Transmission at 100Mbps using an 80m Cat6 cable
Transmission at 100Mbps using an 80m Cat6 cable
Hey guys! Need some help from tech savvy people. I wanted to get decent internet to another building located in my garden, so I dug a small trench, put a conduit in ground, put inside 80 meters of cat6 ftp cable and thought I was ready to go. The problem is that I only get 100mbit on the end, though I have a 250mbit internet. So connecting my router to my PC via short cable gives 250mbit, connecting same router with same PC via 80m cat6 cable gives 100mbit. My first idea was that 1 of 4 pairs in cable is physically damaged and thus I get limited to 100mbit (94- 98 Mbit in speedtest.org. no more no less with good ping). I bought a cheap cable tester, as in picture, and it showed me that both wires were terminated in correct order and signal goes through all 8 of them. My second idea was that my router TP-Link Archer C6 gave out very weak signal that was not able to travel for 80m, but from what I read online it is not that likely if wire is less than 100m. So not sure if buying new router would change anything. Any idea how that can be solved? What could be an issue?
Inspect the devices linked to the Ethernet cables and confirm their settings are correct. Be aware that Windows auto-negotiation can sometimes fail, requiring manual adjustment of connection speed. Also, ensure any switches between the house wiring and your equipment support gigabit speeds.
Both my laptop and router support gigabit speeds. There are no intermediate devices such as switches. The router is connected directly to the PC via a 80m cat6 cable, and the PC uses a 100m bit router. Updated July 4, 2021 by Andrew Back
Ensure the wires match in sequence on both ends of the cable. The tester checks color matching, not slot placement. Use T568B as it’s standard for patch cables. If you have CCA cable, which is lower quality, disable power-saving features in your network settings to avoid extra power usage.
Thanks in advance. I reviewed the cable specifications and confirmed it is CCA. I didn’t realize I needed to consider cat 6 certification before purchasing. If I plan to install a router at each end, should I disable the power-saving features on both devices? Are there other options I should explore?
Connecting routers together is usually not recommended. The second router might operate independently, forming its own network. This can lead to double NAT, which can be problematic in certain situations. The preferred approach is to use a network switch instead. For Wi-Fi, an access point works well. Some routers support AP mode, though not all do. If you manage to get an AP-enabled router, you can connect a second router and switch it to AP mode. However, avoid chaining routers through NAT, as it can cause complications.
Only cat5e is suitable for gigabit speeds. It works well up to 2.5gbps when using solid or stranded copper wire and compatible network cards or interfaces that support the latest standard. Cat6 offers up to 10gbps over roughly 50 meters, while 2.5gbps is possible at shorter distances. Routers and switches need to handle the cable type effectively. The best advice is to purchase high-quality pure copper Ethernet cables and use them for other applications instead.
It must be genuine copper wire, not just CCA, to be a true Cat 6 spec cable. Many sellers mislead about this. Cat 5e works well for gigabit speeds, and even supports 2.5Gbps and 5Gbps. You only need Cat 6A for 10Gbps. Always verify it's pure copper, not CCA.