Linksys EFAH05W Switch User Manual


 
Appendix
Twisted Pair 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 and vice versa.
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 that the end of the plastic RJ-45 tip (the part that
goes into a wall jack first) is facing away from you. Flip
the clip so that the copper side faces up (the springy clip
will now be parallel to the floor). When looking down on
the coppers, wire 1 will be on the far left.
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