Data Integrity/length of Ethernet cabke

debitcardmayhem

debitcardmayhem said:

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.

DoaM said:

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.

Keep up DoaM

pmartin86

As others, more specifically DoaM has pointed out, this is utter !!!!!!. Ask them to verify and prove the data point in your office is less than 5m from the switch...

sophiejames

pmartin86 said:

As others, more specifically DoaM has pointed out, this is utter !!!!!!. Ask them to verify and prove the data point in your office is less than 5m from the switch...

Thanks, unfortunately I haven’t got a clue about any of this & don’t feel in a position to challenge them. 

unforeseen

I don't think it's data integrity, more cable integrity. We have a rule of 5m or less purely to prevent people plugging into a port and having the cable trailing across walking areas where it and the end sockets can be damaged if it gets pulled. 
Even with a limit of 5m if the cable is going across open floor then rubber cable tunnels should be used or ideally office furniture reorganised to prevent it. New network point locations would also be looked at. 

As you are working from home at the employers behest then they can set the same conditions as the office. 

Norman_Castle

Is there a phone socket in your home office which the router could be connected to?

sophiejames

Norman_Castle said:

Is there a phone socket in your home office which the router could be connected to?

Unfortunately not 

Andy_L

Are they perhaps talking about integrity in the sense of data security rather than 1s & 0s working ok?
They're thinking that limiting you to under 5m from the router makes it tricky for someone to plug in without you noticing.
Still sounds like balls though

Andy_L

debitcardmayhem said:

debitcardmayhem said:

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.

DoaM said:

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.

Keep up DoaM

You could even actually move it of you have, understandable, qualms about lying to them. Or if you think they might ask for photo s

Andy_L

sophiejames said:

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 

Sort of 2 different issues. I'm within 5m of the router but, because of the layout of the house, I'd need a much longer cable for the route to the cupboard under the stairs.

What's their view on WiFi or power line extenders?

droopsnoot

pmartin86 said:

Ask them to verify and prove the data point in your office is less than 5m from the switch...

That doesn't usually help in an employer / employee situation unfortunately. Rules is rules! If the employer were prepared to interact with their people about stuff like this, they probably wouldn't have the rule in the first place. 

It would be interesting to know why they say this, and whether it's as someone else suggested, more to do with cables lying across the floor and being trip hazards. But better to ask for clarification rather than shout "you're talking rubbish, justify your rules to me".