Are Cat6 and Cat5e not perfectly compatible?

[Nixlimited]

So, I was rearranging some of my network today (notably moving my router to a different room) and I noticed something very odd.

When I had things plugged in as such:
Modem->Router->Wall plate to wall plate via Cat5E patch cable->Cat6 Jumper->Switch->Laptop (via Cat5e)

I had no internet (and the switch port would not light up).

When I replaced the Cat6 jumper with a Cat5e cable, the port lit up and I had fine internet. Just to confirm this, I took another Cat6 jumper and had the same problem.

Now, coming out of the switch, I have all Cat6 jumpers feeding the wall plates for the rest of the house, and the net works fine for all them.

It's like the run from the router to the switch needs to be all the same spec cable???

 

[valentin]

The 5e and 6 cables are compatible. You have got a problem with cable plugs making contact.

Also if the cables are old, they may got used to specific plug holes, and not make good contact when you use them in other holes.

Finally, do you use always the same variant of rj45 plugs? There are two standards, visually the same, but the plugs are slightly different in width, like 0.5mm.
________
Suzuki tl1000r specifications

 

[Nixlimited]

The 5e and 6 cables are compatible. You have got a problem with cable plugs making contact.

Also if the cables are old, they may got used to specific plug holes, and not make good contact when you use them in other holes.

Finally, do you use always the same variant of rj45 plugs? There are two standards, visually the same, but the plugs are slightly different in width, like 0.5mm.

Haha, have no idea. I thought about the contact issue, which is why i tried multiple jumpers. For now it is working and I am not likely to mess with it lest I have to.

 

[thiggins]

Haha, have no idea. I thought about the contact issue, which is why i tried multiple jumpers. For now it is working and I am not likely to mess with it lest I have to.

What made it work again?

 

[Nixlimited]

What made it work again?

I replaced a cat6 jumper with a cat5e cable. I know it makes no sense, but that's what cured the problem.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Never had a problem mixing CAT6/5e/5 cables.

Are the CAT6 cables home-made? Or factory built?

 

[thiggins]

Must have been a bad cable. As YeOlde said, there should be no issue with mixing cable CAT types.

 

[Nixlimited]

Must have been a bad cable. As YeOlde said, there should be no issue with mixing cable CAT types.

You would think that's the problem, but I tried multiple cat6 jumpers and no-luck. Better yet, the same cat6 that will not work from wall->switch, will work fine from switch->wall. It's baffling.

 

[robkampen]

Wiring Standards

I wonder if you have been caught by differing wiring standards.
There are only three for RJ45 plugs and sockets!!! Go figure.
There is T-568A and T-568B - these swap the pins that pairs 2 and 3 (orange and green pairs) are connected to. Thus they can act like a cross over if you mix these up, as 10BaseT and 100BaseT only use pairs 2 and 3. The blue and brown pairs are not used for basic ethernet connections.
PoE and GigEthernet use the additional pairs.
There is also USOC layout but I seldom come across this one.
I have usually used T-568B throughout (sockets and plugs) and find all works well with the routers and switches I have used (Linksys, Netgear, D-Link Allied-Telesyn) plus the various DSL and cable boxes provided by ISPs.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Are these home made or factory built CAT6?

568a or the more oft used 568b...doesn't matter as long as the cable has the same type on both ends.

 

[Nixlimited]

Are these home made or factory built CAT6?

568a or the more oft used 568b...doesn't matter as long as the cable has the same type on both ends.

Nope, all store-bought. And again, they work just fine in a different arrangement.