[Wylug-discuss] Laptop and wireless questions

[Jim Jackson]

On Fri, 22 Jul 2005, gARetH baBB wrote:

> ..... you run one cat5 (which can actually give you two 100M
> connections, there are four sets of pairs in cat5, 100M only uses 2 sets
> of pairs)....

A word of warning. gAReth is implying you can wiring up the 4 pairs of
a standard cat5 cable as 2 connections for 10BaseT or 100BaseTx (10M or 
100M twisted pair ethernet).

While this may be true in some circumstances (I run such connections on 
some wires at home), it will not always work.

My experience is that it works almost flawlessly for 10BaseT (10Meg 
Ethernet), that it works mostly for 100M, IF you do not try it with long 
runs (keep it less than 30-40m), and if you use the best quality cable
(use Cat5E cable), and are very careful with maintaining twists when 
wiring up rj45 faceplates etc. Also older equipment may have problems. The 
electronics has improved no end since 100BaseTX was invented - modern 
equipment should cope better.

Jim