Thread: Best bet - long network cable/short phone cable or vice versa?

I've just moved in to a new place and although I'm still waiting to get my internets turned on I've realised I'm already facing my first set up issue, namely the distance between the telephone socket and where my PC will be set up.

I'm faced with a choice between:

a) putting the ADSL modem next to the computer and running a 15m phone cord to the phone socket with a short network cable to the PC:

PHONE SOCKET ----------------------------------------------------------------------- MODEM --- PC

b) putting the ADSL modem next to the phone socket, running a short phone cord to the socket and then a 15m network cable to the PC:

PHONE SOCKET --- MODEM ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PC

Am I facing any kind of connection reliability/sync speed issues if I use such a long phone cable? Or if I use a long network cable will it affect my speed that much?

I'm currently leaning towards option B since it will give the busier parts of the house (loungeroom/kitchen) better WIFI coverage from the base station but if someone tells me that having a long network cable is way worse than a long phone cord I might reconsider.

Cat 5 is pretty cheap, cheaper than phone cable if you buy it from anywhere else than dick smith.

Ethernet won't even notice a 15m cable. It's specced to work up to 100m without collisions.

Well if the long phone cable works and is easier for you than great! Just expect if you have issues to go back to short phone cord and longer ethernet.

I have seen in past situations that running a long phone cord is absolutely fine however by the way that 15m cord would be possibly going through doors / areas prone to damage by been walked over or whatever.

If it is just one device you could possibly do without cat-5 altogether. Wireless N in my house is all I use now and I do not notice any packet loss or reliability issues at all. If your in an area that is flooded with 2.4ghz devices you can get a reasonably cheep 5ghz wireless bridge for less than $140 or so.

phone cable isn't actually rated for data at all, so just by using one for ADSL you are technically breaking standards....

Get the shortest phone cable you can live with, and use ethernet/wireless.

Go option B)

I have the best of both worlds I have a modem in bridge mode with a short phone cable and put my router where I want it hooked up.

I concur. Long ethernet. Short phone cable. I believe most ISPs suggest your phone cable be shorter than 3m.

Option B it is then. Cheers budjus!

Ngah thought it was something but nudding look!