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EtherFast 10/100 PrintServers
Straight Through Cabling
Crossed Over Cabling
63
Instant EtherFast
®
Series
62
Types of Cabling
There are different grades, or categories, of twisted-pair cabling. Category 5
is the most reliable and widely compatible, and is required for Fast Ethernet.
You can buy Category 5 cabling that is pre-made, or you can cut and crimp
your own. Category 5 cables can be purchased or crimped as either straight-
through or crossed. A Category 5 cable has 8 thin, color-coded wires inside
that run from one end of the cable to the other. Only wires 1, 2, 3, and 6 are
used by Ethernet networks. In a straight-through cable, wires 1, 2, 3, and 6 at
one end of the cable are also wires 1, 2, 3, and 6 at the other end. In a
crossed cable, the order of the wires change from one end to the other: wire 1
becomes 3, and 2 becomes 6.
The color code for the 4 wires should be as follows: Wire 1, white with an
orange stripe; Wire 2, orange; Wire 3, white with a green stripe; Wire 6,
green. The other four wires have to be connected as follows: Wire 4, blue;
Wire 5, white with a blue stripe; Wire7, white with a brown stripe, Wire 8,
brown.
To figure out which wire is wire number 1, hold the cable so the end of the
plastic RJ-45 tip (the part that goes into a wall jack first) faces away from
you. Flip the clip with the copper side facing up. The spring clip will now be
parallel to the floor. When looking down on the coppers, wire 1 will be on
the far left.