[RFI] Ethernet RFI

[Jim Brown]

On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 19:47:36 -0500, John Pelham wrote:

>I would think one could accomplish most of the "specialized data-
transmission test set" test by just eyeballing the RJ45s on each end 
and making sure the proper color code for the wires was followed.  
That is, assuming the cable is good quality.

If your eyes were good enough and you had a good magnifying glass, 
you could, indeed, check for wiring errors. The assumption that the 
wiring is satisfactory is NOT. There are, for example, installation-
related faults that can degrade data transmission -- sharp bends, 
damage to the cable, lacing of the cable, etc. Data cable should 
not, for example, be laced. Rather it should lie loose. There are a 
lot of reasons for this, and I suspect some of the references cited 
in this thread will address them.

Bottom line -- there's a lot more to data cabling than meets the 
eye, and the precision test set really is required. 

Jim Brown  K9YC