cat6 termination help

missgee

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Hi,
I've run a cat6 cable to the office at the bottom of my garden and it won't get a signal.
Things I've considered;
1- I bought specific " outdoor" cable, double sheathed and 'vaseline' in the core keeping any water out. So unlikely to be cable.
2- cable run is about 55m. When testing the cable we needed the higher powered meter but signal was good.
3- one end of the cable terminates in a jack which goes directly into the router, the other end I've terminated in a box, could this be a problem, would it be better with a box at both ends?
4- yes both the jack and box ends use type B wiring (and I've wired a fair few cat6 jacks now, but I redid both ends just in case and no change).

I'm at the limit of my limited knowledge, any help most appreciated.
Many thanks
Susie
 
2- cable run is about 55m. When testing the cable we needed the higher powered meter but signal was good.

What did you use to do the testing?

Cheap testers don't spot all the potential cabling problems for example, split pairs can pass a simple continuity test but there's a mis-wire that prevents ethernet coming up.

3- one end of the cable terminates in a jack which goes directly into the router, the other end I've terminated in a box, could this be a problem, would it be better with a box at both ends?

Yes. Solid core UTP is designed to be terminated onto IDC sockets. You can sometimes "get away" with terminating onto plugs, but it's not "as designed" unless you use "special" plugs designed for terminating solid core cable.

Do your IDC blocks match the "cat" of the cable - cat6 uses thicker wire gauge than cat5e. Some people report problems punching down with mismatched IDC blocks & cable.

Check your work and see if the wires are pushed right down to the bottom of the IDC block in the sockets. It's surprisingly easy to think you've punched OK, (the tool clicked and all that) but when you check, one or more wires aren't fully home.
 
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55M should not present a problem. I managed 80M on similar cable this weekend on an event and was getting a gigabit connection without issue.

I would terminate both to IDC and use patch cables if you are running solid core, as the long term reliability is far better.

At 55M, a "standard" tester should read correctly. Not sure I have ever seen a "high power" tester, as it really is a pass / fail based upon the signal received. A basic Screwfix tester will identify correct wiring and dropped cores. http://www.screwfix.com/p/philex-network-cable-tester/93219 You truly don't need anything more complex unless you are certifying the cable for commercial use.
 
Thank you for your replies.
My electrician was over as I needed his rods to do the last bit of cable run under the living room floor. I'd hoped the 100m reel would give me 2 cables to the office but one was too short so in order to know which was which, (hidden runs), I linked 2 wires at my end and I presume he used some kind of voltmeter his end- no signal first time he tried and he said he then used a higher powered meter- I don't know what ( he might have been fluffing), but all we needed was to identify the cable. ( I do the connections because I've done more than him and he untwists the wires!)
Sounds like I need to terminate both ends in a socket and use patch cables so I'll try that tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
 
Noiseboy I just looked at your link and actually that would be a very useful thing for me to have, thank you.
 
If you do this sort of thing regularly enough to want a "better" testing tool without spending thousands on a "proper" certification tester, then in the 100-200GBP price range, you can get testers that check for things like split and crossed pairs (which the 10GBP cheapies don't spot) and often have a tone generator and a "wand" which is really useful for "finding" and tracing cables.

Probably OTT for a one off DIY job.
 
Hello all,
So I can confirm both ends of the cable need terminated the same! Plug to plug, jack to jack etc. I ended up using inline clamp connection boxes as they give me most cable flexibility, and I'm getting >68 MB/sec download speeds. .
I have a new question though- I want to be able to use my phone and tablet in the office on wifi, and also my ring.com doorbell chime, (even though a panting kitten makes a louder noise that the ring.com plug in chime). Anyway, can I plug in a second router? The cable to the workshop runs from my main router in the house, there is zero WiFi signal from this in the workshop.
Many thanks again for all your help.
Susie
 
I only need a WiFi signal in a 20sqm area so a mini router would be good if they exist? !
 
The correct device for a second hotspot is an Access Point (all Wi-Fi is availed by AP's.) There's actually an AP built in to a SOHO router along with all the other get-you-on-the-Internet gubbins. For additional hotspots, you don't need all the "other" stuff a SOHO router does.

However, you can use a SOHO router and "cripple" it to use it as an additional AP which is handy if you have one lying around or can get one cheap or want a combination AP/switch in a single box. However, there's a few hoops to jump through to get it working properly - there's a "Using To Routers Together" FAQ pinned in this forum that describes how to do it.

Pretty much all Wi-Fi devices transmit at the legal maximum power levels - in some of the better kit you might be able to dial down the transmit power, but most people rarely bother.

If your second hotspot coverage area physically overlaps your other, then for best performance you need to tune the radio channels of both so that they don't conflict. SOHO kit doesn't "talk" to each other in any meaningful way to establish the channel plan. For SOHO, I advocate setting the channel plan yourself rather that letting it auto-tune.

In the 5GHz waveband (if you have it) ensure the channels are different, though if you are using the AC variant, it won't hurt to set the channels as far apart as possible.

In the 2.4Ghz waveband, the Wi-Fi channels "overlap" each other, so you need to make them at least "5 apart." Most people use a channel plan of 1,6,11 (so choose two channels from that set) and a lot of kit defaults to that.
 
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Hi Mickevh,
Another very thorough answer, thank you. I don't know why I'm not keen to sit 1m from a broadcasting router given we are all bathed in radiowaves all day long. It always takes me a while to find time to do jobs so I shall keep an eye out for an old router and read the router guides on setting channel wavelengths.
I have to say that is *very* nice to be sat typing this from my home office, so thank you for all your help.
Susie
 
All Wi-Fi devices transmit radio energy (it's two-way radio like walkie-talkies, not one way radio like television.)

Whilst one is walking around with a smartphone in one's pocket, or pressed to one's ear, it's subjecting one to much more Wi-Fi radio energy that I'd be receiving from a router/AP even if I were only a meter or two away. Nobody ever worries about their phone, (iPad, laptop, etc.)

A few years ago some ill informed alleged "journalists" used to like to scare everyone to death about the "dangerous" radio emissions from Wi-Fi Routers when they heard that they use the same radio frequencies as your microwave oven that you cook food with. I suppose it was a good story ("story" as in "made up.")

But the power levels are many orders of magnitude different. Average domestic microwave oven, 650watt. Max Wi-Fi transmit power ~1/10th of a watt. And also consider that at least half of the energy transmitted by your router is transmitted away from you (most Wi-Fi uses a more of less omni-directional transmission pattern.)

Of course, microwave ovens are heavily shielded to contain the energy, but I would not be at all surprised to learn that a domestic microwave "leaks" (accidentally) more radio energy than Wi-Fi is permitted to transmit deliberately, (though I cannot evidence this apart from an anecdote from an old electrical engineer beer buddy who told me when they used to check their labs annually, the microwave ovens in the kitchen were the biggest source of stray RF.)

I should add the rider that I'm not a doctor, radiographer or RF engineer.
 
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Mickevh,
I do hope you teach; you explain things thoroughly and very clearly.
Thank you once again.
Susie
 
How kind. I don't teach professionally apart from the odd internal training day, but it has been suggested to me in the past. Sadly, I doubt I have the patience to teach as a profession.

Not to mention that I can often put one of my colleagues to sleep during my "classes."
 
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