Hi again,
Cat 5 *could* do Gig, but generally on short lengths
Cat 5e will do Gig, as the twists on the pairs are tighter, and the specification of 5e dictates this.
Cat 6 will also do Gig, but it's expensive for a home use enviroment, lower AWG (22-24), and strict rules in crimping and bending.
On reviewing the entire thread, I would say that the cabling purchased is more likely Cat 5, maybe 5e, definately NOT 6.
Jon T captured the differences well in his post.
Quote:
It's not just the rating of the cable that is the determining factor. Length and course of the cable run and quality of the connections at each end can and do effect speed.
Each of the four pairs of a UTP cable had a different twist ratio to minimize crosstalk between pairs. Obviously to terminate the cable you have the untwist each pair in order to terminate, it's this "untwisting" thats probably causing you problems.
Short cable + bit of crosstalk = still an acceptable signal to noise ratio for 1GB speeds
longer cable + bit of crosstalk = higher signal to noise ratio, so equipment negotiates down to 100Mb(as it can work with the higher SNR)
|
So, for Gig Networking, the minimum standard should be Cat 5e (not 5) and if you feel flush Cat 6.
As far as using Cat 5e (or 6) and the ports negotiating to 100M, this is usually indicative of the cable run being too long, a crimping error, a 100M only NIC, or bad negotiation on the switch.
More intelligent switches offer you the ability to force Gig setting, although the interfaces will go down if the cabling itself cannot handle it.
Please also note that the cheap testers will only really test the fact that you have crimped the cables correctly, the more expensive testers will actually test the entire cable for compliance to the relevant standards (Fluke, etc).
Good Luck, but you get what you pay for ....
Nem