Cat5 mystery

I just bought a 1m Cat5 cable to connect between my PC and ADSL router to
replace the 20m one. The router and PC are only 1/2 metre apart.

I plugged it in, but the lights on the router and PC don't light up. I
figure it's faulty but before sending it back I decide to make sure it is
faulty I get a hub out and plug the two ends into two nodes but to my
suprise it lights up! I tried from my hub to my PC, also works. Hub to my
router also works. If I plug my 1m cat5 from my pc to my hub, then the 20m
cat5 from my hub to my router I can access the Internet

Here's some diagrams to explain:

[PC]<----------- 1m cat5 --------->[Router] Doesn't work

[PC]<----------- 20m cat5 -------->[Router] Works

[Hub]<---------- 1m cat5 --------->[Hub] Works
[Hub]<---------- 1m cat5 --------->[PC] Works
[Hub]<---------- 1m cat5 --------->[Router] Works

[Router]<- 20m cat5 ->[Hub]<- 1m cat 5 ->[PC] Works

So, basically my new 1m cat5 will only work if it is plugged into my hub.
If I simply plug it into my router and PC like I want it won't do
anything, yet my other Cat5 cable does.

Any ideas what could be causing this?

Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Wed, 26 Apr
2006 15:09:12 GMT, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
uk.comp.home-networking, yawatina tan reek esk C. Señor
<(E-Mail Removed)> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:

>So, basically my new 1m cat5 will only work if it is plugged into my hub.
>If I simply plug it into my router and PC like I want it won't do
>anything, yet my other Cat5 cable does.

Looks to me like your cable is a crossover cable, and your hub auto-switches
(but your router and PC don't).

deKay
--
Lofi Gaming - www.lofi-gaming.org.uk
My computer runs at 3.5MHz and I'm proud of that
"Most importantly, I'm now playing as a girl who skates around in her bra and knickers"

deKay <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Wed, 26 Apr
> 2006 15:09:12 GMT, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
> uk.comp.home-networking, yawatina tan reek esk C. Señor
> <(E-Mail Removed)> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>
>>So, basically my new 1m cat5 will only work if it is plugged into my hub.
>>If I simply plug it into my router and PC like I want it won't do
>>anything, yet my other Cat5 cable does.
>
> Looks to me like your cable is a crossover cable, and your hub auto-switches
> (but your router and PC don't).

I have to admit I didn't know about straight and crossover cables. The
20m cable (that works) is crossover, the 1m isn't. I guess I need a 1m
crossover cable instead.

Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Wed, 26 Apr
2006 15:28:07 GMT, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
uk.comp.home-networking, yawatina tan reek esk C. Señor
<(E-Mail Removed)> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:

>> Looks to me like your cable is a crossover cable, and your hub auto-switches
>> (but your router and PC don't).
>
>I have to admit I didn't know about straight and crossover cables. The
>20m cable (that works) is crossover, the 1m isn't. I guess I need a 1m
>crossover cable instead.

Yes - to connect the PC to the router it is likely you'll need a crossover
(although this isn't the case with all routers).

deKay
--
Lofi Gaming - www.lofi-gaming.org.uk
My computer runs at 3.5MHz and I'm proud of that
"Most importantly, I'm now playing as a girl who skates around in her bra and knickers"

deKay wrote:
> Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Wed, 26 Apr
> 2006 15:28:07 GMT, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
> uk.comp.home-networking, yawatina tan reek esk C. Señor
> <(E-Mail Removed)> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:
>
>>> Looks to me like your cable is a crossover cable, and your hub auto-switches
>>> (but your router and PC don't).
>> I have to admit I didn't know about straight and crossover cables. The
>> 20m cable (that works) is crossover, the 1m isn't. I guess I need a 1m
>> crossover cable instead.
>
> Yes - to connect the PC to the router it is likely you'll need a crossover
> (although this isn't the case with all routers).
>
> deKay

You *shouldn't* need a crossover cable to connect a PC to an
infrastructure device (switch, hub, router etc..) - but then again if
you use one and it works who am I to complain!?

deKay <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed):


> Yes - to connect the PC to the router it is likely you'll need a
> crossover ...

Complete nonsense - exactly the opposite is true.

Frazer Jolly Goodfellow <no-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> deKay <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> news:(E-Mail Removed):
>
>
>> Yes - to connect the PC to the router it is likely you'll need a
>> crossover ...
>
> Complete nonsense - exactly the opposite is true.

No, he's right. To connect the (my) PC to the (my) router I will need a
crossover cable, it even says in the manual a crossover cable is needed.

Although for most routers a straight cable is needed it seems.

C. Señor wrote:
> Frazer Jolly Goodfellow <no-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> deKay <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>> news:(E-Mail Removed):
>>
>>
>>> Yes - to connect the PC to the router it is likely you'll need a
>>> crossover ...
>> Complete nonsense - exactly the opposite is true.
>
> No, he's right. To connect the (my) PC to the (my) router I will need a
> crossover cable, it even says in the manual a crossover cable is needed.
>
> Although for most routers a straight cable is needed it seems.

Make and Model of your router?

Name and shame!

Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des Wed, 26 Apr
2006 22:56:12 GMT, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do
uk.comp.home-networking, yawatina tan reek esk Frazer Jolly Goodfellow
<no-(E-Mail Removed)> fornis do marikano es bono tan el:

>deKay <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>news:(E-Mail Removed) :
>
>
>> Yes - to connect the PC to the router it is likely you'll need a
>> crossover ...
>
>Complete nonsense - exactly the opposite is true.

That depends on the router. Many wifi routers (with only one wired port) need
a crossover. The one I installed for a guy who got it with his AOL
connection, for example.

There is no "always the case" regarding straight or crossover cables when it
comes to ADSL or cable modems, routers, or other networking equipment, I've
found. Usually, yes. Always, no. I have the exact same NTL cable modem as a
friend, and mine uses a crossover if connected directly to a PC, my friend's
does not.

Besides, his evidence points to him needing a crossover.

deKay
--
Lofi Gaming: www.lofi-gaming.org.uk [Gamertag: deKay 01]
Gaming Diary: www.lofi-gaming.org.uk/diary/
My computer runs at 3.5MHz and I'm proud of that
"Most importantly, I'm now playing as a girl who skates around in her bra and knickers."

Soni tempori elseu romani yeof helsforo nisson ol sefini ill des 27 Apr 2006
09:28:57 -0100, sefini jorgo geanyet des mani yeof do uk.comp.home-networking,
yawatina tan reek esk (E-Mail Removed) fornis do marikano es bono tan el:

>More to the point lots of modern hardware (especially routers but I
>think also the PC end) auto-detects the direction of data and it won't
>matter at all whether you have a crossover cable or a straight through
>one, both will work.

Going off the original poster's "experiments", it is likely his "hub"
(probably actually a switch) does this.

deKay
--
Lofi Gaming - www.lofi-gaming.org.uk
My computer runs at 3.5MHz and I'm proud of that
"Most importantly, I'm now playing as a girl who skates around in her bra and knickers"