Which ethernet cable? patch, crossover, cat 5, 5e, 6?

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Which ethernet cable? patch, crossover, cat 5, 5e, 6?

This is certainly an old topic but I can't find this exact question by searching:

I want to connect my parents new mac (and their old pc) with their new router with ethernet . I don't need blazing speed, but can't figure out the truth with ethernet cables. The Cat 6 cables are more than a $1 a foot, while the Cat5/5e are much cheaper, and then there are the blue and green cables that are even cheaper. What are patch and crossover for?

If I can spend less $5 for 25 feet of cable, rather than $35 for 25 feet, that would be great, but if the more expensive cables are more than say 25% better than maybe not??

Also does brand make any difference? Radio Shack versus brand name?

thanks

iMac 24" 2.33 ghz intel core 2 duo, Mac OS X (10.4.10), Powerbook G4, iPhone, other older macs

Posted on Mar 30, 2009 12:58 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 30, 2009 1:09 PM in response to Dennis Bolt

Cat-5 is not rated for the full gigabit speed of the Mac's port. However, Cat-5e should allow gigabit speed

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA20669

assuming the router has gigabit ports. If the router has slower 100Base-T ports, then Cat-5 would be sufficient.

You do not need a crossover cable to connect a recent Mac to anything. The port switches automatically in situations where a crossover cable would have been needed previously (with older Macs). The old PC may need a crossover cable in some cases (such as connecting directly to another computer), but probably not when connecting to a router.

I do not know if there is a difference based on brand. Probably not.

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Answer 2

Dennis Bolt Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 30, 2009 1:19 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

So why is this Cat5e "patch" cable cost $2, while Cat6 cost +$30 for 25-feet

http://www.amazon.com/25-Foot-Category-Cat5e-Ethernet-Patch/dp/B000BRO3PA/ref=pdbbs1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1238442238&sr=8-1

Is "patch" not good for router-computer?

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Answer 3

Mar 30, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Dennis Bolt

I'm sure Cat-6 has overall characteristics (including things like shielding) that make it better than Cat-5e, but they can both handle gigabit ethernet speeds, which is what matters most for connecting it to a Mac.

Is "patch" not good for router-computer?

I believe the term "patch" just describes a regular Ethernet cable, so getting a "patch" cable for connecting from computer to router is correct.

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Answer 4

Dennis Bolt Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 30, 2009 1:33 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

It took me a bunch of google searches, but here is a page that kinda answers my question as well:

http://www.connectworld.net/syscon/support.htm

Sounds like Patch is "not recommended" for really long runs like 100 feet. But for my 25 foot run it is fine. Cat 6 and above seem a bit more than what most people can use right now?

So I'm going to order the 25ft patch Cat5e cable to connect my router to my parent's new mac and older pc.

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Answer 5

Mar 30, 2009 2:52 PM in response to Dennis Bolt

Dennis -

It should be noted that this is only going to help them with file transfers within their network. Their Internet speed is much more likely to be limited by their Internet service provider's speed, which is much more likely to be under 10 Mbps than over 100.

So if you are transferring files between two computers on your network, Cat5e might be worthwhile. Otherwise not.

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