Kingston Technology KND2415TX User Manual
KND2415TX Users Guide - Rev. A00
Kingston Technology Company
Appendix D Commonly Asked Questions
15
Appendix D Commonly Asked Questions
Class vs. Class 100BASE-TX Fast Ethernet Repeaters
There are currently two classes of Fast Ethernet repeaters, dened as Class and
Class .
Class : in a maximum length segment topology, only one Class
repeater may exist between any two nodes within a single collision
domain.
Class : in a maximum length segment topology, two Class repeaters
may exist between any two nodes within a single collision domain.
Will 100BASE-TX run on Category 3 cable?
No! Category 3 (CAT 3) cabling even in short lengths generates too much near
end crosstalk for 100BASE-TX networks. The IEEE 802.3u 100BASE-TX Fast
Ethernet standard requires Category 5 100 W UTP or 100 W STP which complies
with ISO/IEC 11801:1995.
What is Category 5?
Category 5 (CAT 5) is a further extension of the EIA/TIA-568 cabling system to
100 MHz. Category 5 components (i.e., UTP trunk and patch cables, modular plug,
and patch panel, etc.) are dened by EIA/TIA-568, but with the characterizations
extended to 100 MHz by TSB-36 and TSB-40. The cable grades are categorized as
follows:
• Category 3: up to 16 MHz
• Category 4: up to 20 MHz.
• Category 5: up to 100 MHz.
Category 5 Compliance vs. Category 5 Performance?
Having CAT 5 components in your network installation does not necessarily achieve full
Category 5 performance. To achieve any category-rated performance, make sure all cabling
components are at least of the minimum category required.
To achieve full CAT 5 performance, all components must be CAT 5 compliant and terminated
To achieve full CAT 5 performance, all components must be CAT 5 compliant and terminated
properly according to EIA/TIA-568 TSB-36 and TSB-40 guidelines.