Why cant I make my laptop ethernet cards recognise 10Mbs?

[Rick Stevens]

On Wed, 2007-12-12 at 15:32 -0500, William Hooper wrote:
> On Dec 12, 2007 3:07 PM, Karl Larsen <k5di at zianet.com> wrote:
> [snip]
> >        First your talking about ethernet cards. They usually mate with a
> > standard cable which in the USA we call it a category 5 cable available
> > everywhere. It is white and has plastic large telephone connector on it,
> > or you buy an expensive crimper and put the connectors on as you like.
> 
> Wow.  And I thought all of these red, blue, yellow, green, gray, etc.
> cables I have were category 5 cable, too.  Please stop talking now,
> Karl, you obviously didn't do the research that I suggested previously
> so that we could talk about things using the proper terms.  The color
> of the cable and what ends it has on it say absolutely nothing about
> the electrical characteristics of the cable.
> 
> >      The problem seemed to be the cable was wrong and you got no
> > Internet. But I gather on another laptop you DO get the Internet.
> 
> Again, you are the only one talking about the Internet.  Please stop.
> 
> > So
> > there does seem to be a cable problem.
> 
> The OP has said that they tried both a cross over cable and a straight
> cable without success, so there must be some other issue.
> Unfortunately, it looks like it the solution is most likely one that
> those of us on the list won't be able to help with.

10Mbps cables using RJ45-style connectors (a.k.a. 10Base-T) can use
CAT-3 or CAT-5 cables.  The same type of cable for 100Mbps (a.k.a.
100Base-T) must use CAT-5, CAT-5e or CAT-6 cables.  The same type of
cable for 1000Mbps (1Gbps or 1000Base-T) must use CAT-6 cables (most
will work with CAT-5e also).  The color of the outer jacket has nothing
to do with the category of the cable.

There is also "plenum" or "normal" cable jackets.  "Plenum" cable is
suitable for placing in areas where breathable air must be maintained.
If burned, the jacket does not give off toxic fumes.  "Normal" cable
uses a PVC jacket which DOES give off toxic fumes when burned.

Cables can also be made from stranded or solid wire with stranded being
far more flexible and typically used in patch cables (the kind most of
us use).  Solid is typically used in long runs or homeruns.

The correct term for the cables is "MDI" (straight cable) or "MDI-X"
(crossover).  The pinouts for MDI cables conform to EIA standard 56B.

More crap than you ever wanted to know.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Rick Stevens, Principal Engineer             rstevens at internap.com -
- CDN Systems, Internap, Inc.                http://www.internap.com -
-                                                                    -
-  Jimmie crack corn and I don't care...what kind of lousy attitude  -
-                 is THAT to have, huh?   -- Dennis Miller           -
----------------------------------------------------------------------