Cat 5 Internet Cable Help

[Nighttrain]

I need to run a cat 5 cable out to the shop (200') of cable run at the most. I have wireless service to the house with an antenna up on the roof. The cable runs down into the attic above the room where it goes to my den then plugs into the router.

On this cable up in the attic this cable is spliced and appears to go to a distribution box where it ends. In this box are all the ends to the cables which run to each room of the house.

My question is can I just splice the 8 wires (orange, orange white, brown, brown white etc.) to the main cable running down from the antenna?

I was going to plug the new cat 5 to the router in the den then back out to the garage but this will be very difficult through the wall.

It will be much easier access to do this in the attic and then out the back of the house.

Thanks

 

[shurik06_83]

just get wifi get a wfi router and a good wifi card with a dish like a hawking or a alfa with a good antena

u cant splice it will f everything up

 

[6t6stang]

No if you want to run a cat-5 cable it will need to be plugged into the router, not spliced in the attic. You could probably do a little rewiring and move your router into the attic and feed your office in the house and your 200' run from there.

Good Luck,
Mike.

 

[A**holes Garage]

Cat6 is the cats meow now.

Samenumber of wires, and connectors fit Cat5 ports, just thicker gauge wire. More throughput for video, etc.

 

[lametec]

Cat6 has no more throughput than Cat5. Speed depends on the hardware (router, switch, nic).

Since the OP seems to want to run wire so he can have internet in the shop (supplied by a WISP), it's a pretty safe bet to say that even 10MBit would be more than adequate. Since most networking hardware these days is 100/1000Mbit, and they both run swell on Cat5, there's no need to go Cat6.

With that said, there's no reason not to go Cat6 either, other than the added cost (about double).

 

[A**holes Garage]

Cat6 has no more throughput than Cat5. Speed depends on the hardware (router, switch, nic).

Since the OP seems to want to run wire so he can have internet in the shop (supplied by a WISP), it's a pretty safe bet to say that even 10MBit would be more than adequate. Since most networking hardware these days is 100/1000Mbit, and they both run swell on Cat5, there's no need to go Cat6.

With that said, there's no reason not to go Cat6 either, other than the added cost (about double).

Yes, Cat5 would work but Cat6 is the present and future with today's and future demands. Why put anything in that's becoming obsolete? Too each their own.

Do it once.


Category 6 cable is typically made up of four twisted pairs of copper wire, but its capabilities far exceed those of other cable types because of one particular structural difference: a longitudinal separator. This separator isolates each of the four pairs of twisted wire from the others, which reduces crosstalk, allows for faster data transfer, and gives Category 6 cable twice the bandwidth of Cat 5! Cat 6 cable is ideal for supporting 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and is able to operate at up to 250 MHz. Since technology and standards are constantly evolving, Cat 6 is the wisest choice of cable when taking any possible future updates to your network into consideration. Not only is Category 6 cable future-safe, it is also backward-compatible with any previously-existing Cat 5 and Cat 5e cabling found in older installations.

 

[lametec]

I think the days of 10Gbit internet are still far away, especially from a WISP.

Like I said, though, as long as the cost difference is no big deal to the OP, there's no reason not to install Cat6.

 

[Nighttrain]

Thanks for the input guys. I had 250' of cat5 so cat6 was out of my range. We are out in the country and our service is pretty slow so I am content witht the cat 5.


? about running it. Our wireless provider told me to just run a cable from the router in the house to another router into the garage. This is where the cable run is a problem just trying to get fromt he in house router up through the wall.

This is why I am wondering if the splice from the wire in the attic to the garage and directly to that router would work/ So one a wire from the antenna and split going to both the routers?

I am probably asking for problems here but just checking to see if this would work at all.

The only experience I have with these routers/systems etc is when I call the IT dept at work and tell them they are not working..

 

[darkk]

On this cable up in the attic this cable is spliced Thanks

Splicing network cable is a NO-NO. Replace it with cat 6 and get a wireless router.

 

[gustsant]

I think the days of 10Gbit internet are still far away, especially from a WISP.

Like I said, though, as long as the cost difference is no big deal to the OP, there's no reason not to install Cat6.

At a computer trade show in 1981, Bill Gates uttered this statement regarding IBM PC's 640KB usable RAM limit: "640K ought to be enough for anybody."

 

[mambo]

No if you want to run a cat-5 cable it will need to be plugged into the router, not spliced in the attic. You could probably do a little rewiring and move your router into the attic and feed your office in the house and your 200' run from there.

Good Luck,
Mike.

This is the route i would go. What is plugged into your router?

I would cut the cable in the attic that runs down into the house, put a plug on both ends and plug these into the router. also plug the 250' cable to shop into router. if there was more that 1 device on the router originally i would put a hub/switch there.

 

[itlogo]

You can't splice the wires because you'll reduce the signal sent to the receiving routers/switches/NICs. If you want to "branch" out more ports for the line, you need a device in the middle like a router/switch/bridge which not only acts as a traffic relay but also a signal booster.

 

[dartsportsteve]

This is the route i would go. What is plugged into your router?

I would cut the cable in the attic that runs down into the house, put a plug on both ends and plug these into the router. also plug the 250' cable to shop into router. if there was more that 1 device on the router originally i would put a hub/switch there.

X3

 

[A**holes Garage]

If you need to splice any Cat 5 wire, like in the attic, etc. just use Cat5 modular connectors.

 

[ddawg16]

Just so we clear things up.....

Cat 5e and Cat 6 have the same throughput. Cat 6 just has better shielding and can be tossed into a tray with AC wiring.

Cat 5 will be fine.....though you are getting towards the limit on distance.

You NEVER splice Ethenet cables...as in connect a second cable to another cable by twisting the wires....NEVER. Each end of an Ethernet cable needs to plug into a router or switch (We won't get into Switch vs Router vs managed switch). If the cable is not long enough and you need to extend it...then yes, you can use an Ethernet coupler. Both cables will have a RJ45 plug on it and plug into the coupler (jack on each end).

My question....how are you going to get that Ethernet cable out to the garage? Conduit? Hang it in the air?

 

[Outlawmws]

I need to run a cat 5 cable out to the shop (200') of cable run at the most. I have wireless service to the house with an antenna up on the roof. The cable runs down into the attic above the room where it goes to my den then plugs into the router.

On this cable up in the attic this cable is spliced and appears to go to a distribution box where it ends. In this box are all the ends to the cables which run to each room of the house.

My question is can I just splice the 8 wires (orange, orange white, brown, brown white etc.) to the main cable running down from the antenna?

I was going to plug the new cat 5 to the router in the den then back out to the garage but this will be very difficult through the wall.

It will be much easier access to do this in the attic and then out the back of the house.

Thanks

No splices you would not get an adequate signal and would destroy your main signal to boot. Besides until the signal gets to the router, it's probably not a usable signal...

The 200' is probably your biggest obstacle. Most homeowner level networking equipment has a cable length range of about 30 yards typically (vs. 10X for pro level equipment). To get to the shop you need to re-think the wiring a bit. Cat 6 MAY increase this slightly as what kills the signal is the drag the cross talk develops over the longer lengths that will actually slow network response until it simply stops for practical purposes.

Your connections in a hard wired system, would be:

Modem connected to the ISP,
Router to manage the interface (some/most modems have a router built in)
then back up to your attic to your "distribution box"

To get to multiple computers you either need a multiple output router, or you connect the router to either a switch, (faster) or a hub (perfectly adequate for most applications, but a switch will typically have more signal strength.

You mentioned wireless to the house so your wireless reviver/modem/whatever is effectively your modem. does it have more than one hard wire output?

On this cable up in the attic this cable is spliced and appears to go to a distribution box where it ends. In this box are all the ends to the cables which run to each room of the house

Is there a spare or unused port on this box (what exactly is it? a hub or a switch?) if you want to go from the attic to the shop this is the place to attempt it. if there is not an extra port, you can disconnect one line, connect another switch/hub to the port, re-connect the disconnected line to the new switch, and voila! more ports...

You can try the long run with Cat 5 (since you have it) and see if you have enough signal strength, but I would not count on it.

ID your boxes, download the manuals for them (assuming you don't have them) and read up on what the box's signal limits are for cable length.

Another option since you are wireless to the house is another antenna on the shop and another dedicated modem/router for the shop.

 

[Outlawmws]

If you need to splice any Cat 5 wire, like in the attic, etc. just use Cat5 modular connectors.

This will produce losses of signal strength also...

 

[volvo]

..
Cat 6 is cheaper than cat 5 at out our local electronics super store.

 

[rebelram]

If it turns out you are able to push the signal 200+ ft(may need to use a repeater in order to boost the signal), what was your plan for the cable outside? Were you going to bury it or string it from poles? Either way you need outdoor rated Cat5. Typically cable rated for burying is gel filled. And other outdoor cable is typically UV rated.

 

[1967marti]

Will this cable be run near any power cables? Running this networking cable in the same tube might cause you some problems. Your network cable will pick up interference from power cables/lines. I would get a better sheilded cable for such a long run. You are already almost maxing out the limit for cat5. Using quality CAT 5 Cabling, good wiring practices and no EMI problems, the maximum recommended transmission line length between nodes for 10BaseT and 100TX is 100 Meters (about 329 feet). For Gigabit wiring using 1000BaseT operating at 350MHz, the limitation is 82 feet. Since you said your internet is already slow you Prob. wont notice any difference in your bandwidth.

 

[SGKent]

cat 5 is good to 328 feet. You can add a wall plate at each end with a punch down. These are available for $4 to $6 each at any Radio Shack or Home Depot, Lowes etc. The cable is punched down into each wall plate. The connectors have colors on them but you must use the same pattern at both ends 568A or 568B. You then plug a simple 6' etc cat 5 cable between the router and the wall jack in the house, and another between the wall jack in the garage and the computer. If you need multiple outlets in the garage use a 10/100 switch. You can buy one at Fry's etc for $50. Until you have a higher speed to the house you don't need more than 10/100 wiring. There are tools that will check your wiring when you are done but their cost may not justify a one time use. If you get into trouble most communities have someone who will do the ends for $50 or less if you run the cables. One of your friend's or neighbors may even have all the tools.

Keep it away from power cables and florescent lights. Some generic images from Google are below.

 

[dartsportsteve]

A buddy of mine bought shielded outdoor cat5e and ran it aerial from his house to his office building. The run was just shy of 400'. It cost him around $200 in the shielded cable and ends. At the end of that run, he only has about 10% bandwidth loss compared to his connection at the router in the house.

 

[malibu101]

A buddy of mine bought shielded outdoor cat5e and ran it aerial from his house to his office building. The run was just shy of 400'. It cost him around $200 in the shielded cable and ends. At the end of that run, he only has about 10% bandwidth loss compared to his connection at the router in the house.

There's the problem.
Actually I'm not technically sure what the problem is, but, running a cable over 100 meters long is bad/wrong.

 

[1967marti]

“I have wireless service to the house with an antenna up on the roof. The cable runs down into the attic above the room where it goes to my den then plugs into the router."

I'm a little confused. Are you getting internet form someone's wireless router? Or are you getting satellite internet?

If you are catching a wireless signal from a router you can just get an external wireless antenna and catch the same signal at your garage. They are cheap and many have active capturing built in.

 

[NitroPress]

We need to put this question and a few complete, authoritative answers on a sticky. The same basic question, with the same raft of answers (right, wrong and irrelevant) shows up about every two weeks.

 

[DFW-LSX]

I thought running cable over 140m has too much loss?

 

[Nighttrain]

OK, I had a buddy come over and take a look. He is a teck guy that owns his own business doing this type of stuff.

First off he gave me some real nice Cat 6 cable which is commerical grade and fire rated. Sounds better than what I have.

The wireless which I have is not satellite. Its an antenna which recieves the signal from a very large (1800') antenna in the next town over. (Texas Wireless is the name.)

He is what my buddy is saying to do which is in line with a lot of the above ideas.

The line coming from the antenna will go directly to the junction box in the house garage, this will reduce the splice which the previous owner put in the line..

There we will put my D-link N+ router. The lines (20 +/-) go to each room in the house. Each outlet shares a cable TV and a internet or phone jack. So this house was prewired for all this.

Right now the antenna line only goes to the outlet in the den and to a router and then I send it to two computers and a TV via wireless. (yes now I know why we have crappy reception)

So he will bring in a tool to tell which line/outlet at the computers and TV are the ones we will connect to the router in the garage.

We will send a 4th line out the back of the house garage about 150' to my shop and there I will conect it to the router (another d-link). Then direct connect to the computer there. This will also give me wireless out there to use my laptop and phone.


The wire will be in conduit under ground to my shop.

Thanks again for all the responces.

 

[racingtadpole]

Just so we clear things up.....

Cat 6 just has better shielding and can be tossed into a tray with AC wiring.

Just so we clear things up properly...

Cat 6 is a UTP cable, ie UNSHIELDED TWISTED PAIR. It has no shielding.
It does have better image rejection to AC Voltages. This is an electrical property only and means that it will not be as susceptible to interference from AC supplies. It is not a physical property of the cable in any form
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANY UTP BE INSTALLED IN ANY AC DUCTING OR CONDUIT.
The rated insulation of UTP is only 90 Volts and as such it can not be run in ducts or conduit containing AC cables. Ignoring the under rated insulation its also not good practice to put a signal cable in the same conduit as a cable that may induce interference into it.

 

[jdoering]

In terms of all the speculation on cable length - keep in mind that Ethernet cable length limits are not just based on "simple" issues like signal loss (like old analog cable TV say) but also on complicated timing details of the Ethernet specification like latency.

Basically a "message" (packet) passed down an overly long cable might take too long to traverse the cable such that the overall behavior of the network + switch/router + other computers on the network degrades even though the network sort of works at a basic level.

200 ft in this case should be fine for less than Gigabit Ethernet (assuming cable, wiring methodology, etc all meets specs) but when talking about 400 ft runs; it "works" might not be the same as it works correctly (for example why is my network much slower than it's rated speed?). Specs have tolerances built-in so of course past the limits doesn't always mean failure either. YMMV.

Same reason that others have pointed out that the word "splice" and Ethernet really don't go together at all - computer networks are not simple wiring systems.

-Jeff