coaxial and cat 5 cables

[heffer]

does the signal in a coaxial cable diminish over a long cable?
does the signal in an ethernet cable (cat 5) diminish over a long cord?

I want to connect my computer to a router, which will be connected to a cable modem which will be connected to the socket on the wall for internet. Pretty standard setup. But my computer is about 25 feet (8meters) from this wall. I have both a really long ethernet cord with rj45 connectors as well as a really long coaxial cable, both will extend the entire length from my computer to the wall. I'm not sure which one to use. Sorry if this is a strange question.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

It doesn't matter what cable you use, OR how strong the signal you send is, there will always be degredation of the signal. You have to remember the cable doesn't conduct the signal perfectly.

So to answer your question(s), yes. the signal does diminish over long cord lengths.
The maximum length usable for a cat5 cable is 100m (~360ft)
The maximum length useable for a coaxial cable is variable, depending on the quality of the cable and the length of the cable between your pc and IDU (your modem).

 

[b0dge]

8 metres? That's pretty much nothing.

Use the Cat5 cable. It'll be fine. And in fact, dandy...

 

[snowsurfer]

Yeah go with the RJ45, 8 meters is nothing. Several of my RJ 45 cables at home are 20 meters long, and that's still no big deal. At 50+ meters is when you need to be sure that the cables and terminations are top notch if you want to avoid bigger degradation, more or less.

 

[bilbus]

You will have no problems with a cable even at 100m.

You can run cat5 at 150m+ if you lower your speed to 10mb half duplex.

 

[Harper]

COAX is pretty much dead technology these days. Big problem with COAX is that if the there is a break or it's not terminated properly, your network goes down.

Last time I used COAX was in early 2001. I have yet to come across it again.

 

[carnageX]

COAX is pretty much dead technology these days.

Far from it. CB radios (RG-58/59), satellite receivers (RG-6) all use coax. Plus there's still cable modems out all over.

 

[snowsurfer]

Coax is not dead at all. The best way to get a digital signal from a good quality DVD player to an AV Receiver is Coax (as opposed to optical). Most high-end hifi CD Transports link to DACs via Coax. Plus the other mentioned uses.

 

[mikesgroovin]

Did you all ever think that perhaps he was speaking to 10base2? (which is still ethernet, btw)
In his defense, KC knows about the technologies that you are referring to.

I mean, he even said "Big problem with COAX is that if the there is a break or it's not terminated properly, your network goes down." He's speaking about a network here... not a coax cable connection that you all are referring to. Read up on a BNC connector and then read this thread again sometime.

He is right. 10Base2 is dead. And yes, it was around the same year I've worked on the same technology while replacing it with cat5e or cat6. Coax is a medium that provides MANY different technologies ... even ethernet.

 

[carnageX]

OP is talking about a cable modem, which will use most likely RG-6 or equivalent to get from the cable jack to the modem. Hence why I said "coax is far from dead" - wasn't talking about network coax (which yes I know THAT is dead).