Cat 6 cable showing only 100Mb

grimeire · 19-05-2023 4:22pm #1

Hey so a very frustrating day after wasting house of time for nothing.

I purchased a roll of 100m cat 6 cable to run to my workshop. The cable run is about 25m long and runs from the main house to the workshop overhead and it connected to router in house and switch in workshop. Cable is FTP cat6 cable that i got from amazon . After running the cable and adding the connectors i tested the cables and got all green on cable tester but after plugging it in to switch the switch shows it as 100M/100Mb and i can not figure out why.

things i done

I thought i wired it wrong so cut both ends and wired as t-568B again and still got the same.
Then i thought maybe the cable was damaged some where along the run and ran another cable and added connectors and got the same again 100Mb on the switch.
I tired numerous other ports on the switch and router and also connected the cable to my macbook via a USB 1Gb adapter and again got 100Mb
Using a cat5e cable i made i get 1000M on switch and on laptop.

All testing leads me towards the cable as the problem but it says cat6 and shows all the signs of cat6 i am use to seeing.

Anyone have any idea what i am doing wrong here. The cable has printed on the side of it cat6 and i have wired tonnes of these and tonnes of cat5e and never had issues before.

Picture of the cat6 cable

cat6.jpg

2Meter Cat5 cable connected to router and switch when i bring router to workshop.

Screenshot 2023-05-19 at 4.04.45 p.m..png

Cat6 cable connected to router and switch

Screenshot 2023-05-19 at 4.04.40 p.m..png

NSAman · 19-05-2023 4:31pm

Honestly, it sounds like the cable to me.

I am not an expert at all. Seeing as you have tested the switches and the laptop is running a fast adapter, seems as if the cable itself is the only option.

what about doing a cat5 run if you have some spare? Just to test?

grimeire · 19-05-2023 4:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617249#Comment_120617249

So i just made a short 1meter cable with the cat6 and it shows as 1000Mb on the switch so the cable checks out at least in a short run. What is going on?

All the cat 5e i have is internal. I bought this 100 meter run just for this and spent half the day doing it running the cables through attics and through ducts in the house and workshop gable.

dam099 · 19-05-2023 5:52pm

Are you running it past a point of potential electrical interference?

grimeire · 19-05-2023 6:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617522#Comment_120617522

Nope its does run along a sat coax for a about 4 meters but thats it. Plus its foil shielded so should not really be affected by other cables.

I just ran some indoor cat5e along side it and got 1000Mb so its definitely the cat6 cable is the issue. So a day wasted and €70 down the drain. F******g amazon

Screenshot 2023-05-19 at 6.18.01 p.m..png

Thanks for the help.

smuggler.ie · 19-05-2023 6:22pm

faulty cable perhaps, one wire broken within cable somewhere

There are some testing tools that would show if there is damage on the wire, approx distance, but i guess you have no access to it.

Try twist pairs(e.g. blue+Wblue, brown+Wbrown, ...) on one end and test continuity on other end for each pair.

grimeire · 19-05-2023 6:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617615#Comment_120617615

Its two separate 25 Meter runs so id say its just poor quality cable as the chances of multiple breaks in the 100m roll i got would be slim. There was very little pulling or tugging going on so doubt i damaged the cable when running it.

Not exactly easiest thing to test as buildings are 25 meters apart and cable is about 12 meters high in the air between the two building. Just going to buy more and hope and I dont get caught again.

smuggler.ie · 19-05-2023 7:19pm

Not sure where complexity comes from, you twist one end like this, then test continuity on pairs at the other end

"some" tools...

But whatever works for you...

grimeire · 19-05-2023 8:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617786#Comment_120617786

Thanks for the response.

I don't have a cable tester like that. Mine is just a basic one that tells you if a signal is received on the other matching end of one of the 8 cables.

Also not sure what will finding where the able is broken achieve. The cable will need to be replaced regardless

3d4life · 19-05-2023 8:05pm

By way of background

10 & 100 MBPS requires two pairs to be functional ( viz. wire pairs on pins 1&2 and also on pins 3&6 )

1000MBPS requires all 4 pairs to be functional ( wire pairs 1&2 , 3&6 , 4&5 , 7&8 )

You might be missing a connection on 4&5 or 7&8 ? Its not clear to me if you have tried testing these two pairs.

The Continental Op · 19-05-2023 8:18pm

OP can you throw up a link to the cable you bought. Handy to know what to avoid.

The first few I could find on Amazon "cat 6 ethernet cable external 100m" have the dreaded TLA CCA well hidden in the text. I won't use any Copper Covered Aluminium cable as its all cheap chinese crap. CCA is OK for short runs but is rubbish for long runs and can screw up PoE.

Edit> found your link in the OP and I think this is your problem

The Ethernet cable is made of high-quality CCA

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09HGRRQQR

grimeire · 19-05-2023 9:10pm

@3d4life All cables show as receiving a signal with my basic cable tester so don't think there is an issue with the pairs plus I cut and put new cables on at least once on each of the ends of the 2 runs of 25m

@The Continental Op CCA could be the issue but the 5e cat cable is also CCA and I tested transferring a file using SCP and got 130MB on it which is over 1000Mb. This 100m cat 6 cable was 3 times the price of a 304m roll of cat 5e.

Copper cable these days is crazy expensive. Never had issues with CAA before hence why I didn't buy full copper.

smuggler.ie · 19-05-2023 9:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120617934#Comment_120617934

You right - finding cable fault does not resolve, still need replacement. Perhaps some satisfaction while replacing it, and assurance that this is THE CAUSE of failure.

Imagine you get new run in place to find it was not the problem...

Continuity test can be done with simple multi-meter, battery+bulb if don't have even that.

Anyway, I believe you know enough, covered most of troubleshooting and you'll get it done, me just sharing tips/hints/ideas...

grimeire · 20-05-2023 6:51am

Amazon seller told me that they would give refund.

Not had the best experience with amazon over the years so doubt I actually will get a refund.

Amazon themselves said only seller can issue refund so ill believe it when i see it.

Thanks for the help all.

grimeire · 21-05-2023 8:34pm

Just got another 100m roll from another seller and this one is only showing as 10Mb cable.

At least i tested it before spending half the day running it.

Can anyone recommend somewhere other than amazon that provides decent cable?

10-10-20 · 21-05-2023 8:39pm

Most electrical wholesalers supply CAT6, try them.

smuggler.ie · 23-05-2023 9:34pm

Emmm... please post link to second supplier, just in case to avoid.

Fault on cable from two different suppliers would rise my eyebrow...

grimeire · 25-05-2023 1:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120633159#Comment_120633159

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V1MQN1Z?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Not a fault on the cable as when i test with cable tester a signal is recieved at the other end. Issue I suspect is the CCA in these cables seems to loose too much signal over the length. Funny thing is the internal cable cat5e i used is also CCA and is detected as 1000Mb cable and I was able to copy a file at 130MB speeds over that cable. Looking at the cables the 2 that i bought that didnt work look to be far suprior in that they are ticker and the wires are far more regid than the cat5e.

Not sure how long this cat5e will last outside but ill use it till it stops working.

xabi · 25-05-2023 2:18pm

Crimp it again but swap the pairs around see if that makes a difference

grimeire · 25-05-2023 3:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120639221#Comment_120639221

Im already after crimping at t-568B and t-568A and both times get the same result. I thought all 4 pairs are used when >cat5e

so what difference would swaping pairs around.

The Continental Op · 26-05-2023 1:17pm

Hope you've left some scathing feedback for those products on Amazon. There is far too much pointless positive feedback and very few people leaving useful negative feedback.

Edit I took a look in case you had and found these glowing one star and two star recommendations...to steer clear

This is copper clad aluminium and does not go above 100mbs.

-

Avoid buying Mr Tronic cable if you want a CAT6 1gb/s speed cable!

Bought a Mr Tronic CAT6 outdoor cable, after installed the cable from house to garden office & run speed tests but only getting max. 100mb/s speed, not 1gb/s. Then tested (black) Mr Tronic CAT6 cable vs. a white CAT6 cable, see attached pics, same broadband and same devices, tests show Mr Tronic CAT6 cable only runs max. 100mb/s while the other CAT6 cable is 1gb/s capability.

Contacted the seller via Amazon couple of times over 5 days, just no reply from seller at all, then complained to Amazon, Amazon told me to contact Mr Tronic cable manufacture to resolve the issue as Amazon is a platform only for sellers and buyers! shocking!

-

Barely reached 100Mbps, not cat 6 at all

-

I brought this cable expecting it to be able to run 10GBPS yet I only got 10MBPS even after making sure it wasn’t damaged! Don’t buy this cable as it will waste your time and make you mad that it will either:

break really easy

Won’t work

Doesn’t get advertised speeds

Doesn’t sit the back of the rj45 connector on the wire.

-

Had this installed externally to run up the side of the house into the attic to get 1gb speeds but it will only run at 100mb. Had all the plugs and sockets changed hoping the fault would be there but turns out the fault is in the cable. Will have to rip it out and re-do it all with a cable that is up to the job.

-

After careful installation of 70m with protective duct, cable failed to pass Cat5e or 100BASE-T standards, tested with a Fluke DSX8000. Also suffered from serious memory effect when uncoiling which made installation very time consuming.

Glaceon · 26-05-2023 1:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120639140#Comment_120639140

I checked the one star reviews on that and they're saying very similar things. Looks to just be poor quality cable, some are reporting it as copper clad aluminium.

10-10-20 · 26-05-2023 1:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120642889#Comment_120642889

What! That's completely unbelievable!!! I'd never have even thought it was a thing to have such poor quality cable that it can't even attain over 100MB/sec. Crazy.

The Continental Op · 26-05-2023 1:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120642926#Comment_120642926

Its says its copper clad aluminium in the description. Only thing is they say CCA rather than saying Copper Clad Aluminium.

Constructed with CCA material .....

Glaceon · 26-05-2023 1:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120642976#Comment_120642976

False advertising in that case, CCA can't be Cat 6 standard.

The Continental Op · 26-05-2023 3:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120642981#Comment_120642981

If you feel like policing Amazon I'd be surprised if you could find less than 100 similar CCA products being sold as CAT6 and even higher LOL.

Its actually quite difficult to find genuine copper cable on Amazon there is plenty of it but its hidden amongst the cheaper chinese tat.

Also OP should also leave poor feedback from the Sellers, Mister Eleven and Mr. Tronic.

grimeire · 31-05-2023 11:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120643463#Comment_120643463

Already have and they have contacted me every day since asking me to take it down.

One of the sellers just offered me £30 to take down my review.

Screenshot 2023-05-31 at 11.09.10 a.m..png

Id much prefer if they gave me back the whole day i wasted running this cable.

10-10-20 · 31-05-2023 11:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120661305#Comment_120661305

Offer them a trade-off: if they stop describing it as CAT6 you'll remove it. ;)

10-10-20 · 31-05-2023 11:43am

Oh yes, I just remembered that the test for CCA over copper is if you try burn a piece of exposed wire using a lighter. Copper will withstand the heat while CCA will melt and deform. CCA is also used in some of the cheapest power cables, I once found one powering an LED light carrying mains 230v which was about three strands of 0.1mm CCA. I suppose in reality it would have acted like a fuse and just burned up at the first sign of a short, but it's still lethal stuff.

CreadanLady · 31-05-2023 11:44am

your "Cat 6" cable might not be. There is loads of cable advertised as cat 6 but it really is not, or not compliant with the standard because of makeup or the quality of the materials.

If you want proper cat 6 then i would suggest buying a recognised quality brand of cable from a bricks and mortar electrical wholesalers rather than some rock bottom priced spurious or counterfeit ching chong mystery cable from the bowels of Amazon or ebay.

Yellow_Fern · 13-11-2023 5:06pm

B & Q sell decent pure copper cable.

Cat 6 cable showing only 100Mb

Comments