Cabling Tips
Within a second or two of connecting both ends of a network cable, the corresponding
lights on your hardware should light up. Lights should be visible
right on the network adapter, whether it??™s in the back of your desktop computer
or in the side of your laptop. (Note that some devices use multicolor
LEDs that appear green if the connection is correct, and red if it??™s wrong.)
Flashing lights usually mean data is being transferred.
Connect all your cables while your switch and any other equipment are
turned on and while Windows is running. That way, you??™ll see the corresponding
lights go on, indicating that the switch, router, or NIC has detected
the new connection. Note that the lights only confirm that the cabling is correct;
they won??™t tell you whether the drivers and protocols are correctly
installed.
Use only category-5 (Cat-5) patch cables, except for a few very specific situations
that require category-5 crossover cables. Use a crossover cable to connect
two computers directly (without a hub, switch, or router) or to connect
two switches. In some cases where a DSL/cable modem connects directly to a
computer with a patch cable, a crossover cable may be required to connect
either of these devices to a hub or switch (naturally, consult the documentation
to be sure). Either way, if the lights go on, you??™re using the right kind of cable.
When measuring for cables, always add several extra feet to each cable; too
long is better than too short.
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