pkz

I need some cat5 cable to run from my router to my computer box. Is cat5e backwards compatible with cat5... im not sure how old my router is so I just wanted to make sure I get the right cable. Also, crossover/uplink cat5e is not what I'm looking for right? I seem to remember buying a crossover cable to connect my router and my cable modem and buying different cable to connect from the router to all the computers. Also, what does patch cable mean?

thanks for any assistance.