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Reference Manual for the 54 Mbps Wireless Router WGR614 v5
B-12 Network, Routing, Firewall, and Basics
July 2004 202-10036-01
Category 5 Cable Quality
Category 5 distributed cable that meets ANSI/EIA/TIA-568-A building wiring standards can be a
maximum of 328 feet (ft.) or 100 meters (m) in length, divided as follows:
20 ft. (6 m) between the hub and the patch panel (if used)
295 ft. (90 m) from the wiring closet to the wall outlet
10 ft. (3 m) from the wall outlet to the desktop device
The patch panel and other connecting hardware must meet the requirements for 100 Mbps
operation (Category 5). Only 0.5 inch (1.5 cm) of untwist in the wire pair is allowed at any
termination point.
A twisted pair Ethernet network operating at 10 Mbits/second (10BASE-T) will often tolerate low
quality cables, but at 100 Mbits/second (10BASE-Tx) the cable must be rated as Category 5, or
Cat 5, by the Electronic Industry Association (EIA). This rating will be printed on the cable jacket.
A Category 5 cable will meet specified requirements regarding loss and crosstalk. In addition,
there are restrictions on maximum cable length for both 10 and 100 Mbits/second networks.
Table B-1. UTP Ethernet cable wiring, straight-through
Pin Wire color Signal
1 Orange/White Transmit (Tx) +
2 Orange Transmit (Tx) -
3 Green/White Receive (Rx) +
4Blue
5 Blue/White
6 Green Receive (Rx) -
7 Brown/White
8Brown