Filter
Top Products
AT-FS705E FC and AT-FS706E FC Installation Guide
3
10/100 Mbps Twisted Pair Ports
The AT-FS705E FC and AT-FS706E FC switches have four twisted pair ports.
Type of Connector
The twisted pair ports have RJ45 connectors.
Speed
These ports are compliant with the 10Base-T and 100Base-TX standards and
are capable of either 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps operation. The ports are IEEE
802.3u Auto-negotiation-compliant, meaning the speed for each port is set
automatically by the switch after determining the speed of the end node
connected to the port. Auto-negotiation is designed to ensure that each port on
the switch and the end node connected to each port are operating at the same
speed and that they are communicating at the highest possible common speed
of the devices.
Duplex Mode
The twisted pair ports can operate in either half- or full-duplex operation. Just
as with speed, the ports use Auto-negotiation to set the duplex mode. If the
end node is capable of full-duplex mode, the port is set to full-duplex. If the
end node is capable of only half-duplex, the port is set to half-duplex. For an
explanation of duplex mode, refer to the section “Duplex Mode” on page 9.
Cabling
The RJ45 ports on the switch can use shielded or unshielded twisted pair
cable. There are several categories of twisted pair cabling used in Ethernet
networks. They are Category 3, 4, and 5. The main difference between the
categories relates to their attenuation, which is a measurement of signal loss
over the length of the cable. All cables experience attenuation. The signal
loses strength the longer the cable. The lower the loss of signal, the lower the
attenuation.
Of the three categories, Category 3 has the highest attenuation, meaning that
it has the highest signal loss. It is adequate for 10 Mbps operation, but should
never be used for 100 Mbps network operations. The higher speed requires
Category 5. If you are installing a new network with end nodes operating at 10
Mbps, it is recommended that you install Category 5 instead of Category 3.
This will save you the trouble of having to install new twisted pair cabling
should you later upgrade your end nodes to 100 Mbps.