Cat 5 modem cable or standard extension cable?

My computer is 8 metres from the master socket. At present there is an 8
metre phone extension from the master socket to the room where the
router and PC are.
Is it likely to have any impact on speed if I run a Cat 5 modem cable
direct from the master socket to the router?
TIA for any feedback.
Paul.
--
Paul reply-to is valid

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Paul
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>My computer is 8 metres from the master socket. At present there is an 8
>metre phone extension from the master socket to the room where the
>router and PC are.
>Is it likely to have any impact on speed if I run a Cat 5 modem cable
>direct from the master socket to the router?
>TIA for any feedback.
>Paul.

If the extension cable is round and the pairs are twisted together then it will
make no difference as the signal will have passed over many hundreds of
metres of similar cable before reaching the house. If it is a flat extension
cable I'd be less confident.
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

Hi Paul

> Is it likely to have any impact on speed if I run a Cat 5 modem cable
> direct from the master socket to the router?

You dont mention how you connect your PC to broadband, but by asking about a
"modem" cable, i suspect you are using a USB ADSL modem.

Using CAT5 modem cables, IMHO are a waste of money unless you have specific
problems. Any cabling in your house better than the normal external PSTN
network will not improve things.

If you are using an ADSL router, then either run a telephone extension cable
to the router by your PC, or run CAT5 (network) cable to your router by the
BT socket.

If you are using a (bad - in my opinion) USB ADSL modem, then you need to
run a telephone extension cable (standard) to your PC and USB modem.

As long as the telephone extension you use is good quality, and you don't
plug it into a microfilter, you should be fine. Just think about placing the
router in the best place to serve your computers via CAT5.

Steve
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On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:46:15 UTC, Paul <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> My computer is 8 metres from the master socket. At present there is an 8
> metre phone extension from the master socket to the room where the
> router and PC are.
> Is it likely to have any impact on speed if I run a Cat 5 modem cable
> direct from the master socket to the router?

It may, it may not. For two years I ran a 15 metre flat cable past all
sorts of other cables. Never had any problems and got max speed most of
the time...even when I went to 2Mb/s. OTOH, if the signal is a bit
weaker for you, then it may make a difference. Suck it and see!

(I only stopped doing this because the router is now in a rack 50cm from
the telephone master socket).

--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]

On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:46:15 +0000, Paul <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> My computer is 8 metres from the master socket. At present there is an 8
> metre phone extension from the master socket to the room where the
> router and PC are.
> Is it likely to have any impact on speed if I run a Cat 5 modem cable
> direct from the master socket to the router?

You may already have several kilometres of twisted pair cable from the
exchange to your master socket, so you might have figured for yourself
that 8 more metres could not possibly make any difference even if Cat5 was
a superior type of cable for DSL telephone lines - which it is not.

Tony

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Anthony R. Gold
<not-for-(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:46:15 +0000, Paul <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> My computer is 8 metres from the master socket. At present there is an 8
>> metre phone extension from the master socket to the room where the
>> router and PC are.
>> Is it likely to have any impact on speed if I run a Cat 5 modem cable
>> direct from the master socket to the router?
>
>You may already have several kilometres of twisted pair cable from the
>exchange to your master socket, so you might have figured for yourself
>that 8 more metres could not possibly make any difference even if Cat5 was
>a superior type of cable for DSL telephone lines - which it is not.
>
>Tony
Yes, I had figured that out, I was just not sure about the quality of
the extension cabling as it seems to be flat, not twisted pair. Seems
it'll make no appreciable difference then.
--
Paul reply-to is valid

Paul wrote:
> In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, Anthony R.
> Gold <not-for-(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>> On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:46:15 +0000, Paul <(E-Mail Removed)>
>> wrote:
>>> My computer is 8 metres from the master socket. At present there
>>> is an 8 metre phone extension from the master socket to the room
>>> where the router and PC are.
>>> Is it likely to have any impact on speed if I run a Cat 5 modem
>>> cable direct from the master socket to the router?
>>
>> You may already have several kilometres of twisted pair cable from
>> the exchange to your master socket, so you might have figured for
>> yourself that 8 more metres could not possibly make any difference
>> even if Cat5 was a superior type of cable for DSL telephone lines
>> - which it is not. Tony
> Yes, I had figured that out, I was just not sure about the quality
> of the extension cabling as it seems to be flat, not twisted pair.
> Seems it'll make no appreciable difference then.

Any twisted pair, solid cable will do, flat cables can tip you over
the edge if your line is close to it's limits..

Paul wrote:
> My computer is 8 metres from the master socket. At present there is an 8
> metre phone extension from the master socket to the room where the
> router and PC are.
> Is it likely to have any impact on speed if I run a Cat 5 modem cable
> direct from the master socket to the router?
> TIA for any feedback.

As others have said, it shouldn't make a lot of difference - but...

I had a master socket with a secondary socket, used for a phone and DSL,
about 6 metres away connected using a B&Q telephone extension kit. I
later ran what was described as a "10 metre high quality broadband modem
cable" so the router could plug in to the line at the master socket and
the rest of the phone wiring could be connected through a single filter.

My average daytime downstream SNM immediately went from 21 dB to 28
(nighttime from 18 dB to 24.5). The upstream SNM and both attenuation
readings didn't change at all.

So, although it shouldn't make a difference it sometimes can.

--
Ian

Use the Reply-To address to contact me (limited validity).
Mail sent to the From address is ignored.

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 07:54:39 +0000, Ian Bartholomew <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> Paul wrote:
>> My computer is 8 metres from the master socket. At present there is an 8
>> metre phone extension from the master socket to the room where the
>> router and PC are.
>> Is it likely to have any impact on speed if I run a Cat 5 modem cable
>> direct from the master socket to the router?
>> TIA for any feedback.
>
> As others have said, it shouldn't make a lot of difference - but...
>
> I had a master socket with a secondary socket, used for a phone and DSL,
> about 6 metres away connected using a B&Q telephone extension kit. I
> later ran what was described as a "10 metre high quality broadband modem
> cable" so the router could plug in to the line at the master socket and
> the rest of the phone wiring could be connected through a single filter.
>
> My average daytime downstream SNM immediately went from 21 dB to 28
> (nighttime from 18 dB to 24.5). The upstream SNM and both attenuation
> readings didn't change at all.
>
> So, although it shouldn't make a difference it sometimes can.

From the sound "so the router could plug in to the line at the master
socket and the rest of the phone wiring could be connected through a
single filter" the changes were far more extensive than just the
replacement of one type of 10m of cable by another.

I wonder when we will be able to buy Monster brand phone extension leads
made from oxygen-free copper. There may be a market here for them :-)

Tony

Anthony R. Gold wrote:

> From the sound "so the router could plug in to the line at the master
> socket and the rest of the phone wiring could be connected through a
> single filter" the changes were far more extensive than just the
> replacement of one type of 10m of cable by another.

No. I have a main socket with a loose filter. The broadband cable
plugs into the unfiltered side of the filter and the extension telephone
cable/sky/telephone plug into the filtered side (through a doubler).
The secondary socket at the other end of the cable just has a dect phone
plugged in (no filter). The only change was the installation of the DSL
cable and the removal of one filter.

> I wonder when we will be able to buy Monster brand phone extension leads
> made from oxygen-free copper. There may be a market here for them :-)

The "high quality broadband modem cable" I got was only 11 quid (inc
postage) so, with the improvement I got, I was quite pleased.

--
Ian

Use the Reply-To address to contact me (limited validity).
Mail sent to the From address is ignored.