Gigabit network

[HavocXphere]

Don't forget da surge protection.

FWIW I've heard that gig ethernet does not have much in the line of error-detection protocols built in - so you'll need to ensure that the cabling are gigabit certified.

The error detection is on the TCP-IP level. Same as Cat5.

 

[thisgeek]

Will the entire network run only at 10/100 as the DHCP and NAT server (i.e. router) are linked to the Gigabit switch at 10/100?

No.

Machines with Gig nics hooked up via a Gig switch to other machines with Gig nics will run at a gig. Machines that are hooked up at 100 will only be able to talk at 100.

 

[Gnome]

CAT6 is NOT shielded nor screened, the only difference is that CAT 6 cables are manufactured to tighter specifications but CAT5e can and does support Gigabit networking up to the same lengths as CAT6.

I installed a Gigabit network in our home (and for a few other people also) and used CAT5e (solid core) and the network works perfectly, no collisions. Rather observe the correct cabling standards and practices, if the cable is going outside use PVC pipes, bend of no more than 90 degrees keep away from anything that emits high amounts of EMI (read power cables) and wire them correctly (T568A or T568B)

Recommend Netgear (Cisco if you can afford it), I use a Netgear gigabit router for the home, it's not the home type so quality for the home type might be lower. It reports collisions and speed at which it is connected.

 

[sn3rd]

CAT6 is NOT shielded nor screened, the only difference is that CAT 6 cables are manufactured to tighter specifications but CAT5e can and does support Gigabit networking up to the same lengths as CAT6.

I installed a Gigabit network in our home (and for a few other people also) and used CAT5e (solid core) and the network works perfectly, no collisions. Rather observe the correct cabling standards and practices, if the cable is going outside use PVC pipes, bend of no more than 90 degrees keep away from anything that emits high amounts of EMI (read power cables) and wire them correctly (T568A or T568B)

Recommend Netgear (Cisco if you can afford it), I use a Netgear gigabit router for the home, it's not the home type so quality for the home type might be lower. It reports collisions and speed at which it is connected.

Surely ANY switch creates that scenario... ? One of the main features of a switch: setting up collision domains

 

[Gnome]

Surely ANY switch creates that scenario... ? One of the main features of a switch: setting up collision domains

No cheap switches don't give you information such as collisions. They might provide the connected speed, not all do (they simply provide a light that reports connected or not).

 

[sn3rd]

Um... a switch is a switch. It sets up separate collision domains to prevent collisions.

i.e. using a switch, there shouldn't BE any collisions (unless your topology sucks)

Update: a switch is not a switch. I'm not saying that a cheap switch is as good as an expensive one. Just saying that "no collisions" shouldn't be a criteria for "good cabling"

 

[Gnome]

Um... a switch is a switch. It sets up separate collision domains to prevent collisions.

i.e. using a switch, there shouldn't BE any collisions (unless your topology sucks)

Yes BUT if the cable sucks you also get collisions, or at least any decent router will report collisions. I've seen it many times on broken cables or cables close to EMI sources.

 

[sn3rd]

Well those are not collisions, and your router is lying to you (except in the abovementioned case of "sucking topology")

 

[Gnome]

Well those are not collisions, and your router is lying to you (except in the abovementioned case of "sucking topology")

No it doesn't. Do you know how collisions are detected?

 

[sn3rd]

Yes I do. I also know that switches set up separate collision domains for each port.

 

[Gnome]

Yes I do. I also know that switches set up separate collision domains for each port.

You are talking in circles.

But to make it easy I'll quote from wikipedia (easiest online source to find):

"Computers on the network detect collisions by looking for abnormally changing voltages. Signals from multiple systems overlap and distort one another. Overlapping signals will push the voltage above the allowable limit. This is detected by attached computers, which reject the corrupted frames (called runts)."

Now can you see why EMI or a damaged cable would be reported as collisions?

Anyway it's not only Netgear switches that has that feature, Cisco switches also have it.

 

[sn3rd]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collision_domain

A group of Ethernet or Fast Ethernet devices in a CSMA/CD LAN that are connected by repeaters and compete for access on the network. This situation is typically found in a hub environment where each host segment connects to a hub that represents only one collision domain and only one broadcast domain.

You're missing the point here. I said that it doesn't cause collisions. They are not collisions. Collisions are exactly that: colliding packets. EMI is exactly THAT... EMI

But I do get that they could be REPORTED as collisions.

 

[Gnome]

But I do get that they could be REPORTED as collisions.

Ok that was my point. Many switches do it, it's a great feature in that you can easily see problems with cables, connections, etc.

I never said actual collisions occur simply that the switch reports cable problems as collisions making easy to diagnose the problem.

 

[sn3rd]

Ok that was my point. Many switches do it, it's a great feature in that you can easily see problems with cables, connections, etc.

I never said actual collisions occur simply that the switch reports cable problems as collisions.

Agreed. Why are you and I always clashing?

 

[Gnome]

Agreed. Why are you and I always clashing?

I think we misunderstand

 

[sn3rd]

http://www.siemon.com/us/white_papers/97-10-02-presentation.asp

Sorry, I had to...

 

[sn3rd]

I think we misunderstand

I'm also the kind to provoke

 

[Gnome]

http://www.siemon.com/us/white_papers/97-10-02-presentation.asp

Sorry, I had to...

I've also never experience the problem when running CAT5e in the same conduit as power cables except when I helped a friend who was contracted to help lay cables for a company (there were kilometers of cable). Anyway in some areas the cable ran in the same conduit as 3-phase high voltage power cables and that did cause collisions to be reported by the Cisco switch we used. Could have been that the cables were damaged (very doubtful) or that the cable runs were too long but we didn't stay to find out our job was lay the cables not fix the problems.

I'm also the kind to provoke

Ah, well nothing wrong with a good argument (I don't take it personally)

 

[sn3rd]

Ah, well nothing wrong with a good argument (I don't take it personally)

Sounds like we have a symbiotic agreement