Installation Guide for the Model FE104 and Model FE108 Fast Ethernet Hubs
C-2
Fast Ethernet and Cabling Guidelines
Fast Ethernet Cabling
In a Fast Ethernet network, certain rules and regulations must be followed. This section discusses
the following aspects of cabling:
•
Cable guidelines
•
Cable lengths within a network
•
Category 5 specifications
•
Crossover and straight-through twisted pair cables
•
Patch panels
•
Near end crosstalk
Cable Guidelines
Fast Ethernet uses UTP cable, as specified in the IEEE 802.3u standard for 100BASE-T. The
specification recommends Category 5 UTP cable consisting of either 2-pair or 4-pair twisted
insulated copper conductors bound in a single plastic sheath. Category 5 cable is certified up to
100 MHz bandwidth. 100BASE-TX operation uses one pair of wires for transmission and the
other pair for receiving and for collision detection.
When installing Category 5 UTP cabling, use the following guidelines to ensure that your cables
perform to the following specifications:
•
Certification. Make sure that your Category 5 UTP cable has completed the Underwriters
Laboratories (UL) or Electronic Testing Laboratories (ETL) certification process.
•
Termination method. To minimize crosstalk noise, maintain the twist ratio of the cable up to
the point of termination; untwist at any RJ-45 connector or patch panel should not exceed
0.5 inch (1.5 cm).
