Broadband cable length decision, help needed

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Greycap

Greycap

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The situation is that I have a distance of about 15 metres from the phone socket to the spot I'll place my computer at. The choices are to place the modem/router right next to the socket and then install a 15m RJ45 Ethernet cable between it and the computer, or to install a 10m RJ11 phone cable between the socket and the modem/router and then a 5m Ethernet cable between it and the computer.

Which one will cause more signal loss, and if it's the 10m RJ11, how much higher will that loss be?
 
Signal loss is mainly based off of wire gauge. Both RJ11 and RJ45 have 22-24 gauge wire, so the signal loss over the 15 meters should be the same. The only thing I'd imagine that would be affect that would be if the modem amplifies the signal back up a touch thus making the 10m RJ11 --> modem --> 5m RJ45 the better choice.

All-in-all, I can't see that it would really make that much difference either way.
 
phone line and ethernet cable are of essentially the same construction. Differences should be negligible. I would go with the longer ethernet just so you don't have a freaking modem blinking at you every millisecond.
 
CAT5 ethernet is lossless up to around 75m, whereas the RJ11 is losing signal all the way from the exchange. Put the router by the phone socket, then run ethernet the 15m to your computer.
 
GilesGuthrie
CAT5 ethernet is lossless up to around 75m, whereas the RJ11 is losing signal all the way from the exchange.
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That's pretty much what I had in the back of my head but decided to ask to make sure. Now the problem is that I'll actually need two ethernet cables (which is harder to hide than one) but I'll come up with something. Thanks everybody! 👍
 
On a recent broadband training course, I learned that it matters greatly what the phone cable is made out of. Cheap tin wiring will add the equivalent of 1 mile from the exchange for every meter of cable used. Either use a high quality phone extension or cat5. cat5 will be the best bet.
 
Greycap
Now the problem is that I'll actually need two ethernet cables
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Because . . .??

If it's because you have 2 network devices where your PC is, then go ahead with the long phone line. Just get a good one.

It's hard to give a correct answer with incomplete information, or with new parameters after the answer was given.:dopey:
 
Because I indeed have two devices, the PC and the PS3 that is. Then again running two cables along floor lists is just a matter of attaching them to each other (electricity tape, here we come) and the mentioned modem blinking at me isn't too nice.
 
I used to have to run my modem from one room to another, using a 15meter cable, the RJ11 just cause alot of errors and disconnects, so I ran an Ethernet cable in its place and worked perfectly for the 2 years I had it set up like that.

What I actually ended up doing was having a Modem as close to the phone line as possible, and ran a 15meter Ethernet cable through to my next room where it plugged into my wifi router which then connected both the PS3/computer to it.

If you wanted to keep things tidy, I have picked up a set of these recently ( http://www.netcomm.com.au/products/ethernetoverpower/np201av_homeplug ) where it will send a ethernet signal over your home power lines. Currently in my house, I have a PS3 in the living room, one in the garage (soon) and my modem/phone line connection is in one of the bedrooms (don't ask me why, old house, weird wiring) This allows me to run both of my PS3's off an Ethernet connection allowing for better stability for online play and freeing up their wireless connections allowing both to be able to be used for Adhoc Party.
 

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