Is a Cat5e patch the same as a straight through?

Is a Cat 5e Patch cable the same as a Cat 5e straight through cable? I know 'crossover' cables are different. Please advise.

You're just speaking 2 different languages.

A 'patch cable' is a term from structured cabling, or the cabling jargon that installation techs use about the design of a computer network infrastructure in a building. For example, the cable at your work that goes from your computer to a wall jack is called the 'patch cable'.

Straight-through describes the wiring configuration within your cable. If the cable is straight-through then it has the same wiring configuration on both ends (T568A-T568A or T568B-T568B).

the configuration of your cable has to do with what devices can communicate over the medium(like and unlike devices). For instance: A PC connects to a switch via a straight-through cable because switches and PCs transmit data over different pins on the wire. A PC connecting to another PC would have to use a crossover cable because PCs are unlike devices and they transmit data on the same pins.

Hope this helps,
Brian

Edit: nvm Brian's got a much better answer

...but everyone knows that you shouldn't listen to anyone who looks up to this guy



proceed with caution!

Ok so a 'straight through' cable is ok for connecting a PC to a wired router...?

Yes.

DreamerBrian said:

the configuration of your cable has to do with what devices can communicate over the medium(like and unlike devices). For instance: A PC connects to a switch via a straight-through cable because switches and PCs transmit data over different pins on the wire. A PC connecting to another PC would have to use a crossover cable because PCs are unlike devices and they transmit data on the same pins.

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I still use a crossover, but I've heard that modern ethernet adapters on PC's allow them to communicate with each other over regular cable. True/false?

I've heard this too, but I personally haven't seen it.

Yes most anything modern will sense the cable and do whatever it needs to do

DreamerBrian said:

Yes.

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Trottel said:

I still use a crossover, but I've heard that modern ethernet adapters on PC's allow them to communicate with each other over regular cable. True/false?

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This was originally true more so in laptops than desktops. I've personally seen it in laptops, but its entirely possible that just about everything is that way now.

Most(all but the cheapest?) switches/routers are also like this also.

DreamerBrian said:

I've heard this too, but I personally haven't seen it.

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This works I've done it between my dad's computer and my computer when we needed to move huge files so that i could get a gigabit link (too cheap to buy a gigarouter)

DaveHCYJ said:

This was originally true more so in laptops than desktops. I've personally seen it in laptops, but its entirely possible that just about everything is that way now.

Most(all but the cheapest?) switches/routers are also like this also.

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Also true. If you plug the LAN port of one router into the WAN port of another, than they'll detect it and make it work. Same applies to switches.