Question about a network patch cable my company is using...

[SLPFirehawk]

The network patch cables only use 4 wires:
      pin 1 - blue-white
      pin 2 - blue
      pin 3 - orange-white
      pin 6 - orange

Does this cable support 100Mbps Fast Ethernet?  Why would one set up a patch cable to use just 4 wires instead of all 8?  This network was set up well before I got here, so I didn't do it :

Thanks!
Hawk

 

[randal]

yup, it'll do 100mb, no problem. As for why it's like that ... I don't know. There is no reason [afaik] to not pull normal CAT5 8 wire cable.

$.02
randal

 

[ScottMac]

There should be some printing on the cable that says "rated Category (3,4,5,5e)" on the jacket of the cable. If there's no specific label, then it's unrated cable (not even cat 3). If it works at all, is likely to give poor throughput, intermittent network problems, and the person in charge of infrastructure a headache and expanding bald spot.


FWIW

Scott