Cat 5 or Cat 5e ?

[deso]

I've tried researching this but cannot find a definite answer. I'm currently on Virgin's 10Mb BB service with one of their superhubs. I've put this into modem mode and connected it with cat 5 cable to a TP-Link 300mbps wireless N router as I can't get a decent wireless connection from the superhub in the room next door. My PC has a TP-Link 300mbps wireless network card. I can currently download torrents at 1 to 1.1 Mbps which sounds about right to me(?). Virgin will soon be upgrading me to their 20Mb service which presumably means I could then potentially download at 2Mbps. The question is, should I replace my Cat 5 cable with Cat 5e? Or will it make no difference? I think my confusion lies with the difference between Megabits per second and Megabytes per second, and the fact that it's not always obvious which is being quoted, e.g. Virgin's 10Mb (bits or bytes?) and Cat 5's 10/100 Mbps rating (bits or bytes?). If anyone can shed light on this for me I'd be eternally grateful.

[ChuckFickens]

It's all in bytes (small b)

Cat5 = 100Mb/s
Cat5e = 1000Mb/s

Both if which are a lot faster than your 20Mb/s internet so for internet use either would do just fine. If you are copying file about between machines a lot then the faster local link the better.

However...

You'd need gigabit rated switches (router) and network cards to get 1000Mb/s from any machine...

However2

300Mb/s is nowhere near what you'd get on wireless in one direction at any time.

Basically.... stick with what you have will be fine for internet, if you want fast connections between several computers on one site then Cat5e (or 6) would be best as long as all NICs and switches are fast enough. (and if you want fast on the LAN get rid of wireless all together, wireless is for mobility, not speed)

[ChuckFickens]

DOH...

It's all in bits (small b)

It's late, it's been a long day :)

[deso]

Thanks Chuckfickens, that's cleared things up nicely - I suppose I should have said I can download "at 1 to 1.1 MBps" just to be correct?

[ChuckFickens]

Yep...

Your 10Mb/s connection will give you (roughly) 1MB/s download.

It's another one of those computer things, like hard drives being sized at both 1000MB to a GB or 1024MB to a GB that could do with a proper standard being set rather than marketing departments picking the unit that looks best.

[deso]

In my experience they all use 1000MB! (whereas Windows uses 1024MB of course, guaranteeing disappointment for those not in the know).
Anyway it's nice to know Usain Bolt is telling me the truth and my BB speed is as advertised, and on your advice I think I'll revert to running my PC wired again if only to rid myself of the constant annoying messages that my wireless connection is now active. Thanks again Chuck.

[beso]

Bits or Bytes?

When reading the numbers, the small "b" is bits while the capital is Bytes.