This topic

ethernet cable

dianal — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 15:49:28 GMT

I need a longer ethernet cable to connect router to BT socket. I am using BT Halo 3 and Full Fibre 900. What sort of ethernet cable should I buy please. Should it be red or yellow ends? Thank you

Re: ethernet cable

licquorice — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 15:58:23 GMT

Electrons aren't fussy about colour.

You need a Cat5E or Cat6 Ethernet patch cord. The 'E' is important.

Re: ethernet cable

gg30340 — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 15:59:24 GMT

The cable has no idea what colour the ends are so you do not need to worry about that. They are only coloured as BT think it will assist users when describing where to plug them in.

You can use a Cat5e cable or a Cat 6 which is at higher standard and gives you a bit of future proofing.

Re: ethernet cable

dianal — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 16:01:26 GMT

Thanks for your help. Had read something on BT website about red or yellow but glad to know electrons will be happy with either or neither!

Re: ethernet cable

ob123 — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 13:35:28 GMT

Not all cables are the same 🙂 however agree with the others anything Cat5-6/6a or above would be fine. In my experience i would opt for a branded patch cable, there are other brands... StarTech.com CAT6 Ethernet Cable RJ45 UTP Category 6 Network/Patch Cord w/Strain Relief UL/TIA Certified (N6PATC3MWH) try amazon.

Re: ethernet cable

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 14:21:00 GMT

@ob123

You're not agreeing though, you're suggesting (incorrectly) that Cat 5 would be suitable, when it won't.

Although why you're posting at all 10 days after the question has been answered twice already & marked as solved is baffling.

Re: ethernet cable

ob123 — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 16:09:26 GMT

Wow, you must know something I don’t.. good luck who ever you are

Re: ethernet cable

WSH — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 17:07:43 GMT

What he means is cat 5 was only rated to 100Mb/s. It is cat 5"e" onwards that is gigabit rated and the post you replied to was on the 18th.

Re: ethernet cable

ob123 — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 18:45:49 GMT

Thanks, however cat5 can run at 1g. The history of cat5 is well understood and some may know the orginal rfc confirmed this however however the standard looked at 100m and at that length cat5 may fail. Interesting it also confirmed the interference challenges impacted higher rates at shorter lengths. So technically it’s not incorrect to state cat5 can carry 1ghz in fact beyond that up to 5ghz. The original posted query does talk about a patch cable!

After moving to fttp and bt I was really looking forward to contributing to this forum. It is not listed anywhere that people shouldn’t reply to posts that someone considers old I.e the 18th.. to be honest really disappointed that some people call that out… it is their opinion and they are intitled to it. However poor show imo to a new contrubter to this forum and made worse by the fact it came from someone who is badged as a major contributor. Wow friendly bunch…. What effect do you think that has when people read it? Forums should be collaborative and imho friendly and inclusive. As a newbie and a confident individual I call it out… I hope the moderator can review and correct me if I’m mistaken, as this may not be a forum for me

Re: ethernet cable

gg30340 — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 20:09:39 GMT

@ob123

Cat 5 can be used for FTTP if that is what you want to use however Cat 5e and above is recognised as being a better standard to use for FTTP as Cat 5 it will limit your speeds to around 100Mbps. Cat 5 is designed to run 10/100 Mbps.

It might be able to run 1Gb over short ideal conditions but it is not reliable for speeds of 1Gb. Cat 5e and above can achieve 1Gb with out any issues over 100m.

It would in my opinion and I am sure that of many others , given the cost of Ethernet cable, be a false economy to use Cat 5 as against the few extra pence for Cat5e and above to use Cat 5 cables but as always it's up to the user to decide.

As regards your comments about posting on a thread that has been answered and marked as solved, it is entirely up to you if you wish to add to the thread particularly if there is something wrong with the answer that has been marked by the OP and should be corrected if required.

There is no time bar on doing this but while not in this instance it is not unknow for additional posts to be added to posts that are well over a year old which does seem a bit pointless if it adds nothing to the OP's question particularly if it is obviously some thing that would not "drag" on for so long and requires an immediate fix. .

Contributions are welcome from all but only you can decide if this is a forum for you.

Re: ethernet cable

Kimberlin — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 20:47:45 GMT

@ob123

On topic bit, I use a 1 metre Cat6 patch lead from my wall socket into my TP-Link router.

Concerning the forum. If you wish to gain a meaningful opinion of what goes on here, please take the time to read through at least the last month worth of of threads, only then will you appreciate how things work here.

You contributed to an earlier thread which resulted in a completely unacceptable response from another contributor which a Moderator quite rightly subsequently removed. I notice that the Moderator post has also since been removed from that thread. It’s a heavily sanitised environment.

This forum is primarily a help forum, a question is asked, possible solutions are offered and some bask in the glory of kudos points. Contribute freely but be prepared for short shrift if your answers don’t meet the high standards of others.

Re: ethernet cable

WSH — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 20:50:13 GMT

A lot of the original Cat 5 was four wires only and so would never do 1000 Mb/s.

I was merely expanding RBZ’s post in case it was unclear why he had taken issue with you. My apologies if it caused any offense. That was not the intent.

The whole argument is irrelevant anyway. Can you even still buy Cat 5 today?

Re: ethernet cable

ob123 — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 21:03:52 GMT

Agreed, and thanks for the follow up 🙂 looking forward to contributing.