# Mixing cat5e and cat6



## pcride (Jan 29, 2016)

Hi, just a few questions I have. I've been taking many networking classes and will be certified in Network and Sec + soon. One item that Comptia doesn't really talk about is mixing cabling.

Here is my set up and need to know more about these questions before I buy the equipment.

1) I have about 24 drops of network from various locations in the house, about half is Cat5e because I had a 1000' box from a previous job and then purchased another box of Cat6. When I buy the rj45 wall plates, I see some are labeled Cat5e and Cat6, but appear to be the same, are these in fact the same from being able to transmit the higher mhz cat6 handles?

2) My set up will have the 24 drops run into a structured wire box, then wired into 2, 12 port patch panels, (punch down) I see patch panels labeled Cat5e and Cat6, does it matter if I patch Cat5e into a Cat6 patch panel? 

3) From the patch panel I will then run about 8' of patch cable directly into the flux capacitor, which makes time travel possible (sorry just a quick plug of BTTF :smile:, but really I'll run these patch cables into the NEtgear 24 port switch. Does it matter if I intermix the cable type here? 

4) Is the correct way to wire to the switch to run all the runs into a punch down patch panel, then run patch cables into the switch?

I know Cat5e and Cat6 have different capacity as far as mhz, but can still carry gigabit speed, which is what I am running.

I'd like to purchase this equipment

Cables - https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matter...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=V16946XBQ4GA53SR0T4M

Patch panel - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...fl_title_10?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3FG64J8IOS59V 

Media panel - Leviton Smc 280 Structured Media Center with Cover-375-47605-28W - The Home Depot

Thanks for taking the time on these questions!


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

There is no difference in the physical hardware of which I am aware. So any wall plates, RJ45's, patch panels will work.

Patch cable type doesn't matter.

Patch panels can make it easier when breaking out to multiple pieces or hardware. But as they are all going to a single switch, you could just as easily put an RJ45 on each cable run and plug directly into the switch. Either way, just ensure that you label everything. Makes troubleshooting/repairs easier later.


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## Wizmo (Apr 3, 2011)

JimE said:


> There is no difference in the physical hardware of which I am aware. So any wall plates, RJ45's, patch panels will work.
> 
> Patch cable type doesn't matter.
> 
> Patch panels can make it easier when breaking out to multiple pieces or hardware. But as they are all going to a single switch, you could just as easily put an RJ45 on each cable run and plug directly into the switch. Either way, just ensure that you label everything. Makes troubleshooting/repairs easier later.



*This is the most important part of creating the wiring plan! Label everything and try to be as neat as possible. The patch panel is not essential in a situation where there are equal to or less than full utilization of the ports in a single switch. It simply introduces more potential connection faults. I've encountered switch clusters with a tangle of undocumented wiring that is enough to induce MAJOR fits of rage!! :nonono:
*

*One grocery store I worked with for remediation had over 125 individual ports serving desktops, scales, credit card, cashier and accounting operations that was a NIGHTMARE to document and troubleshoot due to a non-existent site plan. It took over a week just to document the topography and re-arrange the port routing in any sensible way. Eventually I got it all sorted out, then had to immediately expand and upgrade switches to accommodate a new VOIP phone implementation! 
*


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## pcride (Jan 29, 2016)

Thanks All. Tonight I was able to install my new structured media panel. However I am having an issue and only getting 100 mbp/s network transfer (internal) when prior to this new configuration I was getting 1000 mbp/s.

Here is what I have done, I think I have isolated it to the patch panel.

I purchased this patch panel and followed the wiring 568B
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072K1OWY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I purchased these patch cords
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K2E4VGI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And I have standard cat5e and cat6 wiring throughout the house, that wiring patches into the patch panel, then I used the patch cables from the panel to the netgear switch. 

1) Are patch cables, cross over cables? I hope I didn't get the wrong cables. But I still get the slow speeds plugged directly into my router, then into the patch panel with a straight through cable I made myself and know it works.

2) Did I wire the patch panel correctly following the standard 568 B wiring guide? Assuming the patch panel maps the pins correctly no matter how its wired on the backside. 



Here is the set up

Internet --> Netgear Modem --> Asus rn56u --> Netgear 100/1000 switch, devices like my NAS storage unit and security system is getting the green light on the switch, indicating 1000 /mps, but anything that goes through the patch panel is only getting 100 mbs/p

Again I have by passed the netgear switch and plugged directly into the the router but through the patch panel and still get the slow speed, So I am sure its the patch panel, but I don't understand why I would get the slow speed?

Please advise.

And I just realized this review about the connectors. I used a standard punch down tool.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-...ef=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0072K1OWY


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## pcride (Jan 29, 2016)

A few other points.

On the Asus router, the lights indicate the following.
Yellow flashing = 1000 Mbps, which is equivalent to 100 MB/s, which is normally how Windows OS displays the transfer speed. 

Green Indicates 10/100 Mbps

The router connection straight to the switch I am getting 1000 Mbps, but looking at my computer plugged into the router through the patch panel I am only getting 10/100 (green light) on the router.

Clearly there is a problem with the patch panel. I don't get it. Unless its completely wired incorrectly, but still gives me internet and network connectivity?

http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/wi...lish.pdf?_ga=1.70658640.1184797014.1486416441


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## GentleArrow (Aug 10, 2015)

Are patch cables, cross over cables?

no they are straight thru

10/100 instead of gig indicates miswiring. Gig uses all 8 wired whereas 10/100 only use 4.

you use b at both the outlet and the patch panel?


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## pcride (Jan 29, 2016)

Ok I did some testing and here is what's happening. I have a MAC computer which has Gig NIC card, so I confirmed the MAC does transfer at gig speeds on the same port of the other computers only transfer at 100 mbps. So this appears to be a local machine issue.

Now before I put the patch panel in and the computer was connected through a TP Link 8 port gig switch, I was getting 100 MBps transfer rates transferring to another computer on the network (100 MBps = 1000 mbps) Now with the current problem windows reports only transfer speed of 10 MBps during file transfer. 

I checked the NIC settings and its set to auto negoitation which is what it was set to before, in the drop down there is no 1000 mbps choice, only 10 and 100 Half and Full duplex, I read on these forums that it doesn't really matter if the drop down doesn't display 1000, and will transfer at that speed assuming there are no problems, and of course the NIC is a gig NIC card, which mine is.

Any configurations within windows ? Its doing this on 3 computers with onboard NIC cards that are gig speed, on Gigabyte motherboards and 1 ASUS motherboard.

Gigabyte GA-z97x-Gaming 5 is one of the problem PC's.

What do you think?


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## pcride (Jan 29, 2016)

Turns out it must be a wiring issue :banghead:

I have 2 ports, one is able to transfer at gig speeds, the other one does not for some reason. Both Cat5e, so it must be at the keystone or patch panel... hoping its not a bend or something else in the walls.

Thanks everyone. I'll continue to track down the problem. Good thing to know Its somewhat figured out.


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## Deleted 03/18/17 (Feb 7, 2017)

"Gigabyte GA-z97x-Gaming 5"

That board uses the Qualcomm® Atheros Killer E2201 network adapter. Looking through google, there are a ton of reports of people having problems with the drivers, specifically getting gigabit speeds. Here is one thread, and here is another. The problem seems to be the QoS additions made by Bigfoot/Killer to the driver, and the 3rd party software that comes with it. Some have had better luck installing a different driver for it, but I couldn't find a official site claiming which driver works best. Try uninstalling the 3rd party software as mentioned in my second link, and then wait to see if anyone here knows of a driver for the adapter that doesn't include Killer's bloatware.


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## pcride (Jan 29, 2016)

Thanks, I'll check out the driver. I did reinstall it. However after isolating it to that one port, I checked the keystone and it was wired for 568A!!!! Can't believe it... Double bang head on wall !!! :banghead::banghead:

I am NOW getting full giga speeds! 

Thanks all for the direction to check the wiring.


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

Glad you got it sorted out.

If everything is complete, please mark the topic as solved.


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