[SOLVED] Getting weird results with Ethernet cables and PS4. Need help please!

[HFM1101]

Hi,
I have a very perplexing problem and don't know where else to turn. I'd appreciate any advice please.

Just upgraded to new ISP (Virgin Broadband Hub 3) offering average speeds of Download 362Mbps Upload 36Mbps. I have a PS4 Original (i.e. not the Slim or Pro) and am using Ethernet for connection. I'm trying to find out what sort of Ethernet cable to buy for optimal speed for LAN.
Here is where I'm confused.

I have three cables here that I've been testing the speed with and none of it really makes sense.

Cable 1. -
Using an old round black Ethernet cable (I do not know what model, but it's old, have had it since days of PS3) is getting me around 216Mbps and 8Mbps.

Cable 2. -
A flat UTP Cat5 cable that is giving me faster results, sometimes up to 280Mbps and sometimes up to 10Mbps upload. Link for cable is this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004WCPIO0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Cable 3. -
A round UTP Cat6 cable which is consistently giving me around 43Mbps download and around 2-3Mbps upload. Link for cable is this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J3V0408/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I assumed that the Cat6 would give the best result. There is nothing wrong with the cable, it has been tested with a laptop and with that we're getting the actual speeds we're paying for with the contract... 360+Mbps, 30+Mbps and 9ms ping.
Does anyone have any idea why this newer, more modern cable would be giving these results? Is it because the PS4 Original cannot cope with this type of cable?

I need to buy a new cable (these others are on loan while I figure it out) and I'd like to try to get somewhere close to the speeds that my ISP is providing. I was going to buy a flat STP Cat6, 7, or 8 (future proofing) but I'm very confused why the Cat6 is giving such horrendous results.
As an aside, my ping, even with the cable giving the best result, is now three times higher with this new service provider than with the old, and the old was giving just 43Mbps max with 4Mbps upload. I was consistently getting 6ms ping for gaming with that. With the new ISP, it's 18ms.

Help appreciated.

 

[kanewolf]

Hi,
I have a very perplexing problem and don't know where else to turn. I'd appreciate any advice please.

Just upgraded to new ISP offering average speeds of Download 362Mbps Upload 36Mbps. I have a PS4 Original (i.e. not the Slim or Pro) and am using Ethernet for connection. I'm trying to find out what sort of Ethernet cable to buy for optimal speed.
Here is where I'm confused.

I have three cables here that I've been testing the speed with and none of it really makes sense.

Cable 1. -
Using an old round black Ethernet cable (I do not know what model, but it's old, have had it since days of PS3) is getting me around 216Mbps and 8Mbps.

Cable 2. -
A flat UTP Cat5 cable that is giving me faster results, sometimes up to 280Mbps and sometimes up to 10Mbps upload. Link for cable is this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004WCPIO0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Cable 3. -
A round UTP Cat6 cable which is consistently giving me around 43Mbps download and around 2-3Mbps upload. Link for cable is this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J3V0408/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I assumed that the Cat6 would give the best result. There is nothing wrong with the cable, it has been tested with a laptop and with that we're getting the actual speeds we're paying for with the contract... 360+Mbps, 30+Mbps and 9ms ping.
Does anyone have any idea why this newer, more modern cable would be giving these results? Is it because the PS4 Original cannot cope with this type of cable?

I need to buy a new cable (these others are on loan while I figure it out) and I'd like to try to get somewhere close to the speeds that my ISP is providing. I was going to buy a flat STP Cat6, 7, or 8 (future proofing) but I'm very confused why the Cat6 is giving such horrendous results.
As an aside, my ping, even with the cable giving the best result, is now three times higher with this new service provider than with the old, and the old was giving just 43Mbps max with 4Mbps upload. I was consistently getting 6ms ping for gaming with that. With the new ISP, it's 18ms.

Help appreciated.

A quality cat5e cable is all that is required. I recommend these Monoprice cables on Amazon UK They are 100% copper, and 24 gauge wire.

 

[HFM1101]

Thank you for the link. However, I'm really after a flat cable, and preferably STP as there are a lot of electronic devices nearby, and I can't seem to find that combination at a reasonable length on Amazon.
Do you have any idea why the Cat6 would perform so dismally? Because although I realise it's overpowered for what I need, the Cat6 & 7s are readily available in flat cable, etc. I have no clue why the 6 wouldn't work with PS4, and would be very grateful for any info to help sort the confusion. Thanks.

 

[bill001g]

So the short answer as to why your "cat6" cable does not function is it is not a ethernet cable.



Why do you listen to marketing guys and not engineers. Marketing guys job is to tell lies and get you to buy stuff you don't actually need. You need to read at least wiki articles to learn the basics about the technology.

"CATx" means nothing and why they can tell likes. Ethernet is based on standards like eia/tia and a couple others.

The standard very clearly says for a cable to be a ethernet cable it MUST be pure copper with wire size 22-24. Anything else is not actually a ethernet cable. Flat cables have wires around size 30. This is way to small to actually meet the requirements.


You only need quality cat5e cable and stop believing marketing guys.

Cat6 cable was designed for running gigbit over 2 pair rather than 4 pair. Nic manufactures never implemented it so it provides no advantage over cat5e.

Cat6a is the standard used for 10g cable but if you plug it into gigabit ports it only runs a gigabit it does not provide any advantage.

Cat7 was never fully certified and still only runs at 10g. It mostly just cost more money.

Shielded cable is mostly marketing guys trying to scare people. In a home installation you don't actually have the problems shielded cable is designed to fix. It is large industrial installs. Best example would be the sales guy who tries to sell you snow tires explaining all the technical details why it is so good in snow except you live in south flordia where it never snows. You actually have to have the problem in the first place for shielded cable to fix it. In addition you are going to install it improperly and actually increase your chance. You can't just plug it into equipment. To be properly installed it MUST have grounding wires on each end connected to the shield that lead back to a separate ground rod. Would be crazy to run extra heavy copper wires to each room just to connect up a network cable. This is something really only a data center can accomplish.

 

[HFM1101]

Why do you listen to marketing guys and not engineers.

...That's why I'm here...

So the short answer as to why your "cat6" cable does not function is it is not a ethernet cable.

If the Cat6 is not an Ethernet cable, then why is it the cable provided by Virgin with the Hub3?

With the Virgin Cat6 cable, the connection to laptop is giving top speeds as advertised, but plugging into PS4 is abysmal.

 

[bill001g]

Did they give you a actual cat6 cable or do you mean the flat cable. The thing that makes it a fake cable is that it has thin wires they use to make it flat. There are actually cat6 cables they meet cat5e standard but also support running over only 2 pairs. Since all equipment uses 4 pairs you pay extra for the ability to run on 2 pair but it runs the same as a cat5e.

Actual certified ethernet cables have EIA/TIA printed on them. These companies pay for the right to do this to show they meet the standards for cables.

Now there are some very dishonest companies in china that print this on fake cables but most that is direct shipped from china and sold on amazon and ebay.

Even a full certified cable from the best manufacture can fail. All it takes it someone to pull a little too hard and get one wire just slightly loose in the plug connector.

A cable that is either damaged or fake can work in some equipment and not others. It depends how tolerant the equipment is for a cable that is out of spec. The fake cable guys would not be able to sell their products if they did not work at all.