Answer: In most cases, a solid connection (hard line), will always be faster than a wireless network. The fastest common wireless equipment on the market will operate at 54 Megabits per second (54 Mbps), which pales by comparison to CAT 5 cable, which is able to operate at 100 Mbps. A high quality CAT5e will operate at 1000 Mbps, also known as gigabit. Obviously, wireless technology has a way to go before it can become competitive to a hard line connection.

CAT 5 Cable has other advantages, not the least of which is better security. Although wireless networking is equipped with features that allow you to have special encryption guarding access to the network, it is unused by a great percentage of wireless users because they do not understand how to set it up. Even when set up correctly it is possible to hack into the wireless network. If you have a wireless network in your home that is not protected well enough, someone in a passing vehicle with a laptop could invade your private network, gaining access to your private information. At the very least, they could use your internet access without your consent.

If your building has any limitations for example physical limitations of the building preventing running the cable to your equipment, there is no need to assume that wireless is the answer. To keep signal speeds as fast as a CAT 5e cable and maintain the same highly secure connection without signal loss from a limited connection point, we recommend Ethernet Powerline Adapters.

If there are multiple connections in the network then the cost-effective option is to go wireless.

Answer: Ethernet Powerline Adapters use the mains wires inside the buildings walls to carry transmitted signals between each other. 2 Ethernet Powerline Adapters are the minimum requirement for this method to work.

You simply connect a CAT 5e cable from your router or media streamer in to one of the Ethernet Powerline Adapters and plug the adapter in to a mains plug socket. This then becomes the signal source. Plug another CAT 5e cable from the second Ethernet Powerline Adapter to your recieving equipments ethernet port (IE a PC) and plug the adapter in to the mains socket and the adapter should connected with the other adapter within seconds.

The security feature of Ethernet Powerline Adapters is the signal never reaches past the electric meter so people can not connect to the network from the outside even with their own adapter of the same make and model.

Another advantage of Powerline Ethernet Adapters is that they give the same advantages of a wireless router( connecting your PC to the internet from another room) without losing signal or speed. Ethernet Powerline Adapters come in two speeds either 85Mbps or 200Mbps.

Powerline Adapters range from around £40 for two at 85Mbps up to £150 for two at 200Mbps. For businesses we recommend using 85Mbps as this is still faster than wireless and is more cost effective

Answer: Placement of patch cables and crossover cables near equipment is usually not an issue, but there are some special circumstances that have to be considered. Most computer equipment is designed in such a manner to minimize the interference generated by their operation, so your server room and various work stations are most likely never going to be an issue.

Certain types of machinery, mainly generators and large motors have the ability to generate large amounts of Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI). Also, many extremely high wattage lighting systems have the ability to generate this type of energy, resulting in similar issues. The problems experienced will be signal loss, and in severe cases complete signal blockage. In mild cases, intermittent signal strength drop may be experienced without interrupting data transfer.

If you have an installation that is going to create a EMI problem for you, it would be a good idea to consider the use of shielded cable. Shielded cable can solve many, but not all signal problems resulting from EMI.

If you are uncertain if your installation will create this type of issue for you, feel free to give us a call, or contact your local network installation professional.

Answer: Any time you are considering an application for CAT 5 Cable, performance must always come first. Many applications demand a large amount of bandwidth to run smoothly.

Some of the more popular high-bandwidth applications are internet gaming, file sharing services, VPN network support, and of course, Voice-Over-IP.

The only major complaint most VOIP users wage is that during times of high bandwidth demand from other applications, the quality of the voice communications begins to deteriorate.

Many people have found that using the highest quality hardware and cabling will prevent signal loss, and make it less likely that problems will be experienced due to a great demand being placed on their broadband internet.

While there is no way to prevent signal loss when sharing a single broadband connection with multiple computers and applications, you can maximize the signal strength and lessen these effects by using high quality patch cables in your network. Many people fail to realize that every time you create a connection on your network, you create an opportunity to slow it down. Remember, your network will always operate at the speed of the slowest device.