Network cabling question

[matteni]

Quick RJ45 / Network cable question...

I have ethernet between my home media center and a remote TV set top box.

The ethernet cable has never worked right and I don't want to completely replace it if I don't have to.

I purchased a tester for RJ45 and it isolated that wire 3/4 were broken. I recrimped 2 new ends and it looks like the exact same error.

Question is - do I need all 4 twisted pair for a "normal" 10/100 ethernet connection? The remote set top box goes into a switch/wireless G router.

I seem to recall I only need 3 pairs? Also - if I do only need 3 pairs, does it use 1-6 (numbered from left to right with the "tab" part pointing up)? A different set?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[sykikchimp]

wires 4,5 and 7,8 are the wires required to run 100mb lan's. Usually Blue and blue/white, and brown and brown\white

Look at the end of the connector with the tab down. wire 1 is on the right, wire 8 is on the left. Flat side up, connector pointing away, the wires are 1-8 from left to right.

Also, one more thing.. Make sure you replace a twisted pair, with another pair.. don't use non-paired wires as a pair. It will cause weird performance problems.

Good luck.

p.s. If you ever want to run gigabit, you'll have to run new wiring. That requires all 4 pairs.

 

[ccns23]

Bah....suck it up and buy some new cabling. Why go through all the fuss? But that's me. Just take the easy way out.

I may have the schematic for the cabling around somewhere. I'll check when I get home unless someone else beats me to the punch. But I would agree with what sykikchimp has said above.

Good luck!!

 

[matteni]

wires 4,5 and 7,8 are the wires required to run 100mb lan's. Usually Blue and blue/white, and brown and brown\white

Look at the end of the connector with the tab down. wire 1 is on the right, wire 8 is on the left. Flat side up, connector pointing away, the wires are 1-8 from left to right.

Also, one more thing.. Make sure you replace a twisted pair, with another pair.. don't use non-paired wires as a pair. It will cause weird performance problems.

Good luck.

p.s. If you ever want to run gigabit, you'll have to run new wiring. That requires all 4 pairs.

Exactly the information I needed - thank you so much

 

[ccns23]

Not sure if this will help or not. Neat link anyways...

http://www.delmar.edu/Courses/ITNW2313/ethernet.htm

 

[matteni]

Not sure if this will help or not. Neat link anyways...

http://www.delmar.edu/Courses/ITNW2313/ethernet.htm

Based on the information on this site - the earlier poster was incorrect about which 4 cables to use.

The site listed says I need to use:

Pins 1 & 2 - Pair #1 Transmit Data
Pins 3 & 6 - Pair #2 Receive Data
Pins 4, 5, 7, & 8 - Not Connected

not 1,2,3,4

 

[flaminio]

Bah....suck it up and buy some new cabling. Why go through all the fuss? But that's me. Just take the easy way out.

I agree. Assuming the cabling is not in the wall, why not just get a new cable? It'd be a lot easier than trying to figure out pinouts, and cables aren't that expensive. They even come in lots of pretty colors so you can get one that matches your decor.

 

[sykikchimp]

I'm sorry, It is 1,2 and 3,6.

durr,... I was backwards.. 4,5 and 7,8 are necessary for 100base-T4. What you want is 100base-TX.