Cables to Go TE100-S55 manual Getting Started, Cabling Rules and Site Preparation

Chapter 2 Getting Started

Cabling Rules and Site Preparation

Although 100Base-T and 10Base-T are alike in many aspects, there are slight differences in the cabling rules. So, spend some time in locating and reconfiguring your cabling structure for the best network layout.

The key cabling rules for 100Base-TX are:

•The 100Base-TX specification requires two-pair Category 5 UTP or two-pair Type 1 STP cable.

•The maximum cable length from an end-station to a hub or repeater is 100 meters.

•The maximum number of repeater1 hops allowed is two.

•The maximum network diameter is 210 meters: two segments of 100 meters with two repeaters/hubs no farther apart than 10 meters are allowed.

•Switches are not considered as a repeater. Therefore, there are no limitation to repeater hops or to the network diameter distance. However, the maximum cable length from an end- station to a switch still remains at 100 meters.

1A single or a stacked 100Mbps hub is counted as one repeater. A switch is not counted as a repeater, but is treated as an end-station when applying the topology rules.

13