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I just tried to get my new 20m Cat 7 cable to run, but I am only able to reach 100mbit.

I have already bought an expensive connector testing/DIY kit a few years ago. When I check the cable I can clearly see that all 8 pins get through (and at the right sequence) and it's even grounded.

I have checked it multiple times, the connector and the cable are both Cat 7, as well as the hardware. With another cable, it works without any problems. I wouldn't normally put this much effort in it, but the cable is already in my wall and was horribly hard to get there.

The cable is directly connected from the router to the computer, without any switches or other stuff between.

Do you guys have any ideas what the problem could be?

spikey_richie
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Vernox Vernax
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  • CAT 5e, CAT 6, and CAT 7 will all pass 1 GB/sec. Is your source limited 100 MB/sec ? – John Nov 09 '20 at 18:46
  • No thats not the case. Apart from the router showing me the slower connection, network is limited to 10mb/s. The computer is actually a nas. As I have already said, the problem is not the router or any other stuff in the network. A different cable works perfectly. – Vernox Vernax Nov 09 '20 at 18:53
  • You may have a cable problem. Good CAT 5e through 7 will all do 1 GB/sec. Maybe a limiting switch somewhere? – John Nov 09 '20 at 18:54
  • As I have already said, there is absolutly NOTHING between the nas and the router. The other Computer has a working 1gbit connection. – Vernox Vernax Nov 09 '20 at 19:02
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    I cannot help you farther. Top quality cable works at 1 GB/sec – John Nov 09 '20 at 19:05
  • What is the router and are you using the latest firmware? Have you tried another network adapter on your computer? – harrymc Nov 09 '20 at 19:12
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    Is the cable running parallel to a mains power cable, and is therefore susceptible to external interference/EF noise? Also "horribly hard to get there"; are there hard kinks or pinches in the wire? – spikey_richie Nov 09 '20 at 19:51
  • To harrymc: with a different cable, I have the full 1GBit To Spikey_richie: its a very hard extra thicc shielded cable. Although it is possible there are some pinches with the cable in our chimney, I dont understand that 100mbit would just work fine if this would have an effect on it. – Vernox Vernax Nov 09 '20 at 20:00
  • @VernoxVernax It could be damaged just enough to take out 1GBit but let 100MBit work. I also worry about "chimney"--heat damage? – Loren Pechtel Nov 09 '20 at 20:21
  • Exactly which tester do you have? Most pinout testers can't detect split pairs. Most of the time people ask this question, they have a split pair. – Spiff Nov 09 '20 at 21:40
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    @John Be careful with units. There's no 100 MB/s or 1 GB/s Ethernet standard. You mean 100 Mb/s and 1 Gb/s. 1 GB/s = 8 Gb/s. (B = byte, b = bit) – gronostaj Nov 09 '20 at 21:49
  • I meant the standard units bits/sec. My error on that. But cables from 5e and up do handle 1 Gbits/sec – John Nov 09 '20 at 21:53
  • @LorenPechtel: My intial thought was, that there is somekind of damage, but all 8 pins connect perfectly fine. That chimney isn't in use, I just wanted to explain that the cable isn't in a 5mm pipe. – Vernox Vernax Nov 10 '20 at 23:18
  • @Spiff: The only thing I know of, is that it has already worked on a different cat 7 cable and is "certified" for it; on the package. EDIT: Seems like the connectors are the problem. I have re-cabled both ends at least 5 times, though. Because of frustration and other kinds of emotions, I just put some random wall sockets on both ends, and this solved it. Dont ask me why. Thank you a lot for trying to help me! – Vernox Vernax Nov 10 '20 at 23:19
  • @VernoxVernax Any home tester is going to be checking continuity, not performance at 1gbit. – Loren Pechtel Nov 11 '20 at 04:06
  • Can you please share a response to the question since you have fixed the issue ? – iOSGeek Nov 11 '20 at 13:04

2 Answers2

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Seems like the connectors are the problem. I have re-cabled both ends at least 5 times, though. After I have lost my mind a little bit, I just put some random wall sockets on both ends, and this solved the issue. Dont ask me why. Thank you a lot for trying to help me!

EDIT: My cable has a solid core. Thats why it didn't work. I would have needed a stranded core for the connectors I used. Solved, thanks to dirkt.

Vernox Vernax
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  • Guess: solid core cable vs. stranded cable, and you tried to crimp it? – dirkt Nov 12 '20 at 14:01
  • Yes I have tried everything I can think of. – Vernox Vernax Nov 12 '20 at 14:13
  • Sorry if I wasn't clear. There are cables with solid core, and cables with stranded core. The former are meant for wall sockets, the latter are meant for patch cables with crimped ends. If you tried to crimp a cable with solid core, it's no surprise that it didn't work for 1Gbit; actually it's a surprise that it worked at all, and you got 100 Mbit. So look at your cable, and if it has a solid core, and if you tried to crimp that (both are not clear from your description), but if it worked with a wall socket, then you've found the reason. – dirkt Nov 13 '20 at 03:52
  • That has to be the reason. Thank you very much. Now I finally understand the difference between patch and wall cables. Weird that this isn't explained anywhere in the store or by the customer service. – Vernox Vernax Nov 19 '20 at 12:55
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[Copying comment as answer, in case anybody else runs into this and finds this question]

There are cables with solid core, and cables with stranded core. The former are meant for wall sockets, the latter are meant for patch cables with crimped ends. If you tried to crimp a cable with solid core, it's no surprise that it didn't work for 1Gbit; actually it's a surprise that it worked at all, and you got 100 Mbit. So look at your cable, and if it has a solid core, and if you tried to crimp that (both are not clear from your description), but if it worked with a wall socket, then you've found the reason.

dirkt
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