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This is not an ethernet cable. There is no such thing as an ethernet cable. There is virtually nothing more in the world that irks me comparably to this. There is no such thing as an ethernet jack/port or a network cable.
Ethernet is a type of technology, just the way bluetooth is a type of technology. Ethernet is a layer 2 technology in the TCP/IP stack and is a standard when it comes to communication between devices that are commonly found in a network. You don't see much ethernet in an ISPs network either; it is more common in businesses and home networks. All of this is unimportant to you though, and I don't expect people to know it because it's not common knowledge, but just remember, it is a technology, NOT a type of cable.
![[image loading]](http://wholesalecomputer.ca/images/uploads/RJ45%20Ethernet%20Network%20Cable.jpg) So what is this bitch anyway?
It is a twisted pair Cat5e (usually) patch cable, and the ends of it are terminated in two fashions. There are many variations of it, such as UTP/protected, stranded/solid, etc, etc, but patch cable will generally keep you safe from Grobyc facepalms. There are two different wiring schemes for an 8P8C mod plug (the ends of the cable): T568A and T568B. T568A is generally used in Canada, while T568B is widely used in the states. Terminating both ends with the same wiring scheme leads it whether it is classified as a straight through or crossover patch cable. Both ends with the same scheme makes it a straight through cable, and you guess it, having one side an A and one side a B makes it a crossover. Generally, crossover cables are used to reverse two of the pairs of the four that ethernet communicates over when the devices on both ends communicate with one another. To make an analogy, if you didn't reverse them you would have two mouths talking to each other and two ears listening to each other, which leads nowhere. Devices such as switches automatically do the crossover for you, meaning a straight through cable would be needed instead, unless you have two switches connected to each other. Most modern devices and network cards have an autosensing feature that will detect if the pins need to be reverse and do so on their own, so it is becoming less and less of a potential problem, but it's still something to be aware of if you have old equipment per se.
+ Show Spoiler +Another thing that is also annoying, but to a lesser degree, is that there is no such thing as an RJ-45 plug/jack. RJ-45 is simply the term for the wiring scheme of an 8P8C modular plug (the one at the end of your patch cables.
+ Show Spoiler [Further readings/explanations for thos…] +
Anyway, that's my rant for the day because I've seen so many people calling them ethernet cables and it's making me go crazy. Obviously, this is something the everyday person shouldn't be expected to know, but I gotta start somewhere, right? I hope some of you learned a thing or two regardless.
  
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But....but....don't people call it an ethernet cable?
+ Show Spoiler +What about network cable?
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It must really kill you inside that people call facial tissues Kleenexes instead of facial tissues.
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I remember when i played xbox my Ethernet cable was so long
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On October 20 2011 11:29 seiferoth10 wrote:
It must really kill you inside that people call facial tissues Kleenexes instead of facial tissues.
Same with velcro, qtips, etc, etc, @_@
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umm, yeah ill start calling it a patch cable then when people have no idea what im talking about ill have to say ethernet cable anyways. Quit getting so worked up over semantics.
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Obviously I'm not about to snap on someone who calls it an ethernet cable in person. What's the harm in enlightening people about it?
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Well, the way you wrote it makes it seem like its an issue that extremely annoys you.
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Yeah it is. It's not something I can just switch off though.
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On October 20 2011 11:34 Grobyc wrote:
Obviously I'm not about to snap on someone who calls it an ethernet cable in person. What's the harm in enlightening people about it?
Uhh... you said...
"There is virtually nothing more in the world that irks me comparably to this"
Someone calling a patch cable an ethernet cable, is the thing that pisses you off more than anything in the world? Wtf man. Chill out.
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Words and language are a means of communication.
If you get the point across then it doesn't matter what its called.
That said, to avoid making you angry would Cat5 cable suffice? 
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I doesn't matter man, I do networking and no fuss
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Eh saying cat5 cable just sounds wrong. When I say ethernet cable, EVERYONE knows what I mean so I just say that.
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I'm reading this in my CCNA class right now.
I feel your sentiments bro. =P
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On October 20 2011 11:37 EscPlan9 wrote:Show nested quote +On October 20 2011 11:34 Grobyc wrote:
Obviously I'm not about to snap on someone who calls it an ethernet cable in person. What's the harm in enlightening people about it? Uhh... you said... "There is virtually nothing more in the world that irks me comparably to this" Someone calling a patch cable an ethernet cable, is the thing that pisses you off more than anything in the world? Wtf man. Chill out.
Since when does irk mean "pissed off"? I thought it was pretty clearly an overexageration.
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I used to work in a data center where there were server racks with literally HUNDREDS of different cat5 cables and the best was when you had to replace one and somebody had racked sloppily...
![[image loading]](http://www.axcessdatasolutions.com/images/dell_rack3_s4gb.jpg)
welcome to my world from like 2009-2010 lol. :D
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Before you became super gosu? :D
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Australia7069 Posts
what happens when my ethernet cable loses its hard plastic mould thing at the end. can u fix it? i dont wanna buy new ethernet cables
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Oh no someone uses a colloquial name for something let me blog about it!
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That's what blogs are for amirite
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But there exist Cat6 and other spec cables that people use to connect devices communicating with one of the Ethernet standards (well, really should be IEEE 802.3).
There are also many different types of devices you could be patching together, many of which are not using Ethernet and not using a Cat5e cable or similar. So "patch cable" is not very specific at all.
Because the spec of the cable is often irrelevant for consumer use, calling the cable by the intended use (Ethernet) rather than the spec seems pretty reasonable to me.
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On October 20 2011 12:51 Myrmidon wrote:
But there exist Cat6 and other spec cables that people use to connect devices communicating with one of the Ethernet standards (well, really should be IEEE 802.3).
There are also many different types of devices you could be patching together, many of which are not using Ethernet and not using a Cat5e cable or similar. So "patch cable" is not very specific at all.
Because the spec of the cable is often irrelevant for consumer use, calling the cable by the intended use (Ethernet) rather than the spec seems pretty reasonable to me.
The Ethernet standards include physical layer specifications, of which the assorted CAT's combined with RJ-45 are a part. So indeed it *is* an Ethernet cable, just not exclusive to Ethernet-we commonly use more basic(often obnoxious and proprietary) link layers over Cat5e and RJ-45 physical layers for short distance inter-device communication, as the cables are easy to wire. There are other cables also included under the Ethernet physical layer, such as assorted coax standards that have fallen out of grace due to expense and obnoxiousness to wire.
I have never seen CAT5 cables used with any other connector standard then RJ-45 in industry, unless you are wiring a RJ-45 connector to one end and an RS-232 connector to another to cludge together something. There is probably someone out there who does it but it is not the norm.
CAT5 and RJ-45 form the de-facto standard for any communication that uses the Ethernet link layer-to the extent that a CAT5 cable with RJ-45 connectors is synonymous with Ethernet, and if you were to use CAT5 cables or RJ-45 connectors with anything else you would be explicitly clear in your spec. As far as wiring schemes versus plugs-in industry parlance RJ-45 is specific to the 8P8C connector in any actual use, and if you say "RJ-45 connector" everyone will know exactly what you mean.
On a spec sheet it may be more specific-but on a conference call among engineers it is an Ethernet cable and a crossover cable in industry parlance, even if we never intend to use Ethernet as the link layer.
As an example: I was on a conference call earlier this week with one of the biggest network equipment OEM suppliers in the world, and their engineers said they wanted our device to communicate with their device with Ethernet cables, and there was no confusion on either side.
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Ethernet cable is simple and doesn't confuse people who don't know the proper terminology, so I use it.
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On October 20 2011 12:51 Myrmidon wrote:
But there exist Cat6 and other spec cables that people use to connect devices communicating with one of the Ethernet standards (well, really should be IEEE 802.3).
There are also many different types of devices you could be patching together, many of which are not using Ethernet and not using a Cat5e cable or similar. So "patch cable" is not very specific at all.
Because the spec of the cable is often irrelevant for consumer use, calling the cable by the intended use (Ethernet) rather than the spec seems pretty reasonable to me.
Yes I know; I said "generally" and "usually" so that I did not exclude other potential configurations. I simply described the configuration most commonly found in small businesses and home networks. I also linked to the Ethernet wiki page which goes over the IEEE standards and labels ethernet as 802.3. I also never said I was going to go over the different types of devices and what cables would be used to connect them. This was simply a quick glance at it, I'm not teaching a course here. I never said "patch cable" was specific at all either, I said it is enough to prevent me from rolling my eyes. I clearly stated there are many different factors and differences in the cables in the beginning of the third paragraph. Once again, I said I wasn't going in to depth on the matter. If I wanted to go over the things you touched on I could have easily made this twice as long.
I agree with InvalidIDs post, and I'm not saying that engineers won't understand what you mean when you say "ethernet cable". I'm saying that it is not technically correct. Of course it is simple and I'm not asking everyone to go preach to their friends otherwise. This is more so for personal knowledge, which is why I linked URLs to further dive in to the topic should the readers wish.
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Used for transferring Ethernet frames ... so Ethernet cable works just fine, as does patch which is the default. Plus Ethernet cable can also be BNC with coaxial :D A patch can also be a fiber cable you plug into the media converter card.
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People sure like complaining about everything.
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On October 20 2011 17:06 dakalro wrote:
Used for transferring Ethernet frames ... so Ethernet cable works just fine, as does patch which is the default. Plus Ethernet cable can also be BNC with coaxial :D A patch can also be a fiber cable you plug into the media converter card.
You could also say it's an IP cable since it transfers IP packets. The IP packets are encapsulated within an ethernet frame which is converted to a digital signal which is sent over a copper (in this case) medium. Why don't we just call it a signal cable? Cat5e prefix to specify further, etc, etc, but once again, patch cable is close enough for it to not bother me so much lol.
On October 20 2011 17:53 Sotamursu wrote:
People sure like complaining about everything.
Yeah, they even complain about complainers.
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On October 21 2011 01:43 Grobyc wrote:Show nested quote +On October 20 2011 17:06 dakalro wrote:
Used for transferring Ethernet frames ... so Ethernet cable works just fine, as does patch which is the default. Plus Ethernet cable can also be BNC with coaxial :D A patch can also be a fiber cable you plug into the media converter card. You could also say it's an IP cable since it transfers IP packets. The IP packets are encapsulated within an ethernet frame which is converted to a digital signal which is sent over a copper (in this case) medium. Why don't we just call it a signal cable? Cat5e prefix to specify further, etc, etc, but once again, patch cable is close enough for it to not bother me so much lol.
I disagree with the reasoning here and think you're missing an important point. edit: well maybe not "missing" but not emphasizing something I think that is relevant
IP does not define physical layer and can be used over many different kinds of physical medium or wirelessly.
802.3 standard, as pointed out earlier, includes physical layer and MAC/link layer. It defines functional, electrical, and mechanical specs for cables that should be used. This is why there's less ambiguity in what is meant, even though the terminology may not be correct.
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IP does not define physical layer
IP does define physical layer because any layer in the TCP/IP stack includes all of the layers beneath it. IP is constructed of the definitions of data link layer protocols such as ethernet (802.3), wireless (802.11), frame-relay, HDLC, PPP, etc, along with its own network layer definitions, so I'm going to have to disagree with you there.
and can be used over many different kinds of physical medium or wirelessly.
Right, just like ethernet can be used over different kinds of physical mediums as well, so "ethernet cable" is ambiguous as well, just to a lesser extent.
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I'm not talking about TCP/IP stack, but how does IP itself (well IPv4 or IPv6, if you will) define other protocol layers?
To use IP, you will need something underneath it, but IP itself doesn't define those details. How is it "constructed of the definitions of data link layer protocols" and what do you mean by that? An IP packet's payload will contain header information for lower layers, but I don't see what else you mean there.
edit: Ethernet can be used with different medium as well, but the specs for those are actually defined, and the majority of deployments use a certain one of those specs.
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On October 21 2011 06:13 Myrmidon wrote:
I'm not talking about TCP/IP stack, but how does IP itself (well IPv4 or IPv6, if you will) define other protocol layers?
To use IP, you will need something underneath it, but IP itself doesn't define those details. How is it "constructed of the definitions of data link layer protocols" and what do you mean by that? An IP packet's payload will contain header information for lower layers, but I don't see what else you mean there.
edit: Ethernet can be used with different medium as well, but the specs for those are actually defined, and the majority of deployments use a certain one of those specs.
Okay, poor choice of words on my part. My point was that IP specifies which layer 2 standards it can operate with, which in turn define the functional, electrical, and mechanical specs for cables that should be used. I shouldn't have said IP defines the physical layer [itself], but it defines which layer 2 standards it operates with that do. I hope we can agree here at least.
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On October 16 2011 12:40 Grobyc wrote:
I still have about 2-2.5 cups of pot butter
Pot is a type of weed, you are a hypocrite.
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It's like calling a penis a dick, people can call it whatever they want to call it.
As long as the meaning stays
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You mean the 500 dollar bluetooth cable I bought isn't real?
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Grobyc I can't help but notice that the wiki articles you linked are littered with things like this..
"An unkeyed 8P8C modular connector, often found on Ethernet cables"
LOL gg son.
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Yeah that's what I get for linking a site that can be edited by the public for a source. You also see the correct stuff that contradicts that like "Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks" though, so I stand by my point, and I'm sure anyone would know studies networking would.
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Let me put it another way. If you'd ever ask me for a patch cable I'd inevitably train my eyes towards the big cardboard box and ask "What kind?". I have cat5e ethernet with rj45, cat5e ethernet with 3 other types of connectors, 4 wire rj11 - analog modem, 10 wire with 5xrj11 on one end, db25 on the other, 10 wire db25-db25 for synchronous serial, db9 wires straight or cross for rs232, db9 wires straight or cross with level conversion (ttl-232 soldered on the connector), fiber ethernet cables, rs485 cables and a lot more. They're all patch cables by definition. What kind?
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I might just start calling it Internet Cable. Internet Cable, Internet Jack, Internet Port, etc.
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On October 21 2011 22:31 dakalro wrote:
Let me put it another way. If you'd ever ask me for a patch cable I'd inevitably train my eyes towards the big cardboard box and ask "What kind?". I have cat5e ethernet with rj45, cat5e ethernet with 3 other types of connectors, 4 wire rj11 - analog modem, 10 wire with 5xrj11 on one end, db25 on the other, 10 wire db25-db25 for synchronous serial, db9 wires straight or cross for rs232, db9 wires straight or cross with level conversion (ttl-232 soldered on the connector), fiber ethernet cables, rs485 cables and a lot more. They're all patch cables by definition. What kind?
I think you need to re-read my OP if you couldn't answer that...
I said the kind people refer to as ethernet cables are cat5e straight through or crossover, terminated with the RJ45 scheme. For the 3rd or 4th time, I said patch cable was just close enough and better than "ethernet cable", and I followed up by going further in to detail on what kind of patch cable...
Take straight from the OP, word for word:
"It is a twisted pair Cat5e (usually) patch cable, and the ends of it are terminated in two fashions. There are many variations of it, such as UTP/protected, stranded/solid, etc, etc, but patch cable will generally keep you safe from Grobyc facepalms. There are two different wiring schemes for an 8P8C mod plug (the ends of the cable): T568A and T568B. T568A is generally used in Canada, while T568B is widely used in the states. Terminating both ends with the same wiring scheme leads it whether it is classified as a straight through or crossover patch cable. Both ends with the same scheme makes it a straight through cable, and you guess it, having one side an A and one side a B makes it a crossover."
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EPT![[image loading]](http://www.sickpc.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/cat-5e-ethernet-cable.jpg)
