[Q] Are there any problems with using patch cables that are
less than a foot long? If so, what are they?
[A] To say whether or not you will experience problems with a custom
cable that is less than a foot in length would depend on a great
number of variables. Factors that effect performance include
the quality of the cable, the strength of the signal being transmitted,
other local sources of interference, and the quality of the
networking equipment that is controlling the signal.
One
possible problem would be signal "echo". This can
occour when the signal-to-noise ratio of a cable favors the
noise. The crosstalk between pairs becomes harder to control
in extremely short lengths of cable. Although this problem can
exist in any length of cable, it becomes a much larger issue
when the cables get down to around a few inches in length.
It
is possible to use custom cables in short length, but use caution.
Anything around 3 to 4 inches or smaller, you are risking the
possibility of some noise issues. Cheap, poor quality cable
is likely to start producing these type of errors at much longer
lengths of cable, due to the fact that its original performance
values were very low from being a inferior product to begin
with.
CAT
5 Cable Company produces custom length patch cables,
even sizes under one foot. Many of our customers have ordered
lengths as small as 3 or 4 inches, and did not report any significant
issues. We 100% test all our cables to ensure these issues will
not effect you.
RELATED
FAQ QUESTION: What
is the maximum length of CAT 5 cable?
Keywords:
Patch Cables, CAT 5
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