Cat 5 cable ??

[Irishtim]

Just one thing that hit me. What is the difference between Cat 5 and Cat 5E? If nic cards only go to 100mbs, than what is the need for Cat 5E? Also I have a system that is on this network that seems to lag in network speed compared to others. I have switched the computer to other locations and it works great. Could it be the Cat 5 cable? If it is what may have caused it?

Thanks in advanced.


Irishtim

[mantapc]

you most likely have a defect in the cable. Nothin you can do about that....except get a new one

[azscary]

Cat5E is of course Catagory 5 enhanced. Basically it is SUPPOSED to support 100MB and it is better shielded against interference. Cat 5 plain may or may not sustain 100MB speeds depending on a lot of factors such as cable length, proximity to unshielded RF, punchdown continuity etc. If your twisted pairs are not kept twisted no further than about a 1/4" from the connection or punchdown your speed and data may be affected.

[christo418]

If what you are doing is mission critical, you may want to call an expert. There are MANY things that can slow down network performance. There is no difference in Speed with Cat 5 and Cat 5e (Cat 5e just conforms to the latest standards set forth by IEEE, UL, TIA/EIA). When you look at how a network performs, you MUST look at the big picture when troubleshooting (is the node on a connection with clean power? is it near an elevator, toaster, hairdryer, etc, is the connection good at the wall socket?). good luck.

[melloman]

If you have slow response from a particular port, then interference could be the major issue. EMI can kill bandwidth, and it could be routed over or around an EMI source (flourescent lights, High voltage hardware, etc) and picking up a lot of crud. Try another machine on the cable, and try the cable on another port of the switch.