length of cable between fibre modem and hub 2, and cable plug colours.

[JoeS1]

Is it okay to fit a longer cable between the Openreach fibre modem and the BT hub 2?  It says that you must use the cable with the red ends, but what is special about the cable compared to the one with the yellow ends?
I would like the hub in the hall to give a better wireless signal in the rest of the house, but the modem is in an adjoining room, so I would need a longer cable.

[gg30340]

The colour has nothing to do with it. They only use coloured ends to make it "easier" for the customers to understand what gets plugged in where.

You can use any Cat5e or above Ethernet cable up to 100 meters with out any issues.

[JoeS1]

I think I have read somewhere that all cables do not have all wires terminated in the plugs.  I suspect that only 4 wires are used, is this correct, and am I safe buying any terminated CAT5e cable for this purpose?  Some are called network cables and some are called patch cables, which is correct for this purpose?

[VeteranISPUser]

Hi @JoeS1 

It is best to buy a Cat5e or Cat6 external kit with face plates at the source and terminal. I’m fairly useless with DIY but found it very easy to install a Cat5e extension around the outside of my house (two in fact). You can install all twisted pairs.

You can buy the kits with everything you need (apart from a drill to make the holes through the walls) including cable, faceplates, clips, tools, instructions etc. from a well known auction site or Amazon.

I’m sure that there will be lots of tutorials on YouTube if you need some help.

I should add that you could use your existing patch cable at one end and buy another at the appropriate length at the other end. With some kits the patch leads are included.

[licquorice]

You need fully wired (8 conductors) for GbE.

[gg30340]

Just measure the length of cable you need and buy a ready made cable which will already be correctly terminated and ready to go. Run it to where you want to site the hub then plug it into the hub and the other end into the ONT and switch on the hub.

If you do an Internet search you will find any number of companies selling ready made Ethernet cable at the length you want.