Ethernet Cable confusion.

[Dhdhdhdhsux]

Hi I'm really new to PC gaming and I'm sort of confused about what Ethernet is and how it works. I have 2 cables that I'm not really sure if they are Ethernet cables but they are 1 yellow and 1 gray one with some writing on the sides. Is there a way to identify if a cable is for Ethernet? Also is there some Ethernet cables that are better than others or are they all basically the same. Sorry if this is hard to read my English is not the best. I have 2 photos of the cables attached with this post

[W-L]

5 minutes ago, Dhdhdhdhsux said:

Hi I'm really new to PC gaming and I'm sort of confused about what Ethernet is and how it works. I have 2 cables that I'm not really sure if they are Ethernet cables but they are 1 yellow and 1 gray one with some writing on the sides. Is there a way to identify if a cable is for Ethernet? Also is there some Ethernet cables that are better than others or are they all basically the same. Sorry if this is hard to read my English is not the best. I have 2 photos of the cables attached with this post

 

 

Both are Ethernet cables given the larger RJ45 jack compare to a phone cable RJ11. One thing you will want to look for on the cables is it denoting it as a Cat 5e spec to ensure you get the full potential gigabit connection speeds. 

[PeachGr]

Usually yellow is the Ethernet, and gray is for the phone. I think Ethernet cables are the same. The provider would provide the cable that it's suitable for the speed that you pay anyway

[Moonzy]

5 minutes ago, Dhdhdhdhsux said:

I have 2 cables that I'm not really sure if they are Ethernet cables but they are 1 yellow and 1 gray one with some writing on the sides. Is there a way to identify if a cable is for Ethernet?

they all look like RJ45 cables to me, and used as ethernet cable for most consumers

5 minutes ago, Dhdhdhdhsux said:

Also is there some Ethernet cables that are better than others or are they all basically the same.

there are different standards for RJ45 cables that comes with different rating for speed and distances

but they are all cables with the same connection from end to end, just that they may be shielded, or have higher gauge wiring, tighter twists etc etc to achieve stability at different speed and distances

 

look up google for CAT ratings to learn more

[PeachGr]

1 minute ago, W-L said:

One thing you will want to look for on the cables is it denoting it as a Cat 5e spec to ensure you get the full potential gigabit connection speeds. 

I think car 5e refers to the inside the wall cables, because old structures don't have em. And from router toll PC it's good anyway

[Roswell]

4 minutes ago, PeachGr said:

Usually yellow is the Ethernet, and gray is for the phone. I think Ethernet cables are the same. The provider would provide the cable that it's suitable for the speed that you pay anyway

They’re not color coded. 

[keysbeast13]

really for in house any cat5 cable will be fine but the coloring realy has nothing to do with anything. some of the manufactures of modens and routers supply different color cables like linksys i always got a blue cat 5 cable for there wireless routers and then the modems i have gotten from atlantic broadband were yellow and there are all in one units so they also have wifi built into them just use what cable you think you need 

[W-L]

7 minutes ago, PeachGr said:

I think car 5e refers to the inside the wall cables, because old structures don't have em. And from router toll PC it's good anyway

In the wall usually it's recommended to have STP (shielded twisted pair) to ensure you don't have interference especially if near other cables. The reason to look for CAT 5e is to ensure you get the gigabit speeds as some of those prepacked patch cables from ISP's I have seen only rated at CAT5 which will limit you speeds to only 100mbps. 

[Dhdhdhdhsux]

9 minutes ago, Moonzy said:

they all look like RJ45 cables to me, and used as ethernet cable for most consumers

there are different standards for RJ45 cables that comes with different rating for speed and distances

but they are all cables with the same connection from end to end, just that they may be shielded, or have higher gauge wiring, tighter twists etc etc to achieve stability at different speed and distances

 

look up google for CAT ratings to learn more

 

12 minutes ago, W-L said:

Both are Ethernet cables given the larger RJ45 jack compare to a phone cable RJ11. One thing you will want to look for on the cables is it denoting it as a Cat 5e spec to ensure you get the full potential gigabit connection speeds. 

I am looking on side of grey cable and it says "cat5E 4PAIR UTP" and on side of yellow cable it says "VERICOM CAT. 5E U/UTP PATCH CORD 24AWG" do you know which one is better to use?

[W-L]

Just now, Dhdhdhdhsux said:

 

I am looking on side of grey cable and it says "cat5E 4PAIR UTP" and on side of yellow cable it says "VERICOM CAT. 5E U/UTP PATCH CORD 24AWG" do you know which one is better to use?

They will perform exactly the same as both are rated as CAT 5e. 

[Dhdhdhdhsux]

3 minutes ago, W-L said:

They will perform exactly the same as both are rated as CAT 5e. 

Thank you brother you are hero for EGYPT country

[Kisai]

1 hour ago, Dhdhdhdhsux said:

Hi I'm really new to PC gaming and I'm sort of confused about what Ethernet is and how it works. I have 2 cables that I'm not really sure if they are Ethernet cables but they are 1 yellow and 1 gray one with some writing on the sides. Is there a way to identify if a cable is for Ethernet? Also is there some Ethernet cables that are better than others or are they all basically the same. Sorry if this is hard to read my English is not the best. I have 2 photos of the cables attached with this post

 

 

The only thing that makes an Ethernet Cable an Ethernet cable is the RJ45 connector and the wiring order. The actual wire (eg Cat5,5E,6,6A,7) etc doesn't necessarily need to be ethernet, which is why looking at the writing on the cable jacket isn't meaningful unless you can't see the ends of the cable.

 

Regular Ethernet cables are wired straight through.

Cross-over cables are wired differently and are intended for connecting two pieces of equipment without a switch, hub or router in the middle. All 1Gbit equipment will auto-negotiate both the connection rate, duplex setting and the need for cross-over mode (Auto-MDI-X). So cross-over cables are not needed except when connecting two non-Gbit devices, pre-1998 together.

 

 

[Doqtori]

7 hours ago, Vitamanic said:

They’re not color coded. 

They used to be

[Alex Atkin UK]

8 hours ago, Doqtori said:

They used to be

Not that I recall, a lot of my patch cables were blue, then there was a phase where they were yellow, AFAIK you've always been able to choose.  All plain ethernet cable (for in-wall installation) I've seen has been grey, simply because its neutral and if you ever want to surface mount it doesn't stick out too much.