M
AKING
N
ETWORK
C
ONNECTIONS
4-5
1000BASE-T Twisted-Pair Connections
A 1000BASE-T connection requires a shielded or unshielded
twisted-pair (STP or UTP) cable with RJ-45 connectors at both
ends. For all connections, Category 5 or 5e (recommended) cable
is required with all four wire pairs connected. You should also test
the cable installation for IEEE 802.3ab compliance. See
“1000BASE-T Cable Requirements” on page B-4.
Cabling Guidelines
The RJ-45 port on the SMC6900GT module supports 1000, 100, and
10 Mbps Ethernet operation, with auto-negotiation of speed,
duplex mode, and flow control. Because 1000BASE-T ports
support automatic MDI/MDI-X operation, you can use
straight-through cables for all network connection s to PCs or
servers, or to other switches or hubs.
Caution: Do not plug a phone jack connector into an
RJ-45 port. This will damage the switch. Use only
twisted-pair cables with RJ-45 connectors th at conform to
FCC standards.
Connecting to PCs, Servers, Hubs and Switches
1. Attach one end of a twisted-pair cable segment to the device’s
RJ-45 connector.