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mbr2

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Cabling Question

I have some Cat5e cable that I am connecting to a hub
and I put on the RJ45 connectors, but I can't seem to get
a connection. When going from a workstation to a hub do you
need to use a crossover cable or a patch cable?
I put the wires going from left to right with the clicky
thing facing down: white-orange, orange, white-green, blue, white-blue, green, white-brown, brown. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

Mark Ritter
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jhance

When going from a workstation to a hub a patch cable is used.  If you are directly conneting devices (i.e computer to computer, computer to printer, etc.) the crossover cable is needed.  Your problem seems to be in the connections.  Chech to ensure that the crimping tool works properly.  This can easily be done by using a voltage meter and contacting the like wires (on the connectors) at each end of the cable.  I've run into problems before where the crimping tool pinched the plastic on the plug and corrupted one of the pin connections
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Thanks for the info
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ASKER

jhance,

I noticed on the link you sent me that the ends of the
twisted pair are inserted with the "plastic sheating"
still on. I thought that you needed to strip the ends
to have some copper exposed before crimping. Am I wrong?

Thanks for the help.

Mark
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jhance

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If you don't have a crimping tool, go to your local Staples store.  You can get one for about $15.  You may also want to invest in a testing meter.  It costs $10-$15 and has lights on it to show you that your cable is correct before you put it in the ceiling.
Before going through a lot of gyrations on the cable let's make sure that it is indeed the problem. Can you swap in a known-to-be-good patch cable and see if the problem still exists?

If it IS the cable, a new commercial one costs as little as two or three dollars, depending on length, and is probably cheaper than the time.
A point to note: some combo cards ( I would think older ones ) that is a card with bnc and rj45 try an detect - on boot - the type of connection being used, if they do not find a good one they default to bnc. If you have a cable fault on your rj45/cat5 and you fix it you will never know until you reboot.

If it is not already said a patch cable is used between hub ( or switch ) to the computer - both ends are wired exactly the same on a patch cable.

A cross over cable is often used to connect a hub to another hub. Although a hub often has a cross-over switch that allow a normal patch cable to do the job, this is normally port 1 or the last port. The down side of this switch is if you have a computer attached and you press this button or flip this switch your computer will not be able to connect if in those ports.

The nice thing about a cross-over cable is it can be a poor mans two port hub, you can connect two PC directly with it, fogetting the hub all together. The ends are wired diffrently, pairs 3 & 6 are reversed in one end.

Use jhance's link for a cable diagram or my girlfriends site here:

http://www.virtualsara.demon.co.uk/network-faq4.htm

This explains step-by-step how to make a cable as well as the diagram of crossed and uncrossed connections.

Storm :-)
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ASKER

jhance,

Sorry it took so long to award the points. I got the cable
working and just forgot.

Thanks,

Mark