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Cabling Guidelines D-1
July 2005
Appendix D
Cabling Guidelines
This appendix provides specifications for cables used with a NETGEAR Smart Switch Series
Switch.
Fast Ethernet Cable Guidelines
Fast Ethernet uses UTP cable, as specified in the IEEE 802.3u standard for 100BASE-TX.The
specification requires Category 5 UTP cable consisting of either two-pair or four-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 cross-talk noise, maintain the twist ratio of the cable up to the point of termination;
untwist at any RJ-45 plug or patch panel should not exceed 0.5 inch (1.5 cm).