Network cards use only 4 wires out of the 8 available in a standard Cat5e cable for data transfer.
Say I have one local switch with a number of local computers, and two computers in the shed a long way away, can I use the 4 spare conductors to send another set of data?
Or are the second set of wires only suitable for audio (telephone).
Yes, it's possible.
No, all the pairs are full bandwidth.
Dave.
Maybe this:
Why not just locate another switch in the shed?
The other four are actually used in quality installations where the equipment at both ends can run full duplex, aka 2x network speed.
Yes, plenty of places will sell UTP splitters which are designed to plug into wall plate and split the wires between two signals.
But as somene has said, why not a cheap hub/switch?
Only sometimes, and then to take advantage of the x2 speed, you need support of both switch AND card. To find this type of implementation in use, (and taken advantage of) is quite rare nowadays. There were only a few vendors who did this towards the end of one speed standard, and before the next. Vast majority of implementations use only two pairs, one for TX, the other for RX. The remaining two pairs are unused.
At a guess, it would be a by far greater chance of finding a two pair implementation in this case rather than a four. So (at a guess) he would be safe in assuming the other two pairs are unused.
Cost. If the user has provision to terminate the cables him/her self, then a few minutes worth of crimping is cheaper than a splitter adaptor or another cheap switch.
I've done this myself, but then two splitters were by far more expensive than an a cheap switch, and a switch was still a trip to the local computer shop.
The crimping tool and RD45 connectors were in a drawer here. So they won.
Jaycar sells a splitter that will do this for you: search for YT6090 on
:> Network cards use only 4 wires out of the 8 available in a standard Cat5e :> cable for data transfer. :>
:> Say I have one local switch with a number of local computers, and two :> computers in the shed a long way away, can I use the 4 spare conductors to :> send another set of data? :>
:> Or are the second set of wires only suitable for audio (telephone). :>
:>
: :Maybe this: : :
If you mean the P2315 splitter then it will work as the OP requires.
Its fine, go for it.
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