Hey, so you already have a twin and Earth, but your network cable is acting up like a bad one.
Hey, so you already have a twin and Earth, but your network cable is acting up like a bad one.
He has roughly 4 to 5 meters of twin and earth cable, which is a non-twisted main cable used for networking in his garage. It connects at his master socket where twisted pairs enter his home and continues inside to feed existing twisted pairs that power his router and phones. The cable is close to the actual mains power cable that supplies electricity throughout the house. He experiences frequent intermittent internet issues and slow speeds, but insists this part shouldn’t matter much. He believes the problem is worse on his older desktop than on his newer laptop he bought himself. Someone could help explain why changing this section would really improve his connection. TIA Jim
The internet plays a role beyond just the Wi-Fi or Ethernet chip. A newer laptop with improved chips and better ports can perform better than an older desktop using a cheap USB adapter. Still, it’s wise to upgrade the cables for long-term reliability, maybe switching to proper Ethernet connections.
The setup involves more than just basic twisted pair wiring. Different standards require varying numbers of wires—three for twin and earth, two for DSL, eight for Ethernet. It’s possible multiple twin and earth pairs are used or that coaxial cable is integrated before the modem. If it’s a coaxial connection, intermittent internet issues aren’t surprising. Coaxial cables for internet can be quite sensitive to conditions.
UK specifications still rely on a single twisted pair. Only one wire is sent for transmission while another is used for reception from the same set. The phone line signal travels through the same two wires as internet and employs a filter to separate the internet data for the router and the phone signal for home use. Essentially, he has incoming twisted pairs entering his home—this supplies the four meters of unused wire, twin and earth connections—which are picking up various electrical interference and distorting the signal. This setup feeds into his existing twisted-pair wiring that connects to the filter and then to his phone/router. I experienced the same issue in my own home, except we had roughly three meters of untwisted phone cable running from the main supply into our master socket. I advised him to replace the poor mains cable with Cat5e or better, and ideally recable everything from the main in to the house socket using quality Cat5e. But he refused to make the changes.
Keep it simple. He was informed about the advantages of changing, you’ve fulfilled your role, so don’t force it any further. If he decides not to follow, that’s his choice.
Cable installers must adhere to specific guidelines when laying wires. In Australia, this follows the Australian cabling standards (AS/CA S009). Other regions have their own rules. For LV power cables, maintain 50mm clearance unless space is limited; use 25mm with a metallic barrier for HV power. High-voltage cables require 450mm single-core, 300mm multi-core, or 150mm multi-core with a metallic barrier. These dimensions exist because Ethernet relies on power transmission alongside data signals. When power cables are too close, they can distort Ethernet’s binary signals, causing inaccurate readings. For deeper insight, see the technical guide on "sending bits" in Practical Networking. In the past, dial-up setups used two twisted pairs per connection—one for phone and internet, with a spare for fax or DSL. Now, NBN FTTP is standard, and Ethernet cables are recommended to meet these requirements. It’s a practical DIY project, though it seems ethernet pricing matches power cable costs, making it affordable and widely available. The twists in cables help block interference from electronics, microwaves, and power lines.