How to approach a 325' cable run? 2

[dmeach]

I have a warehouse enviroment, with the server about 325' from the production floor. I need to have access on the floor. I currently have Linksys switches (EZXS55W)and 1000' of Cat6 unshielded wire. What are recommended distance between switches? Can I purchase a 325' premade cable?

 

[bkrike]

The maximum length of cat5e (category 5e cable) you can have between computers (nodes) on your 1000 or 100 mbps network is 100 meters or 328 ft. The standard is actually 90 meters plus 10 meters for patch cables. So, you are very near the maximum. If your run would include going up and down walls, with the addition of patch cables, you would probably be over the limit.

That is the answer to keep everything working correctly. I have run cables up to 380 feet without problems, but I may have been lucky.

So, your options are to run the copper cable as is, and possibly have no connection, or a bad/ slow connection. Or to put a switch somewhere in the middle of the run. Or to run fiber. You could get a pre-made fiber cable that long, but after the cable and converters you would be near 6-7 hundred dollars in materials. Whereas a 4 port switch could be had for $50.00. The switch option assumes you have an accessible power outlet somewhere in the middle. If not, add that to the cost.

 

[skip555]

you might also want to take a look at this product

http://www.netsys-direct.com/proddetail.php?prod=NV-200EKIT

I dont have any experiance with it . somebody posted it awhile back so I bookmarked it

 

[oldtimerbob]

Run one cable about 200 feet and plug it into a hub or switch,thus making the cable a 'backbone'.
Run your second cable to the new station location.

This should work well for you providing there is electrical power at the site of your new switch location,which has now become a consolidation point.

 

[jkupski]

I have some very long cable runs around here (over 600'!) and what we do in situations like this is run cat6, and force the link to 10mbps half duplex at both the switch and the client. It works.

Don't get me wrong--this is obviously not the right way to do things, and I wouldn't recommend that anyone else do it, either. On the other hand, management never wants to hear that it will cost more than the price of cable and labor to put a "temporary" device on the network. Of course, some of those "temporary" devices have been there for half a decade or more at this point...

 

[dmeach]

Thanks for all the great info. I'll go ahead with the cat6 cable with a switch at each end. Any input on attaching the ends to the cable?? does wire position matter?

 

[phoneguy55]

325 should work even if you add on patch cables. If you are running 10/half even better.

You could run a 200 foot cable. Terminate it. Plug it into a 8 port LAN switch. Then run another 200 foot cable. That should work.

 

[skip555]

attaching ends?

terminate everythiong to a cat6 jack and use a cat 6 factory made patch cords to get optimom performance

dont crimp plugs on the end of the cables

 

[bkrike]

dmeach- yes wire position matters.
There is only one way to do this part of the job to insure you don’t end up chasing your tail. Put cat5e jacks on each end of the cable (assuming you don’t have a patch panel.) Then, from the jack to the switch, and from the other jack to the computer, use store bought cat5e patch cables.

 

[bkrike]

or-better yet- do as skip says and use cat6-
same idea...better jacks

 

[aarenot]

I would do this, if cost is a factor, and you are doing it in house. Survey the site. Look for a path with power so you can add a hub or switch later if needed. Only run up to the ceiling if that is shorter than running the cable along the wall. The ceiling if 40' will add 80' to the run.
Use cat6 cable, and run it past the power outlet in the path. Stay away from electrical devices as much as possible. Test it, if it works, go to lunch. If it does not, cut the cable and add the hub.

You do not always get what you pay for, but you never get what you do not pay for.