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Linksys HomeLink™ Series
Appendix
Twisted Pair Cabling
There are different grades, or categories,
of twisted-pair cabling. Category 5 is the
most reliable and is highly recommended.
Category 3 is a good second choice.
Straight-through cables are used for con-
necting computers to a hub. Crossover
cables are used for connecting a hub to
another hub (there is an exception: some
hubs have a built-in uplink port that is
crossed internally, which allows you to
link or connect hubs together with a
straight-through cable instead).
You can buy pre-made Category 5 cabling, or cut and crimp your own.
Category 5 cables can be purchased or crimped as either straight-through or
crossover cables. A Category 5 cable has 8 thin, color-coded wires inside that
run from one end of the cable to the other. All 8 wires are used. 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 crossover cable, the
order of the wires change from one end to the
other: wire 1 becomes 3, and 2 becomes 6. See the
diagrams on the next page for more detailed infor-
mation on straight-through and crossover cabling.
To determine 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. Face the clip down
so that the copper side faces up (the springy clip will now be
parallel to the floor).When looking down on the copper side,
wire 1 will be on the far left.
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