Appendix C Cabling Guidelines; Fast Ethernet Cable Guidelines - NETGEAR FS516 Installation Manual

This appendix provides specifications for cables used for the Model FS516 Fast Ethernet Switch.

Fast Ethernet Cable Guidelines

Fast Ethernet uses UTP cable, as specified in the IEEE 802.3u standard for 100BASE-TX. The
specification requires Category 5 UTP cable consisting of either 2-pair or 4-pair twisted insulated
copper conductors bound in a single plastic sheath. Category 5 cable is certified up to 100 MHz
bandwidth. 100BASE-TX operation uses one pair of wires for transmission and the other pair for
receiving and for collision detection.
When installing Category 5 UTP cabling, use the following guidelines to ensure that your cables
perform to the following specifications:
• Certification
Make sure that your Category 5 UTP cable has completed the Underwriters Laboratories (UL)
or Electronic Testing Laboratories (ETL) certification process.
• Termination method
To minimize crosstalk noise, maintain the twist ratio of the cable up to the point of termina-
tion; untwist at any RJ-45 plug or patch panel should not exceed 0.5 inch (1.5 cm).
Cabling Guidelines
Appendix C
Cabling Guidelines
C-1