Crimping Cat5e related question

[rohitgangal80]

Hi,
I have a LAN cable with RJ45 connectors that is way old. I got it sometime in 2012. It still works but I guess it must be CAT5 cable. Despite both my PCs have Gigabit LAN, this connection gives 100Mbps despite setting Auto Negotiate. I am directly connecting, not thru any router.

Now I think if I replace it with CAT5e I should get 1Gbps. Is my understanding correct? Kindly help me on this.

If so, my next question is, is there any difference in wire configuration for CAT5e when it comes to crimping with Rj45 connector? Is the process exactly the same for CAT5 & CAT5e?

I do have spare RJ45 connectors and a crimping tool that I have used it in past. But I guess the cables were all CAT5 back then.
Thanks.

 

[COLGeek]

What are you "direct connecting" to? What make/model device?

 

[rohitgangal80]

I am directly connecting 2 Windows PCs on LAN socket using RJ45 cable. It connects fine but at 100Mbps. It's very old cable and I suspect it must be CAT5. It's Straight cable not CrossOver. I do have CrossOver cable too but when I use it, both ends show cable unplugged.

 

[nigelivey]

Cat5 and Cat5e are crimped the same, the difference is in the method of shielding.

 

[COLGeek]

nigel is correct. Are there any markings in the cable itself?

https://lifehacker.com/5994163/whats-the-difference-between-these-ethernet-cables-and-will-they-make-my-network-faster

 

[bill001g]

If you got the cable in 2012 it likely is cat5e cable. Since the cost to manufacture cable is about the same they stopped making cat5. Most times the cable will drop to 100m if the blue or brown pair...assuming stand cable colors...has issues. Most times one end of the cable has poor connection to the plug.

I used to make a lot of cable and I no longer bother. The cost of premade cable has come way down. I only still do it if I need a cable that must be some length that is not easily obtained.

 

[rohitgangal80]

Thanks a lot. I will then definitely give it a try with CAT5e cable.

 

[rohitgangal80]

Well eventually the root of the problem was something else! In the first case it was my desktop PC and X200MA laptop.

I did manage to create a new working CAT5e by crimping it properly, however I still got 100Mbps between them. Then I switched my X200MA laptop with my Vaio laptop and I got 1Gbps with that newly created cable.

Then I tested with my very old cable in question (which did not have any markings, it was given to me by an IT employee in my earlier workplace) and I still got 1Gbps between PC & Vaio. So indeed the very first cable in question was also CAT5e as suspected by user bill001g.

The root of the problem is that I wrongly assumed that my Asus X200MA LAN must be Gigabit. Despite this being relatively new model. Bought in 2015 whereas Sony Vaio was way back in 2010, the X200MA's LAN is just 10/100. Bit surprised to see outdated LAN on relatively newer computer.

X200MA was a gift to me so I never really checked the specs unlike how I do so before buying anything in computer hardware!