what's the best cable to use in a Gigabit network?

stretch001 · 10-30-2004, 04:32 AM

I've got a 10/100/1000 network using layer 3 switches (extreme and intel with a cisco backbone).

I was just wondering if there is a partivular type of cat5 i shoud be using, i like cat5e but the guys that do the wiring just use anything thats laying around.

Anyone know of a better type of cat5?

johnwill · 10-30-2004, 08:51 AM

CAT5e or CAT6 is the proper cable for gigabit connections.

stretch001 · 10-31-2004, 02:41 PM

oh right, so if what happens if you just use normal cat5?

does it reduce performance?

johnwill · 10-31-2004, 03:59 PM

For the most part, CAT5 will work, the longer the run of cable, the more likely you'll have dropped packets and data corruption. I've run gigabit on CAT5 without issue, but the frequency response of CAT5 doesn't actually meet gigabit requirements.

stretch001 · 11-01-2004, 01:10 PM

cheers, currently i have a mix up of cat5 to cat5e and E, i dont seem to have packet loss on icmp, dont know how to check for packet loss on netbios?

bsically its a network of file server tranfer large (10Gb+) video files around.

i have noted that some clips get corrupted in transit. this causes the vidio clip player to crash (resulting in my balls getting slapped )

I tried a length of cat6 today and didnt notice any difference (i suppose you wouldnt detect an intermittent fault straight away)

do you know of a way of testing for packet loss on netbios transfers?

johnwill · 11-01-2004, 02:46 PM

The only real way to test packet loss is to use one of the many (and usually expensive) network analysis applications. However, if you have files getting corrupted in transit, that's not a good thing!

stretch001 · 11-01-2004, 03:53 PM

tell me about it, i think it may have somthing to do with the cisco backbone, its only a 2970 series, and we all know how cisco prodcust dont like talking to anything other than cisco products!

do you know any names of the software you speak of? i can try and get a trial and see if its worth buying, i dont mind spending company money

stretch001 · 11-01-2004, 03:55 PM

ive got HP openview and solar winds engineers edition, but neither of those mention anything about packet loss over netbios?

johnwill · 11-02-2004, 12:47 PM

Note that NETBIOS is just an API specification, the packets are still being transferred over the native protocol. Unless you've installed NETBEUI or IPX, you are looking for IP packet losses.

stretch001 · 11-03-2004, 02:18 PM

i didnt know that, so netbios is actually NETBEUI or IPX?

johnwill · 11-03-2004, 04:48 PM

No, NETBIOS is an Application Program Interface (API) that specifies an interface between computers using a network transport such as TCP/IP, IPX, or NETBEUI. NETBIOS is not a protocol at all. Here's a typical definition, those "lower-level network services" they speak of are things like TCP/IP, IPX, or NETBEUI.

Network Basic Input/Output System. In networking, a layer of software, originally developed in 1984 by IBM and Sytek, that links a network operating system with specific network hardware. NetBIOS provides an API with a consistent set of commands for requesting lower-level network services to transmit information from node to node.

10-30-2004, 04:32 AM	#1 (permalink)
stretch001 Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 170 OS: suse9.1,xp,2k,2k server,2003 server,redhat7	what's the best cable to use in a Gigabit network? I've got a 10/100/1000 network using layer 3 switches (extreme and intel with a cisco backbone). I was just wondering if there is a partivular type of cat5 i shoud be using, i like cat5e but the guys that do the wiring just use anything thats laying around. Anyone know of a better type of cat5? __________________ If you can keep your head while others around you loose theirs, it's quite possible you havn't grasped the enourmity of the situation

10-30-2004, 08:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 32,543 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	CAT5e or CAT6 is the proper cable for gigabit connections. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

10-31-2004, 02:41 PM	#3 (permalink)
stretch001 Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 170 OS: suse9.1,xp,2k,2k server,2003 server,redhat7	oh right, so if what happens if you just use normal cat5? does it reduce performance? __________________ If you can keep your head while others around you loose theirs, it's quite possible you havn't grasped the enourmity of the situation

10-31-2004, 03:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 32,543 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	For the most part, CAT5 will work, the longer the run of cable, the more likely you'll have dropped packets and data corruption. I've run gigabit on CAT5 without issue, but the frequency response of CAT5 doesn't actually meet gigabit requirements. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

11-01-2004, 01:10 PM	#5 (permalink)
stretch001 Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 170 OS: suse9.1,xp,2k,2k server,2003 server,redhat7	cheers, currently i have a mix up of cat5 to cat5e and E, i dont seem to have packet loss on icmp, dont know how to check for packet loss on netbios? bsically its a network of file server tranfer large (10Gb+) video files around. i have noted that some clips get corrupted in transit. this causes the vidio clip player to crash (resulting in my balls getting slapped ) I tried a length of cat6 today and didnt notice any difference (i suppose you wouldnt detect an intermittent fault straight away) do you know of a way of testing for packet loss on netbios transfers? __________________ If you can keep your head while others around you loose theirs, it's quite possible you havn't grasped the enourmity of the situation

11-01-2004, 02:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 32,543 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	The only real way to test packet loss is to use one of the many (and usually expensive) network analysis applications. However, if you have files getting corrupted in transit, that's not a good thing! __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

11-01-2004, 03:53 PM	#7 (permalink)
stretch001 Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 170 OS: suse9.1,xp,2k,2k server,2003 server,redhat7	tell me about it, i think it may have somthing to do with the cisco backbone, its only a 2970 series, and we all know how cisco prodcust dont like talking to anything other than cisco products! do you know any names of the software you speak of? i can try and get a trial and see if its worth buying, i dont mind spending company money __________________ If you can keep your head while others around you loose theirs, it's quite possible you havn't grasped the enourmity of the situation

11-01-2004, 03:55 PM	#8 (permalink)
stretch001 Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 170 OS: suse9.1,xp,2k,2k server,2003 server,redhat7	ive got HP openview and solar winds engineers edition, but neither of those mention anything about packet loss over netbios? __________________ If you can keep your head while others around you loose theirs, it's quite possible you havn't grasped the enourmity of the situation

11-02-2004, 12:47 PM	#9 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 32,543 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Note that NETBIOS is just an API specification, the packets are still being transferred over the native protocol. Unless you've installed NETBEUI or IPX, you are looking for IP packet losses. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

11-03-2004, 02:18 PM	#10 (permalink)
stretch001 Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 170 OS: suse9.1,xp,2k,2k server,2003 server,redhat7	i didnt know that, so netbios is actually NETBEUI or IPX? __________________ If you can keep your head while others around you loose theirs, it's quite possible you havn't grasped the enourmity of the situation

11-03-2004, 04:48 PM	#11 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 32,543 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	No, NETBIOS is an Application Program Interface (API) that specifies an interface between computers using a network transport such as TCP/IP, IPX, or NETBEUI. NETBIOS is not a protocol at all. Here's a typical definition, those "lower-level network services" they speak of are things like TCP/IP, IPX, or NETBEUI. Network Basic Input/Output System. In networking, a layer of software, originally developed in 1984 by IBM and Sytek, that links a network operating system with specific network hardware. NetBIOS provides an API with a consistent set of commands for requesting lower-level network services to transmit information from node to node. __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience