Are crossover cables still effective for linking a file server to a gaming rig? Only two should be used on the network.
Are crossover cables still effective for linking a file server to a gaming rig? Only two should be used on the network.
Unless you're using 100M Ethernet (not 1G), no, they have no function. (Or more accurately, they'll function just like a normal cable and vice versa.)
You can link them together right away. But using a switch instead of a router means you’ll have to set up the IP addresses yourself for each device.
@Lurick and @AbydosOne have given you the right response, though my explanation was unclear, so I’ll clarify further. Yes, a crossover cable still works for linking two PCs directly. However, thanks to Auto-MDIX technology—also called auto-crossover—it’s possible to use a standard straight-through Ethernet cable as well. Most gigabit devices include Auto-MDIX by default; the only exceptions are older Cisco 2950 series switches from the early gigabit era. Auto-MDIX not only sets speed and duplex automatically but also detects if crossover is required, handling it internally. A brief pause prevents endless back-and-forth between devices with this feature, allowing them to stabilize quickly. Caution: a cable labeled TIA/EIA 568A on one end and TIA/EIA 568B on the other isn’t a true crossover. Such a setup only swaps two pairs; it won’t work for all four simultaneously. While Auto-MDIX devices can manage all four pairs at once, cheap cables from unreliable suppliers often cause problems. Brands like CableMatters or Monoprice offer dependable options that avoid these issues.