Can I use Cat 5 cable in 1Gbps networking?

[ascali]

I am going to build a 1Gbps networking in the office. I have no problem to find the 1 Gbps NIC cards and switch. However I have trouble to find the right cable, I mean CAT 7. I still have a box of CAT 5 Enhance cable in the office, I am wondering if I could use CAT 5 E cable instead of Cat 7 cable?

[AllGamer]

Originally posted by ascali
I am going to build a 1Gbps networking in the office. I have no problem to find the 1 Gbps NIC cards and switch. However I have trouble to find the right cable, I mean CAT 7. I still have a box of CAT 5 Enhance cable in the office, I am wondering if I could use CAT 5 E cable instead of Cat 7 cable?

yes it works also with CAT 5, if you look at the 1Gbps networking spec, it does say CAT 5 is enough.

But of course CAT 7, can better guarantee a more stable connection.

is not really as in Stability, it's how clear the Signal gets.

at 1Gbps with CAT 5 just make sure you turn on the CRC checking option.

avaible is most NIC drivers.

with CAT 7 you can ignore, and the likely hood of having CRC error due dropped bits not linkely.

the reason behind all this is HOW GOOD is the QUALITY of your CAT 5.

if it's a very old CAT 5, yeah you might want to make sure your packets has no dropped bits.

by enabling the CRC check at the drivers.

Rewiring a whole Office, with CAT 7 can be **** expensive, which your BoSS will most likely NOT approve, in your life time.

:D

that's an scenario where they have more than 200 machines, on a 2 floor office.

[Midknyte]

Here's an interesting link:
http://www.csp.com/html/tech_library/cable_cat_def/cablecat_def.html

According to this, even CAT7 will only go up to 600MHz.

CAT5e is the highest official unified standard right now.

You could probably use the CAT5E for now, but don't expect it to be 1G speed. CAT5E is supposed to top out at 350Mhz or so, but that's still way faster than 100. :D

[AllGamer]

Originally posted by Midknyte
Here's an interesting link:
http://www.csp.com/html/tech_library/cable_cat_def/cablecat_def.html

According to this, even CAT7 will only go up to 600MHz.

CAT5e is the highest official unified standard right now.

You could probably use the CAT5E for now, but don't expect it to be 1G speed. CAT5E is supposed to top out at 350Mhz or so, but that's still way faster than 100. :D

actually with a CAT 5 you do get 1 Gbps.

Provided each CAT 5 cable is not longer than 100 Meter from the Switch / Hub / Router, and that from switch to swithc or whatever, is also not further than 100 Meter

and if they are more or less New CAT 5

by that i mean CAT 5 in good conditions, usually the ones behind walls and stuff should be fine.

as long as there is no moisture in around the are.

no magnetic stuff

no high voltage stuff

etc...

i've tried that already and it does work.

i can't wait for the Switch to come down in price to get them for home.

I can afforct a Box of 10 - 10/1000 NICs they run at about $300 per NIC

which is about the Price i paid waaaaaaaaay back then for my 100 Mbps 3com NICs.

when 100 mbps was like now in days 1000 mbps.

but the Switches are quite hefty in prices compared to back then, the 100 mbps switches were not this expensive, as todays 1000 mbps switches.

[Midknyte]

wow. that's pretty cool. I gotta invest in some gigabit ethernet someday. :D

[Nightblade]

This reply is just an info bit.

CAT 7 is an unofficial rating as all copper twisted pair wiring Category Rating will be approved by the Telecommunications Industry Assoc. Mostly CAT 7 is being used by cable manufacturers as marketing hype.

I work in the telecommunications field and the biggest problem we are having is with EMI, RFI, and Power Influence namely from flourescent lighting (common is business enviros)

CAT 5e is probably where it will end for Telcom enviros as Fiber and Fusion splicers get cheaper and cheaper Coax and Twisted Pairs will die out.

Right now looking at it from an out of the box perspective: It appears to ME that we are at a threshold between Coax/TP and Fiber.

Also to properly use a sheilded wire you need to bond the shielding to ground, but unfortunately most people do not use a good ground source.

[Nightblade]

Originally posted by ascali
I am going to build a 1Gbps networking in the office. I have no problem to find the 1 Gbps NIC cards and switch. However I have trouble to find the right cable, I mean CAT 7. I still have a box of CAT 5 Enhance cable in the office, I am wondering if I could use CAT 5 E cable instead of Cat 7 cable?

How far would your longest runs be? and how much Flourescent lighting do you have in the office?

Also the farther you keep the wiring form electrical lines the better and run 'em parallel (sry bout any mis-spelling it's getting late for me) Also what I noticed with running Gigbit LAN's most business' computer can't handle or really need the true speed of a GB net. GB is great for connecting high powered computers/servers together, but for a whole office (I think) its overkill.

Also I would ask the Cable manuf. what the actual difference is with their CAT 7 and 5e cables are? As is you start twisting it too much (per foot) you add additional length to the wire there by increasing the resistance, which you would have to over come with a thicker guage, proper bonding of shielded cable, and the number killer of performance in wiring Splicing. If you do not properly splice end to end with GOOD connectors; you just blew everything.

If you are dead set on CAT 7 I would ask them what the rating of the cable is? and what you need to maintain that rating?

It's kinda like looking at the latest sport bikes out there the actual speed differences between a 600cc and a liter bike is not much, but those liter class bikes sure cost a few thou more.