New cable

old Bill · Jan 21, 2007, 20:55:07

Hi,
I need to get a new cable for my router. My cat has started chewing it, not though the wire yet but it wont be long. Are some cables better than others at giving a good signal ?

AvengerUK · Jan 21, 2007, 22:10:31

Simple answer: Yes!

I used to have a "normal" cable, that i used for 56k actually, back when i had 512kbs. However, following this cable getting broken, i changed to a ADSLNation cable, shielded something or other - this vasty improved all of my stats!

MoHux · Jan 22, 2007, 00:11:22

Now you know why they call it CAT5 cable!!

old Bill · Jan 22, 2007, 11:46:08

Thanks for the advice. Have new cable on order from ADSL Nation. if helps Improve my stats as well that would be PURFECT

MoHux · Jan 22, 2007, 20:19:42

CrossTalk · Jan 23, 2007, 12:42:16

I'm curious about this one !

Being a natural sceptic, I was recently amused by Maplin offering me a "High Speed" adsl cable for £13, complete with Gold plated RJ11 connectors and tinned copper braided screen.

Given that my ADSL service is delivered over an unscreened 3km length of 20 year old twisted pair copper cable, mostly bundled with a whole load of other signal carrying cables and with a few punch down terminations along it's route - is there really much benefit to be had with all this flash cable for the last 3 metres ?

Phil.

AvengerUK · Jan 23, 2007, 12:44:20

No, it only made a difference with me if went direct from the router, to my master phone socket. - to do this is just bought two sets of the wire!

It was worth it in my case, as my line is really poor. - others may not see a difference!

Inactive · Jan 23, 2007, 12:49:23

I have had a similar discussion elsewhere about Gold Plated Scart Leads, there really isn't any benefit in putting Gold Plated anything in to a standard metal socket, indeed, over a period of time incompatablity may well cause the degradation of the link through metal corrosion.

I am not sure if that applies to Cat5 cables tho'.

As for the " copper " 3km of cable....I should be so lucky, mine is cr*ppy aluminium.

sallyandjames · Jan 23, 2007, 13:01:58

The only logic I can see in this situation is that the cables behind most people's routers tend to end up a coiled tangled mess stuffed down the back of somewhere or other.

The comms cables are invariable tangled with AC cables, and equally often end up sat coiled up near transformers etc.

We also tend to have more wireless appliances knocking around our homes than there is under the ground.

The cumulative effect of all this RF Noise *could* cause a fair bit of interferance on the line once its inside your house, so perhaps that the argument.

Personally I think its a load of tosh, and I wouldn't listen to a word of it.

/....wonders about getting one of these fancy new cables.

Nerval · Jan 23, 2007, 13:15:33

For a fee just less than you would otherwise spend on worthless junk, I can summon up the spirits of the departed, use pyramid technology, holistic phrenology, homeopathy, dowsing and crystal therapy to improve your broadband connection.

(Also available for weddings and bar mitzvahs.)

Inactive · Jan 23, 2007, 13:17:30

As long as they don't interfere with my wi fi set up...

sallyandjames · Jan 23, 2007, 13:31:59

@Nerval, thats the same technology as Plusnet use for fixing faults.

old Bill · Jan 30, 2007, 11:47:08

Well I can only speak as I find. It could be one of many factors but since I pluged in my new modem cable I have seen a diffrence noware near as many errors on the line and for me a speed increase. I chose a Belkin Pro Series in the end. For me it was worth the extra money.

Rik · Jan 30, 2007, 12:20:57

I used to be a cable sceptic. All this OFC audio cabling etc, I didn't believe that a bit of wire could make a difference to sound quality. Then I sat down with a £1k Meridian CD player and a £5k pair of Meridian active speakers, and auditioned a range of 'ordinary' and top end cables (I was paid to do this). I could definitely hear an improvement in clarity with the high-end cables, but I'm a bit of a perfectionist, so I then ran a 'blind' test on a group of friends and they, too, could hear the difference.

Now, this isn't much related to ADSL I concede

, but I do believe the shielded cables, which rely on the Faraday cage effect, have the potential to benefit users. The reason I say this is that, although relatively short in terms of the total line length, that piece between socket and modem is going to be in a hotbed of electrical activity which surrounds the average PC. I can't prove it works better than a normal cable due to the fact that changing it for a different cable forces a re-sync, but I do know that nothing locally appears to impact on my signal. I'm happy enough with that.

Nerval · Jan 30, 2007, 12:26:43

Bill
Can u give us a link to your particular cable and I'll give it a go and let you know my figures before and after.
I'm one of those sceptics who dismisses stuff like expensive cables, then buys a toprange SCART for my PVR "just in case" it makes any difference lol

Rik · Jan 30, 2007, 12:34:42

Actually, SCARTs are one of the best examples of good and bad cables. The cheap, unshielded ones, will often cause cross talk when used on a TV that outputs its signal on the SCART. A fully-shielded cable prevents this. Gold-plated contacts are always worthwhile, but I've yet to be convinced on the merits of OFC with such dire signal quality. One thing I am convinced of is that the SCART plug/socket itself is one of the worst designs I have ever seen.

old Bill · Jan 30, 2007, 12:43:47

This is ware i got my cable from. You may be able to get it cheaper as I did haggle a bit and get the price down.
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?BEL-102710

Inactive · Jan 30, 2007, 13:52:39

Quote from: rikbean on Jan 30, 2007, 12:34:42
Actually, SCARTs are one of the best examples of good and bad cables. The cheap, unshielded ones, will often cause cross talk when used on a TV that outputs its signal on the SCART. A fully-shielded cable prevents this. Gold-plated contacts are always worthwhile, but I've yet to be convinced on the merits of OFC with such dire signal quality. One thing I am convinced of is that the SCART plug/socket itself is one of the worst designs I have ever seen.

Sorry Rik, cannot agree with your gold plated theory, I do agree that a well shielded product may give some benefit.

I certainly agree with your last statement, whoever designed it ( I believe it was a French man ) certainly didn't give it a lot of thought.

Many scart related issues are because the bloody thing is loose or has fallen out.

A Parallel Printer type connection would have been so much better.

old Bill · Jan 30, 2007, 13:58:56

My Sky HD Box came with a basic HDMI cable. I brought a new and the picture is so much better.

Inactive · Jan 30, 2007, 14:03:39

I am still to be convinced that the HD picture on an LCD TV is any better than an SD picture on a good quality standard CRT TV....It may just possibly be as good on a good quality plasma set.

Nerval · Jan 30, 2007, 14:09:05

Yeah, I was watching HDTV in Dixons the other week, and the only difference I could see is that it looks clear from nearer.

But I do find the LCD pix to be clearer than the plasma ones.
I'd read that plasma is on the way out, but it seems to be making a comeback.

old Bill · Jan 30, 2007, 14:16:45

I have seen HD on cheaper tvs and its not that wonderful. However my tv is shall we say one of the better ones around (fancy german brand) and HD is really is stunning.

Rik · Jan 30, 2007, 16:23:55

Quote from: Inactive on Jan 30, 2007, 13:52:39
Sorry Rik, cannot agree with your gold plated theory, I do agree that a well shielded product may give some benefit.

Do you not find the lack of oxidisation a benefit over time? That's the only reason I advocate it.

QuoteI certainly agree with your last statement, whoever designed it ( I believe it was a French man ) certainly didn't give it a lot of thought.

Many scart related issues are because the bloody thing is loose or has fallen out.

A Parallel Printer type connection would have been so much better.

I agree on all three points. Of course, the French typically give it a different name (probably the guy who designed it!). Me, I'd have liked a Tuschel connection with a nice securing collar.

Inactive · Jan 31, 2007, 00:29:37

Quite the reverse Rik regarding oxidisation, I have found that a metallic reaction occurs due I guess to the incompatiblity of the gold plating against the standard socket, never seen that with a standard Scart Lead.

Indeed, the scart was called a Euroconnector in it's early days, it is still a flawed design by any name.

Nerval · Jan 31, 2007, 07:50:06

Any research metallurgists out there?