[SOLVED] Do I need to upgrade my ethernet cable from ONT to router?

[msziegler83]

So about six months ago I upgraded all of the cat5e drops in my home to cat6. However the line from my ONT to the my hub where my router is located is still cat5e. Should I upgrade to at least a cat6 or cat6e. My biggest concern is that the cat5e line is congested since it can't handle the bandwidth that a cat6 or cat6e can. My ISP is Frontier and my plan is 500/500. I get those speeds on my pc that is wired to the network but haven't done any kind of load test, mostly from not knowing how, to really see if there is a need. I have a ASUS GT-AC2900 router. I have a hand full of cameras, at least 5 handheld devices, 1 wired pc, 1 laptop(sometimes 2), a hand full of smart home devices(mostly bulbs and plugs), 2 game consoles, 3 Rokus, maybe a few more things I forgot about. Any suggestions would be amazing. I'm not an IT guy nor do I work in that field. Most of what I know has been from research in my free time.

 

[USAFRet]

Assuming non-crappy cable, no upgrade needed.
Cat5e will do full gigabit performance out to 100 meters.

 

[SamirD]

Assuming non-crappy cable, no upgrade needed.
Cat5e will do full gigabit performance out to 100 meters.

Second this. Not only that, your existing 5e will even support 2.5Gbe and more than likely 5Gbe. You might even get 10Gbe to work on a short enough run.

In short, leave the cable alone.

 

[msziegler83]

Assuming non-crappy cable, no upgrade needed.
Cat5e will do full gigabit performance out to 100 meters.

OK so to my understanding of the difference between cat5e and cat6 is that, yes both can handle 1Gbe speeds, but cat6 is like adding more lanes to a highway but not increasing the speed limit. That's what I'm more concerned about since I have more lanes of traffic going to the router but a less lanes going to the ONT. I have fiber if that makes any kind of difference. Understand I'm not try to argue, just confused on how there wouldn't be a bottle neck between the router the ONT. 🤷‍♂️

Not sure if the cable is crappy or not but it is the cable that was installed before we bought the house about 11 yrs ago. House was built in 2005. I'm pretty sure it was installed when Verizon Fios was installed from the original owner.

 

[kanewolf]

OK so to my understanding of the difference between cat5e and cat6 is that, yes both can handle 1Gbe speeds, but cat6 is like adding more lanes to a highway but not increasing the speed limit. That's what I'm more concerned about since I have more lanes of traffic going to the router but a less lanes going to the ONT. I have fiber if that makes any kind of difference. Understand I'm not try to argue, just confused on how there wouldn't be a bottle neck between the router the ONT. 🤷‍♂️

Not sure if the cable is crappy or not but it is the cable that was installed before we bought the house about 11 yrs ago. House was built in 2005. I'm pretty sure it was installed when Verizon Fios was installed from the original owner.

There are no more "lanes". They are all 8 wires twisted into 4 pairs. As long as all 8 wires are connected, they are equivalent at gigabit speeds.

 

[USAFRet]

OK so to my understanding of the difference between cat5e and cat6 is that, yes both can handle 1Gbe speeds, but cat6 is like adding more lanes to a highway but not increasing the speed limit. That's what I'm more concerned about since I have more lanes of traffic going to the router but a less lanes going to the ONT. I have fiber if that makes any kind of difference. Understand I'm not try to argue, just confused on how there wouldn't be a bottle neck between the router the ONT. 🤷‍♂️

Not sure if the cable is crappy or not but it is the cable that was installed before we bought the house about 11 yrs ago. House was built in 2005. I'm pretty sure it was installed when Verizon Fios was installed from the original owner.

No.
There is no difference, not "more lanes".

gigabit is gigabit.
Up to 1000/1000 (gigabit), a Cat5e carries the same amount of traffic as Cat6/6e/7/8/Unobtanium....

 

[msziegler83]

There are no more "lanes". They are all 8 wires twisted into 4 pairs. As long as all 8 wires are connected, they are equivalent at gigabit speeds.

Maybe my highway and lanes was a bad example. The only benefit of cat6 over cat5e that I could find was that cat6 could carry more data at any given time than cat5e. Same speed, just more of it without getting congested, right???

 

[SamirD]

Maybe my highway and lanes was a bad example. The only benefit of cat6 over cat5e that I could find was that cat6 could carry more data at any given time than cat5e. Same speed, just more of it without getting congested, right???

cat6, cat6a, etc can simply carry signal better and more clearly. Now, that signal does not necessarily mean more speed. So imagine it's like having a better antenna on your radio--but if you're getting the radio station perfectly already, having a better antenna will gain you nothing.

 

[msziegler83]

cat6, cat6a, etc can simply carry signal better and more clearly. Now, that signal does not necessarily mean more speed. So imagine it's like having a better antenna on your radio--but if you're getting the radio station perfectly already, having a better antenna will gain you nothing.

I get that the speed won't change but the volume of data would be higher with Cat6 right? I can't find the graph I was looking at but it said that the Cat6 can run at a higher frequency which translates into higher volume of data at the same speed. I promise I'm not trying to be argumentative just trying to understand.

P.S. I miss spoke earlier 🤦‍♂️, I meant frequency not bandwidth.....I think lol

 

[USAFRet]

Maybe my highway and lanes was a bad example. The only benefit of cat6 over cat5e that I could find was that cat6 could carry more data at any given time than cat5e. Same speed, just more of it without getting congested, right???

Nope.

gigabit is gigabit. Whether that is from one system, or shared between a dozen.
Cat6a won't change anything.

 

[kanewolf]

I get that the speed won't change but the volume of data would be higher with Cat6 right? I can't find the graph I was looking at but it said that the Cat6 can run at a higher frequency which translates into higher volume of data at the same speed. I promise I'm not trying to be argumentative just trying to understand.

P.S. I miss spoke earlier 🤦‍♂️, I meant frequency not bandwidth.....I think lol

Higher frequency only matters if the hardware at either end uses it. If it is gigabit hardware, then it won't use it any more frequency. If it is 10GE hardware, then it matters. This is the equivalent of having a 150MPH speedometer in a 1966 VW microbus. The engine (network hardware at each end of the wire) can't use the "extra bandwidth" that the speedometer provides.

 

[msziegler83]

Higher frequency only matters if the hardware at either end uses it. If it is gigabit hardware, then it won't use it any more frequency. If it is 10GE hardware, then it matters. This is the equivalent of having a 150MPH speedometer in a 1966 VW microbus. The engine (network hardware at each end of the wire) can't use the "extra bandwidth" that the speedometer provides.

So basically.....I bought racing tires, racing suspension, and high octane fuel for 86 Corolla with a stock engine......perfect. LOL 🤦‍♂️

 

[msziegler83]

Thank you to everyone that helped me on this. Sometimes I don't explain my questions in a way that most people understand, just in a way that my ADD brain works. This has been informative.

 

[USAFRet]

So basically.....I bought racing tires, racing suspension, and high octane fuel for 86 Corolla with a stock engine

I have a hand full of cameras, at least 5 handheld devices, 1 wired pc, 1 laptop(sometimes 2), a hand full of smart home devices(mostly bulbs and plugs), 2 game consoles, 3 Rokus, maybe a few more things I forgot about.

1. Not all of those devices are actively moving traffic up and down to the outside world at the same time.
2. A lot of that traffic stays in house, between devices.
3. Game traffic is not nearly as much as people think it is.

I have 100/100 fiber from Verizon. And easily that many devices.
Could easily bump up to 500/500 or gigabit.

But I've never seen any performance throttling at 100/100. No matter what we're doing.

Now...if you have 10 users, all sucking down the latest Linux distro or 75GB game update at the same moment...it might make sense to get a fat pipe for the house. And of course your ISP will tell you it is necessary.
It is not.

And to the original question....There is no diff between Cat5e and Cat'X'.

 

[SamirD]

So basically.....I bought racing tires, racing suspension, and high octane fuel for 86 Corolla with a stock engine......perfect. LOL 🤦‍♂️

Yep! Pretty much! LOL! But you're ready for a 2jz engine swap.

 

[msziegler83]

Quote

Yep! Pretty much! LOL! But you're ready for a 2jz engine swap.

I laughed out loud and scared the <Mod Edit> out of my dog and kids. I love meeting nerdy people that are gear heads as well. Got and don't need it rather than need and don't got I guess. I did learn a lot from running the cable and terminating the ends myself. My wife doesn't need to know it literately did nothing.

 

[SamirD]

Quote

I laughed out loud and scared the <Mod Edit> out of my dog and kids. I love meeting nerdy people that are gear heads as well. Got and don't need it rather than need and don't got I guess. I did learn a lot from running the cable and terminating the ends myself. My wife doesn't need to know it literately did nothing.

Yeah, there's a common demographic for those that are into cars, computers, and photography--and I'm into all 3, lol.

Oh well, at least you should win any iperf races (look up iperf ).

 

[msziegler83]

Oh well, at least you should win any iperf races (look up iperf ).

Facts LOL

 

[kanewolf]

Quote

I laughed out loud and scared the <Mod Edit> out of my dog and kids. I love meeting nerdy people that are gear heads as well. Got and don't need it rather than need and don't got I guess. I did learn a lot from running the cable and terminating the ends myself. My wife doesn't need to know it literately did nothing.

I purposefully chose the VW microbus as my automotive example, since it is one of the most underpowered production vehicles ever made.

 

[msziegler83]

I purposefully chose the VW microbus as my automotive example, since it is one of the most underpowered production vehicles ever made.

I do believe it fit perfectly with my situation. lol