More on cat5e and cat6 X-post

[David]

Wiring in my patch panel, and I had a strange fault - no connection on Pin

2. This is a cable from the upstairs office to a socket which had temporarily been terminated at a floating wall socket before being moved to the patch panel and seemed to have been working fine.

At both ends I buzzed the connection through using a short patch cable and pin 1 was connected and checked the end of the punch down wire and that was connecting to the punch down (at least to the exposed stub).

Finally traced the fault to the upstairs end where the LAP cat6 socket from Screwfix showed an intermittent fault on Pin 1.

If you wiggled the patch cable in a certain way the light went out on the tester. Looks as though there is a poor connection between the patch lead which came with the tester and the cat6 wall socket.

So far I can't replicate the fault elsewhere.

Is there something different about CAT6 sockets? From previous discussions the pin outs are the same - however cat6 cable is a tiny bit bulkier.

Are the plugs and sockets a tiny bit bulkier as well?

Replacing it with a cat5e socket for the moment but it would be good to know if I have a dodgy socket or if you should only use cat6 patch cables with cat6 sockets.

Cheers

Dave R

[Rob Morley]

The business end of the RJ45 plug/socket shouldn't vary regardless of the cable rating (except of course that screened cable uses a screened connector, but that's not normally used in domestic installations). Some people recommend using the same manufacturer for all connectors to avoid problems with manufacturing tolerances. Check visually that the contacts in the socket haven't been bent or displaced, and the contacts in the plug are level. Plug and unplug the cable a few times.

[David]

Hah!

Just replicated it.

Incompatibility between very short test lead which came with the tester and one brand of wall socket.

Tests out O.K. with a better quality patch lead.

Memo to self - check patch leads in their intended location between socket and patch panel to avoid nasty surprises.

Anyway, patch panel now installed and wired up to the current in house wiring.

Gigabit Ethernet now available in several rooms and scheduled for more.

Two things to be thankful for:

(1) I don't have to make my living punching down connections

(2) You don't have me as your Telecoms/Networking engineer

Cheers

Dave R

[Jaimie Vandenbergh]

Grin! It's one of those things that with a few ports like you have, you'll get good at it by the time you don't need to do it any more, but you won'y have had enough practice so you'll forget the good technique before you need to do it again. As with so many DIY things.

Cheers - Jaimie

[Rob Morley]

That's so true.

[Graham.]

I have seen this sort of thing myself. I tend to blame the socket more than the plug as the spring contacts should adjust to slight inaccuracy of the plug.