[SEL] O.T. Computer Problems

Bill Dickerson bill at antique-engines.com
Wed Jul 7 05:36:28 PDT 2004


CAT 5 is "category 5" cable, it's the level of quality, put simply.
There are a certain number of twists in certain pairs of wires within the
cable, in short.
Could get the full specs, but that's not needed here.
Phone cable is low-quality cable, made for voice only, static doesn't
matter.
Categories 3 on up improve the cable quality, thus reducing noise and
interference and allowing higher frequencies to traverse the cable with less
interference.
There's a bit more to it, but again, not needed here.
I mis-spelled, I suspect. D mark is the point outside your house (usually
outside) where the phone cable owned cable from the outside joins the house
cable that you own and are responsible for - it's the point where their
wires and your wires connect, typically on the side of the house, usually
outside.
If you run a clean, good cable from that point to the computer, you really
reduce the possibility of problems. There are so many splices and break
points in the phone wiring in a house, and they use the cheapest cable
possible, again, they wire and guarantee it for voice only. They really
don't have to make it any better than that.
I do a "home run" (one cable, no breaks, no splices, straightest route) from
the point of the phone company cable to my computer. I had to to remove
interference and static. A modem WILL hang up or disconnect if there is poor
signal quality - i.e.. Static, cross-talk, etc. This also allows the highest
possible speeds - modems "negotiate" speeds - they start high, then keep
dropping speed until they get to a point that communications are good. A bad
cable can mean a 56K modem will connect at only 28.8 or LESS. A good cable
can improve that, ASSUMING all else in the line is good........
The phone lines in West Des Moines where Barbara's store is are so bad that
a computer/fax which SHOULD send and receive at 14.4 can only connect at
7200 - THAT is SLOW for a FAX.
DSL is even slow there!

Bill

-----Original Message-----
From: sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com
[mailto:sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com] On Behalf Of
Germoamer at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2004 6:31 AM
To: sel at lists.stationary-engine.com
Subject: Re: [SEL] O.T. Computer Problems


In a message dated 7/6/2004 11:07:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
bill at antique-engines.com writes:

<< I went to a brand new internal
 modem and ran CAT5 cable from the demark to the back of the computer. >>

Bill,

You computer gru's keep on talking so an illiterate like me can learn.  What

is a CAT5 cable and denmark?  Is this something that can help connection 
speeds to a phone line?

Tom Schmutz
Concord, Va. USA
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