ethernet patch cables

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

Dollarama is selling Belkin 3.1m snagless CAT 5e patch cables for $1 each.  
Perhaps not everywhere and all the time.
  http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=541877

I bought 15, thinking that I'd then feel free to discard some of my
nastier cables.  But I am such a hoarder.  For example, I have "taken
out of service" a patch cable with a broken hook (the first of
several).  Will I throw it out?  Will I bring it to TLUG to give away?


The packaging describes these Belkin patch cables as "FastCAT5E(tm)".
"Each FastCAT5e cable has an increased frequency range of 250%,
providing the bandwidth necessary to reliable deliver your voice,
video, and data well beyond today's 100Mbps systems."  Isn't "well
beyond" only 1000BASE-T and probably not the next thing beyond that
(10Gig)?  Isn't CAT 5 OK for 1000BASE-T?  If CAT-5 is good enough, and
CAT-5e is better, and FastCAT5e(tm) better still, why do we need
CAT-6?

I don't really understand whether you want CAT 6 for 1G ethernet.
Wikipedia says CAT 6 is a cable standard for Gigabit Ethernet.  But it
also says 1000BASE-T was designed for CAT 5 and that CAT 5e is even
better for it.

I see that 1000BASE-TX (apparently no longer important) required
CAT-6.


I also learned that "RJ45" is the wrong term for the connector.  It
should be called "8P8C modular connector".


The warranty says that "For the life of the product, Belkin warrants
that this cable shall be free of defects in design, assembly,
material, and workmanship."  So if the cable dies, the warranty won't
work.  I don't get it -- isn't that when you want the warranty to
work?
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