uplinking a switch

that depends if the switches port is an autodetect MDI/MDI-X port, if not you will need to use a crossover, but most SOHO switches/routers will autodetect this so you can use a straight cable. but a lot of managed switches ala cisco or HP will not so you will need a crossover cable.

You must use a  straight through cable.

Switch to switch is crossover (fuzzysb is right, jcdesign4u is wrong) unless the switchport is MDI/MDI-X port

If you are using a normal port in one switch and an uplink port in the second switch then you are going to want a straight through cable in most cases.  The uplink port on most SOHO switches is MDI-X port so that you don't need a crossover cable to make the connection.

On many newer SOHO switches the ports are auto MDI/MDI-X so the cables really don't matter that much since the swtiches will figure it out for themselves.

So in summary : either, it depends - the little green light or lack of each end is a good clue :-)

(Agree, always traditionally need a crossover unless one switch has an option for MDI-X (which effectively is just a built-in crossover of the wires on one port) or is auto MDI/MDI-X which means each port automatically sorts it out...)

Steve

Tell ya what... post the model names of the two switches, and we'll give you a straight one work yes or no answer.

Net gear FS516 It has auto uplink on port 16 so maybe strandard cat 5 is fine.  But for future if there is no uplink port should I use cross over or standard.

Thanks