a proper cat5 same colors and diameters unfortunately isn't a cat5. Am I right on saying that networing cables are all twisted?
Many thanks for your help

[drawflex]

there's a fair bit of engineering behind a decent cat5 cable in order for it to be suitable for long runs.. the colours are spaced specifically to keep certain signal wires apart, and then the different signal pairs are twisted at different lenghts/pitches to minimise 'crosstalk', wire guage, shielding... everything is a factor when running a cable that long.

[oneman]

You are right, I must say that cable look like a proper cat5 same colors and diameters unfortunately isn't a cat5. Am I right on saying that networing cables are all twisted?
Many thanks for your help

yes, networking cable will be twisted as it reduced cross-talk between pairs. gigabit uses all 4 pairs, however 100mb ethernet uses two pairs so in theory you can run two connections over one cable, you can get adaptors for this but I wouldn't recommend it.

Even if its twisted does not automatically mean its suitable for networking. Most of the time it will be written on the cable what specification it is.

[drawflex]

Most of the time it will be written on the cable what specification it is.

And you can't even rely on that if it's a cheapo chink import cable either... it's common for quality of cheap import cat5 to be well under the specified cat5 standards.
CAT5 article on WIKI : LINK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_5_cable)
Doing a long cable run with cable that isn't designed for network signals is never gonna work properly... you'll save time in the long run by running a decent cable in now. Here's a half-decent guide to look at (http://www.zytrax.com/tech/layer_1/cables/tech_lan.htm)

[oneman]

good guide. you should be able to get 100m of solid (better for structured wiring) cat6 for around ?55 or 300m for ?110.

Cat6 UTP Cable (http://www.cablemonkey.co.uk/acatalog/Cat6_UTP_Network_cable.html)

Don't forget wall sockets and modules.

[muhsad]

Hey Guys I want to say thankyou all for the information It was very helpful

[tempo123]

Hi all and thanks for all your advices, I have bought some proper cat 5 cable and all is running fine no prob at all!! Lesson learnt in the hard way, do not buy or use cable that you are unsure of their capabilities otherwise you start thinking on what went wrong during installation and in my case finding out that the problem was the cable I really want to kick myself.....
Many thanks to all

[bubo]

Thank you for this info, I think I'll go wireless :)

[oneman]

Thank you for this info, I think I'll go wireless :)

why, hard wire is faster and a hundred times for reliable (I may be exaggerating about the hundred times but you get what I am saying).

[GastonJ]

Easier to throw in homeplug, that way it saves on having long cables hanging about :)

[MrFug]

Each to their own I guess. Personally, I prefer hard wired networks for the same reasons as oneman, and if they're tacked to the wall properly they're barely noticeable.

[drawflex]

Matey was looking to run his whole office network .... I'd prefer a wired connection anyday if possible .