Netgear FE516 Installation Guide - Page 37

Installation Guide for the Model FE508 and Model FE516 Fast Ethernet Hubs Cable Guidelines Fast Ethernet uses unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable, as specified in the IEEE 802.3u standard for 100BASE-T. The specification recommends Category 5 UTP cable consisting of either two-pair or four-pair of 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 collision detection and receive. 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 termination; untwist at any RJ-45 connector or patch panel should not exceed 0.5 inch (1.5 cm). Cable Lengths Category 5 distributed cable that meets ANSI/EIA/TIA-568-A building wiring standards can be a maximum of 328 feet (100 m) in length, divided as follows: • 20 feet (6 m) between the hub and the patch panel (if used) • 295 feet (90 m) from the wiring closet to the wall outlet • 10 feet (3 m) from the wall outlet to the desktop device The patch panel and other connecting hardware must meet the requirements for 100 Mbps operation (Category 5). Workmanship quality is a must. Only 0.5 inch (1.5 cm) of untwist in the wire pair is allowed at any termination point. C-2 Fast Ethernet and Cabling Guidelines