Want your home network to be as fast as lightning? The key lies in understanding the choice of network cables, configuring the optical network terminal and router, and those seemingly insignificant details. This blog will guide you through how to build a Gigabit network with Cat6 Ethernet cable and how to ensure your network speed is not limited by simple device checks and configurations. Let’s explore together and make your home internet fly!
Manual Repair
Chapter 1: In-Depth Analysis of Network Transmission Media
When we talk about achieving gigabit network access, the carrier of information at high speed – the network cable – plays a crucial role. The following will provide a detailed explanation of Cat 5, Cat 6, and Cat 7 cables:
Cat 5 network cable
Category 5 network cables, also known as CAT5, are an early type of twisted-pair cable that uses a precise spiral structure design to reduce crosstalk. It is mainly used for 10/100Mbps fast Ethernet, with a maximum transmission frequency of approximately 100MHz. Although widely used in the past, Category 5 network cables cannot meet current requirements for gigabit and higher speeds due to physical limitations.
Six-Category Ethernet Cable (CAT6)
With the development of technology, Cat6 cabling emerged. Compared to Cat5 cabling, Cat6 cables adopted stricter manufacturing standards and more advanced structural designs, significantly improving anti-interference capabilities and transmission efficiency. They can support a transmission rate of up to 1Gbps and, under ideal conditions, achieve a transmission distance of 100 meters – perfectly meeting the access requirements of Gigabit networks.
Seven-Category Ethernet Cable (CAT7)
Seven categories of network cable represent the pinnacle of current twisted-pair technology. It not only boasts a significant improvement in transmission rate, theoretically supporting up to 10Gbps of ultra-high speed, but also incorporates a complete shielding system in its design, including shielding between each pair of wires and overall outer layer shielding, thereby greatly reducing external electromagnetic interference and near-end crosstalk, ensuring the stability and accuracy of data transmission. However, seven categories of network cable is mainly used for future 10 Gigabit Ethernet or specific high-demand scenarios.
When building a Gigabit home network, choosing Cat6 cabling is the most economical and efficient option to fully unleash the potential of the Gigabit fiber. Ensuring that all connecting cables are of qualified quality and strictly following standard wiring practices is also an important link in ensuring network performance.
Chapter 2: Delving into Network Core Devices—The Impact of Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and Router LAN Port Bandwidth
The importance of the optical network terminal and its LAN port bandwidth
The Optical Network Terminal (ONT), also known as an optical modem, is the core device for home broadband access. Its function is to convert the light signal from fiber into a digital signal for use by home network devices. For users with gigabit fiber connections, whether the ONT supports gigabit transmission is particularly important. If the ONT’s WAN port only supports 100Mbps, even if the fiber-to-the-home rate is higher, it will be limited to within 100Mbps due to this bottleneck. Similarly, the ONT’s LAN port also needs to have gigabit output capabilities; otherwise, routers or other devices connected to it cannot achieve true gigabit speeds.
The role of bandwidth for the LAN ports on a router
The router’s LAN port is responsible for distributing received data to various terminal devices. When the router’s LAN port is limited to gigabit speed, even if other equipment is well-configured, it can only achieve gigabit network communication. Therefore, when building a Gigabit home network, ensure that the router’s WAN port can receive Gigabit data and that the LAN port can also provide Gigabit-level output capabilities so that all smart devices in your home can enjoy the smooth experience brought by high-speed networks.
In addition, it is important to note that some older or low-end routers may have an auto-negotiation mechanism for the LAN port rate. This means that even if the router itself supports gigabit speeds, it may downgrade to 100Mbps mode due to factors such as cabling and device compatibility. Therefore, correctly configuring the router parameters, enabling forced gigabit mode, and using a gigabit switch or direct connection are key steps in achieving an all-gigabit network.
After upgrading to Gigabit fiber, be sure to check and replace your Optical Network Terminal (ONT) and router with Gigabit devices, ensuring that all device interfaces meet the Gigabit standard
Chapter 3: The Mystery of Latency – How a Broken Thread Can Affect Gigabit Network Speed
Subnet cable failure and network performance degradation
The network remained connected throughout the speed test, with no obvious disconnections. As it’s a newly installed broadband connection, the wiring closet is quite cluttered, and I occasionally adjust the fiber modem’s cabling and power outlet location, which has resulted in speeds reaching gigabit on rare occasions.
Based on the previous information, we analyzed and ruled out various factors such as network cable model and optical modem LAN port speed, ultimately discovering that the culprit was a broken brown internal wire within the network cable
The reason for the disconnection: When the technician installed the crystal head, they pulled on this network cable a little too hard, causing one of the wires to break in half. It didn’t completely disconnect at the time, but subsequent adjustments to the optical modem’s position and repeated movement caused it to finally break.
Analysis of the Functions of Eight Wires in Six Categories of Network Cables
Six categories of network cables follow the TIA/EIA-568-B standard, consisting of eight twisted pairs with the following color coding:
- White Orange / Orange
- White and green / Green
- White and blue / Blue
- Tan / Brown
Under the Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T) standard, four pairs of wires within these eight lines work simultaneously, with the following specific functions:
- The white-orange and orange pair of wires (1 & 2) are used for sending data (Tx+/–)
- The white-green and green-green pair of wires (3 & 6) are used for receiving data (Rx+/-);
- The white-blue and blue pair (4&5) as well as the white-brown and brown pair (7&8) are not originally designated for use in Gigabit Ethernet, but may be enabled in certain advanced applications (such as partial PoE power supply or future technology extensions). In traditional 100Mbps networks, only the four wires 1, 2, 3, and 6 are actually needed.
The impact of broken chains on network speed
In the above situation, if a brown sub-line (brown or brown-white wire) is broken, it will theoretically cause a speed reduction in a Gigabit network environment because a Gigabit network requires all four pairs of wires to transmit bidirectionally at full speed. However, due to the automatic negotiation function often found in home network devices, when a cable problem is detected, it will revert to a lower rate mode that can operate normally, which is 100Mbps mode. This explains why even with one sub-line broken, the network can remain connected and operate at 100Mbps speed.
In short, while a broken brown fiber strand does not affect the basic operation of a 100-megabit network, it can be a key factor limiting network speed in a gigabit environment. Only through thorough diagnosis and repair can the full potential of the gigabit fiber optic cable be realized. This also reminds us that when encountering similar situations, we should not overlook any potential network infrastructure issues, even seemingly minor faults that do not affect basic connectivity, as they may become hidden obstacles to high-speed network experiences.