Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search
    • Register
    • Login

    I'm Wired 5E Can I use the 2.5 ports?

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Official Netgate® Hardware
    17 Posts 9 Posters 21.8k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • RobbieTTR
      RobbieTT @rcoleman-netgate
      last edited by

      @rcoleman-netgate

      I run 10 GbE all around my house on (quality copper) Cat5e. The longest run is 27m and has no issues with 10 GbE (or any NBase-T). Just forget it with CCA cables or those horrid flat cables.

      Domestic settings are very easy on higher-bandwidth ethernet. Very different to a datacenter, high-occupancy or the dreaded industrial environment.

      And yes, CCA is evil.

      ☕️

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • PhizixP
        Phizix
        last edited by

        @RobbieTT

        Same. I use 5E for several 10G runs about 25 - 30 ft in my house and have had no issues with my NetGear switches that have 2 10G ports for interlink.

        Phizix

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • johnpozJ
          johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @defcom5
          last edited by

          @defcom5 said in I'm Wired 5E Can I use the 2.5 ports?:

          did not know 5e was any higher than gigabit... Cool

          Just old plain 5 Can do more than gig as well.. I did a test while back when I found an old just cat 5 long patch cable 25 ft.. in one of my drawers I was cleaning out, sick of people saying you need 6 for gig, etc.. The gig standard clearly stated run over just 5..

          I took a picture of the cable showing it just 5, and my iperf test showing 2.37 gig over some usb nics to my nas.. And posted it, not sure if was here, or other forum - after someone saying you needed 6 for gig..

          An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
          If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
          Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
          SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

          AndyRHA 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • RobbieTTR
            RobbieTT @defcom5
            last edited by

            @defcom5

            Humble Cat 5e for the win:

            10 GbE OpenSpeedTest-Small copy.png

            ☕️

            D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
            • D
              defcom5 @RobbieTT
              last edited by

              @RobbieTT Frikin nice

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • provelsP provels referenced this topic on
              • AndyRHA
                AndyRH @johnpoz
                last edited by

                @johnpoz said in I'm Wired 5E Can I use the 2.5 ports?:

                I took a picture of the cable showing it just 5, and my iperf test showing 2.37 gig

                And here I thought you needed CAT6a, holy water and the blessing of 2 priests and the pope to do 1Gb... 😂

                Also CCA CAT6 doing PoE 1Gb over 60 feet no issues... A rodent chewed the CAT5 doing the same job. 😠 CCA may be evil, but it does work on a budget.

                o||||o
                7100-1u

                johnpozJ 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • Dobby_D
                  Dobby_ @defcom5
                  last edited by

                  @defcom5 said in I'm Wired 5E Can I use the 2.5 ports?:

                  overkill likely but anyway can I use my existing Cat 5E

                  But it is then for a longer time period of usage!

                  cabling from the 2.5gb ports on the 8200 for gigabit internet?

                  In many cases this will be not the problem, but if there will be
                  problems "occurring" you may be able to shorten down or
                  prevent them from the zero (start) point by using the "right"
                  equipment, following the given standards. As an example;

                  • Home network will be able to get the problems fast out
                    Often you try out and if something occurs you change it

                  • Business network you may search for ever the failure!
                    You follows the "standard" and don´t get any problems
                    So you may narrow down here to a minimum of failure
                    points you may have to search.

                  #~. @Dobby

                  Turris Omnia - 4 Ports - 2 GB RAM / TurrisOS 7 Release (Btrfs)
                  PC Engines APU4D4 - 4 Ports - 4 GB RAM / pfSense CE 2.7.2 Release (ZFS)
                  PC Engines APU6B4 - 4 Ports - 4 GB RAM / pfSense+ (Plus) 24.03_1 Release (ZFS)

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • johnpozJ
                    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @AndyRH
                    last edited by

                    @AndyRH said in I'm Wired 5E Can I use the 2.5 ports?:

                    needed CAT6a, holy water and the blessing of 2 priests and the pope to do 1Gb.

                    hahahah - yeah from some threads on the internet you would get that impression..

                    An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                    If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                    Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                    SG-4860 24.11 | Lab VMs 2.8, 24.11

                    RobbieTTR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • RobbieTTR
                      RobbieTT @johnpoz
                      last edited by

                      @johnpoz said in I'm Wired 5E Can I use the 2.5 ports?:

                      @AndyRH said in I'm Wired 5E Can I use the 2.5 ports?:

                      needed CAT6a, holy water and the blessing of 2 priests and the pope to do 1Gb.

                      hahahah - yeah from some threads on the internet you would get that impression..

                      Indeed - usually from those who only get as far as reading the numbers off the side of the cable.

                      Electrically there is zero difference between a quality Cat5e cable and those with much bigger numbers.

                      When you run multiple ethernet cable bundles thicker than a man's chest, running near RF-spewing devices, over and under power cables, at maximum length plus the stranded patch cables; the science as to why the higher categories need enhanced EMC/EMI & mutual and co-channel interference mitigation (to preserve the higher frequencies used) makes a whole lot of sense - especially so for certified installations.

                      Once you step into the benign RF environment of a small office or domestic house, with the shorter distances and orders-of-magnitude reduction in cable density, those additional mitigation measures do nothing but make the cable thicker and more difficult to work with. I'm more experienced in the high RF environment with certified cable runs and the heavy use of fibre. I don't do it at home though!

                      ☕️

                      D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • D
                        Daniel_Hyde @RobbieTT
                        last edited by

                        @RobbieTT

                        I have a small office and I couldn't even get 10 gig to work over 10m of shielded cat5e
                        I replaced the cables with shielded cat 6a and it still keeps dropping back to 5 gig
                        This is only two cables in the run.
                        I have 24 cat5e running to the main office and they do 2.5 gig no issues.

                        Thanks
                        Dan

                        RobbieTTR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • RobbieTTR
                          RobbieTT @Daniel_Hyde
                          last edited by

                          @Daniel_Hyde

                          Shielded cables can be another can-of-worms if not fully understood.

                          Try disconnecting one end of the shielding or try unscreened cable. 👍

                          ☕️

                          D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • D
                            Daniel_Hyde @RobbieTT
                            last edited by

                            @RobbieTT

                            I tried all of that already, I'm just going to run fibre instead when I get time.
                            Will make it future proof for higher speeds when I need them

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • First post
                              Last post
                            Copyright 2025 Rubicon Communications LLC (Netgate). All rights reserved.