Data Integrity/length of Ethernet cabke

sophiejames

Is it correct that data integrity is affected if I had to use an Ethernet cable longer than 5 metres plugged into my router when working from home? 

Also, is there any way an employer could tell that the cable I am using is longer than 5 metres? 

Thanks in advance 

DoaM

Even the most basic CAT5 Ethernet cable will support 100mbps data rate approaching 100m cable length.

And no, your employer will not be able to detect what length of cable you have from your router.

Does this win the prize for most bizarre question of the year?

sophiejames

DoaM said:

Even the most basic CAT5 Ethernet cable will support 100mbps data rate approaching 100m cable length.

And no, your employer will not be able to detect what length of cable you have from your router.

Does this win the prize for most bizarre question of the year?

Thanks for this. My employer doesn’t authorise cables longer than 5m when WFH as apparently data integrity is affected. However, my previous role was constant WFH with a 20 m cable without any bother ever!!  Basically, they are now forcing me to work from the office as I wouldn’t be working within 5 m of router at home 🙄 

sophiejames

sophiejames said:

DoaM said:

Even the most basic CAT5 Ethernet cable will support 100mbps data rate approaching 100m cable length.

And no, your employer will not be able to detect what length of cable you have from your router.

Does this win the prize for most bizarre question of the year?

Thanks for this. My employer doesn’t authorise cables longer than 5m when WFH as apparently data integrity is affected. However, my previous role was constant WFH with a 20 m cable without any bother ever!!  Basically, they are now forcing me to work from the office as I wouldn’t be working within 5 m of router at home 🙄 

DoaM - is there any literature or websites etc. which confirm what you said? I do believe you but would like to point it out to my employer that they are incorrect. Thanks again 

DoaM

Far more detail needed as to the reason for your question. What exactly are your employer saying, and why? What is your home setup that would make them question the length of your Ethernet cable?

Just Google your question and you'll find I'm right ... even this link from 2006 says the same thing.

Neil_Jones

sophiejames said:

DoaM said:

Even the most basic CAT5 Ethernet cable will support 100mbps data rate approaching 100m cable length.

And no, your employer will not be able to detect what length of cable you have from your router.

Does this win the prize for most bizarre question of the year?

Thanks for this. My employer doesn’t authorise cables longer than 5m when WFH as apparently data integrity is affected. However, my previous role was constant WFH with a 20 m cable without any bother ever!!  Basically, they are now forcing me to work from the office as I wouldn’t be working within 5 m of router at home 🙄 

Hook it up with whatever length of cable you need, they are good for 100m, its probably safe to assume the network cables at work are far far longer than 5m and work perfectly fine.

If employer asks, just say it is a 5m cable, they're not going to know and in the current lockdown they're not exactly going to come round and check are they?

DoaM

I'm wondering if the OP has reported a problem to their company, and the company are saying the OP has caused the problem by using a longer Ethernet cable.

debitcardmayhem

Tell them that problem is solved , you moved the router using a 15m rj11 cable to your socket, and that BT have moved their Cabinet 15m nearer your house to help you out.

sophiejames

I am key worker and my company sent us a questionnaire asking if we’d be able to work within 5m of the router. I answered no and am now being told that I cannot work from home as the IT department doesn’t authorise use of Ethernet cables longer than 5 m as they affect data integrity, therefore they now want me to come back to work in the office 

jbainbridge

As has been said Ethernet allows a maximum cable length of 100m. Whoever made up this rule is talking out of their backside.

Google - 100base t max cable length

DoaM

Just tell them you've moved your setup to allow a 5m cable to be used ... they absolutely won't know the difference (unless they turn up at your house - in which case you tell them to pee off; they should know better than try to breach social distancing rules).

As per above, whoever made this rule is an idiot.