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cabling guidelines C-1
APPENDIX C: CABLING GUIDELINES
This appendix provides specifications for cables used with the NETGEAR Model
GS524T Copper Gigabit Switch.
Using 1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet over Category 5 Cable
Overview
When using the 1000BASE-T standard, the limitations of cable installations and
the steps necessary to ensure optimum performance must be considered.The most
important components in your cabling system are patch panel connections, twists
of the pairs at connector transition points, the jacket around the twisted pair cable,
bundling of multiple pairs on horizontal runs and punch down blocks. All of these
will affect the performance of 1000BASE-T technology if not correctly imple-
mented.The following sections are designed to act as a guide to correct cabling for
1000BASE-T.
Cabling
The 1000BASE-T product is designed to operate over Category 5 cabling, but to
further enhance the operation, the cabling standards have been amended.The latest
standard is Category 5e, which defines a higher level of link performance than is
available with Category 5 cable.
If installing new cable, we recommend using Category 5e cable, since it costs about
the same as Category 5 cable and will increase performance. If using the existing
cable, be sure to have the cable plant tested by a professional who can verify that
it meets or exceeds either ANSI/EIA/TIA-568-A:1995 or ISO/IEC 11801:1995
Category 5 specifications.
Length
The maximum distance limitation between two pieces of equipment is 100 m, as
per the original Ethernet specification.The end to end link is called the “channel.”
TSB-67 defines the “Basic Link” which is the portion of the link that is part of the
building infrastructure.This excludes patch and equipment cords.The maximum
basic link length is 295 feet (90 m).