[mfaxford]

For the router because the adsl signal is effectivly analogue any additional cable / connections etc. will have an impact. This is why I'd keep the router as close to the master socket as possible. Especially if there's no other extensions.

Cat 5e is also fully capable of gig speeds. It can also be more flexible. In terms of adding more devices if you mean adding more cables there won't be much difference between either standard. Cat 6 won't give you much future proof. If/when 10G comes along for the home environment your cat6 cabling will only work if it's been terminated perfectly and the total cable length is <30m. For decent 10G speeds you would want cat6a or cat7. The only criterea tht's really of use to compare cat5e and cat6 is cost.

The types of patchpanel plug / socket you use depends on what you're doing. Patch panels are used for racks as they allow you to get 24 cables into 1U of space. Sockets in trunking or on a back box make sense at the user end as you're unlikely to use a rack. (Data centers would tend to put a patchpanel at each end because they have racks).

If your asking why not just put a plug on the end. That's because you don't always want to have every connection active. It's also down to the type of cables used. Often the cable between patch panel and wall socket will be solid core cable. The short patch leads will then be stranded cable which makes them more flexible. It also means when the plastic clip breaks off the rj45 you cann jusst put in a new patch lead rather than having to re-terminate the cable. (and those clips break all the time!)

[de_monies]

(Original post by mfaxford)
For the router because the adsl signal is effectivly analogue any additional cable / connections etc. will have an impact. This is why I'd keep the router as close to the master socket as possible. Especially if there's no other extensions.

Fair enough. It's slightly annoying that I don't have a master plug upstairs though I do get what you're saying. Just need to rejig the plan in my head now

(Original post by mfaxford)
Cat 5e is also fully capable of gig speeds. It can also be more flexible. In terms of adding more devices if you mean adding more cables there won't be much difference between either standard. Cat 6 won't give you much future proof. If/when 10G comes along for the home environment your cat6 cabling will only work if it's been terminated perfectly and the total cable length is <30m. For decent 10G speeds you would want cat6a or cat7. The only criterea tht's really of use to compare cat5e and cat6 is cost.

What about things like reduced crosstalk. Surely that's a selling point?

(Original post by mfaxford)
The types of patchpanel plug / socket you use depends on what you're doing. Patch panels are used for racks as they allow you to get 24 cables into 1U of space. Sockets in trunking or on a back box make sense at the user end as you're unlikely to use a rack. (Data centers would tend to put a patchpanel at each end because they have racks).

Thanks

(Original post by mfaxford)
If your asking why not just put a plug on the end.

Sorry, but a plug. Please could you elaborate what you mean by a plug and where you'd put it on the end of?

(Original post by mfaxford)
That's because you don't always want to have every connection active. It's also down to the type of cables used. Often the cable between patch panel and wall socket will be solid core cable. The short patch leads will then be stranded cable which makes them more flexible. It also means when the plastic clip breaks off the rj45 you cann jusst put in a new patch lead rather than having to re-terminate the cable. (and those clips break all the time!)

In all fairness, I already have boot ends that I was planning on using, so that the RJ45's don't just snap off, and does it really matter if the cat6 cable isn't as flexible when it's going to just stay as the base infrastructure?

[mfaxford]

(Original post by de_monies)
What about things like reduced crosstalk. Surely that's a selling point?

What's it going to gain you? Both standards are designed for gigabit ethernet. Unless you have a really noisy electrical environment in you home there shouldn't be a problem. And if your house is more electrically noisy than the sorts of things you can find in businesses and universities then there is something wrong!

As mentioned before the main criteria I'd look at first is cost because there's no real benefit either way.

You're also more likely to have a compliant cat5e install rather than cat6 if you're doing it yourself.

(Original post by mfaxford)
If your asking why not just put a plug on the end.

(Original post by de_monies)
Sorry, but a plug. Please could you elaborate what you mean by a plug and where you'd put it on the end of?

RJ45 plug. As in at the core end where your swich is would you terminate the cable with an rj45 plug, wall socket or patch panel.

One thing to note. In my experience putting an rj45 plug onto solid cat6 cable is not easy. I've never had an issue with redoing the plugs on patch leads but the plugs on cat6 wouldn't even pass a simple continuity test even after redoing them. Solid cable is designed to be punched into the back of a socket.

(Original post by de_monies)
In all fairness, I already have boot ends that I was planning on using, so that the RJ45's don't just snap off, and does it really matter if the cat6 cable isn't as flexible when it's going to just stay as the base infrastructure?

Horrible! Sorry I'm not a fan of full boots. They make it harder plugging stuff in and out or a switch/patch panel and in some equipment where the network socket is badly located they can make it impossible to unplug without some form of serious surgery! in some places I've had to hack the boot away to be able to unplug the cable.

[de_monies]

(Original post by mfaxford)
What's it going to gain you? Both standards are designed for gigabit ethernet. Unless you have a really noisy electrical environment in you home there shouldn't be a problem. And if your house is more electrically noisy than the sorts of things you can find in businesses and universities then there is something wrong!

As mentioned before the main criteria I'd look at first is cost because there's no real benefit either way.

You're also more likely to have a compliant cat5e install rather than cat6 if you're doing it yourself.

Hmm.. Fair enough. You've persuaded me to get cat5e then

(Original post by mfaxford)
Horrible! Sorry I'm not a fan of full boots. They make it harder plugging stuff in and out or a switch/patch panel and in some equipment where the network socket is badly located they can make it impossible to unplug without some form of serious surgery! in some places I've had to hack the boot away to be able to unplug the cable.

Well, the one I've got don't do that atm. A friend got one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50pcs-RJ45...#ht_3724wt_824

We've used them in labs and stuff and they come out easily, though I have had problems with these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-Boots-...item3cb69502a5


Should I get this cable?
http://www.blackbox.co.uk/product/ey...pb-1000/1/1/1/


(I intend to sell the cable I don't need)

Also, with regards to cable management, trunking seems to be incredibly expensive. Do you know of any cheaper ways to send many cables down without them looking untidy or for people to damage them?

[de_monies]

Just wondering, what kind of "collar" job is it, when you refer to computer networking (and possibly security) specialists

I mean Wikipedia has a very vague definition:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-collar_worker

To me it seems like a mix of both, though perhaps it's pink collar. I'm not trying to sound snobbish but just wondering what you see computer networking jobs as.

I mean it's not a working class job, yet it does require maintenance of networks. You do work in an office, and generally at a computer. You can get paid on a contractual basis, or on a salaried basis as well and networking equipment is very unlikely to get you dirty (normally) - unless you happen to get rid of all that dust

A degree is not necessary, though can be helpful. The qualifications tend to come from big name companies. The information revolution has been called a White collar industry, yet it seems that networking people seem to do a mix of the two? - or are we pink collar?

[mfaxford]

(Original post by de_monies)
Just wondering, what kind of "collar" job is it, when you refer to computer networking (and possibly security) specialists

I'm not sure many people really think about it in those terms.

I think a lot can depend on where you work and what your role is and if you really want to classify it like that you should probably look at what the majority of the role is.

[de_monies]

This is how Skynet started. It seems to be their latest video

[de_monies]

802.11ac routers are now shipping (if you're in the US)

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...151352155.html
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404470,00.asp

I personally will stick to 802.11n, until every thing becomes standardised, more common and much cheaper. (At least March/November 2014)
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/1..._Timelines.htm

Also, annoyingly all of their spec sheets are misleading. 1300Mb/s is just over 2 times the 802.11n standard, so whilst it is "up to" 3 times as fast, it's not quite near three at all - more like near 2

It also seems that the adaptor isn't as pricey as I originally though (There was only one at $200 earlier)



http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404470,00.asp

But I'd still stick with 802.11n. AFAIK, all the mobile devices in my house are 802.11n, so if it were available and a mobile device connects, it would drop down to 802.11n regardless of whether you've spent money on a adaptor or not

and the fact that it should only be standardised by around 2014/15 or so. Ideally, I'd like the speeds that have been advertised

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_80...configurations

Though hopefully then, cat6a cable will be cheaper and 10gigabit equipment will hopefully be cheaper as well

[de_monies]

Just watched this:



And I've got to say that the cable comb is a pretty cool thing to use, even if you seemingly can only get it sent from the US

[Mad Vlad]

(Original post by de_monies)
Just watched this:



And I've got to say that the cable comb is a pretty cool thing to use, even if you seemingly can only get it sent from the US

Oh that's pretty neat.

[de_monies]

(Original post by Mad Vlad)
Oh that's pretty neat.

I had a look see at where you could get that comb from and the cheapest was around £40+ taxes delivered from the states

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sa...fLoc=2&_sop=15

Though in my home network, there'll be far less cables to have to sort out, but it's definitely a pretty cool tool

[Mad Vlad]

(Original post by de_monies)
I had a look see at where you could get that comb from and the cheapest was around £40+ taxes delivered from the states

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sa...fLoc=2&_sop=15

Though in my home network, there'll be far less cables to have to sort out, but it's definitely a pretty cool tool

I suck at wire management - that tool does look pretty useful if you're laying some serious cable.

[GuitarWizard]

Ooh just found this. Going into my second year studying Computer Networks

[de_monies]

(Original post by Mad Vlad)
I suck at wire management - that tool does look pretty useful if you're laying some serious cable.

I think I was meant to be getting myself some velcro. Velcro solves every thing I used to use plastic cable ties, but now I say no more. Every thing is to be tied with velcro and velcro only, unless it happens to be cheap ****ty cable where it doesn't really matter

[Mad Vlad]

(Original post by GuitarWizard)
Ooh just found this. Going into my second year studying Computer Networks

Where at?

[Mad Vlad]

(Original post by de_monies)
I think I was meant to be getting myself some velcro. Velcro solves every thing I used to use plastic cable ties, but now I say no more. Every thing is to be tied with velcro and velcro only, unless it happens to be cheap ****ty cable where it doesn't really matter

+1 for velcro.

[GuitarWizard]

(Original post by Mad Vlad)
Where at?

Salford