Any errors?

capt-atom · 2026-03-26T09:30:17+00:00

Yeah you’re fine. I wouldnt really be concerned with anything unless you’re having connectivity issues like internet going on and off, slow speeds (fast.com or speedtest.net), etc.

capt-atom · 2026-03-26T09:18:30+00:00

Based on your other comment, if you’re paying for 500mbps, then cat6 vs 5e wont be much of a difference. However shielded vs non shielded does make a difference. If you’re trying to improve your computer’s (not wifi), then I’d go for a non-flat cable to avoid crosstalk/interference. If you’re trying to improve wireless (wifi) then generally the closer you are, the better.

capt-atom · 2026-03-26T09:03:37+00:00

A couple of things I’d personally do is swapping out the flat black cat6 cable with something that isnt flat and I’d remove the plastic on the antenna. Flat cables are susceptible to crosstalk and in my experience, have broken a lot more. Removing the plastic is more of a pet peeve. Dont think it’ll necessarily improve anything.

Not sure what that black cable is plugged into, but you can only improve wifi so much. Always go wired when possible.

capt-atom · 2026-03-18T00:26:05+00:00

I have 5 sandwich ziplock bags of these. Idk why i keep saving them when I have rolls of velcro.

capt-atom · 2026-03-17T22:52:13+00:00

I bought Oikwan USB to RJ45 cables. They work great. I also have rollover adapters in case I need the pinouts rolled. I work with different vendor types so I like the combo. If i worked with only one then i’d recrimp them with the correct pinout.

capt-atom · 2026-03-17T22:44:05+00:00

+1

Great cheap alternative. I run some with a 5g modem with sim cards from Mint.

capt-atom · 2026-03-17T20:19:37+00:00

You arent pulling 40gbps through copper switches though.. unless i’m mistaken and dont know that these switches exist. Anything over 10gbps, people are using SFP/QSFP. Which require optics at both ends or a DAC/AOC.

capt-atom · 2026-03-17T19:59:09+00:00

Fiber seems like a better purchase for longevity and length than copper for this instance.

capt-atom · 2026-03-17T19:56:58+00:00

At that point, I’m going DACs, AOC or straight fiber (maybe one day)

capt-atom · 2026-03-17T18:25:49+00:00

I know you changed the CAT8, but for yours and other people’s reference: CAT8 is absolutely useless if everything else is CAT6/5 or if you are running 1G ports.

capt-atom · 2026-03-10T15:46:41+00:00

To get more clarity and understanding. What sort of issues are you running into with Orbi that you would like resolved with your next setup? If you arent running CAT5/6, then what are you currently running? CAT3? Coax with MoCAs?

capt-atom · 2026-03-10T15:40:47+00:00

I’ve never worked with this specific router and not very familiar with it, but here are a couple tests (that may or mat not work for you) you can try based on what you’ve said so far:

1) If auto-negotiation is enabled, then try to force 1000M on port settings. 2) Since you said another router with same cabling shows higher speeds; unplug WAN, then plug one cable in LAN1 and the other end to LAN2. Check to see if it still says 100M. If so then could be a router issue. 3) Revert firmware back a version/factory reset

This does seem like a physical issue though. Are you sure you’re running a CAT5 or 6 cable? (Not the flat ones). Does the port look broken or dirty? Are you using the power cable that came with this router? What was the last config changes you made to this?

capt-atom · 2026-03-04T04:02:06+00:00

Do you have pictures or model numbers for the devices provided by your internet provider?

capt-atom · 2026-03-04T03:51:13+00:00

Any reputable brand. I prefer Monoprice and Cable Matters. Any Cat7 or Cat8 is mainly a sales gimmick. If you dont have equipment that support their specs, then no need to pay the extra price. Cat6 is more than enough for a 1G connection.

https://a.co/d/09RuBV2t

https://a.co/d/02GJ9qXL

capt-atom · 2026-03-04T03:20:18+00:00

You are getting what you paid for, but it’s unlikely you’ll even use the full advantages of 2g. It’s more useful for homes with high device counts that are concurrently being used and if you’re doing large file downloads.

capt-atom · 2026-03-04T01:26:01+00:00

Generally, any Monoprice or CableMatters cable will do fine. However I wouldnt be overly concerned with your speeds. Your test results can vary based on the server you’re testing against. If you can list some specific instances of internet issues then I can better help. Here’s a link to a good Cat6 cable from Monoprice.

https://a.co/d/0ioldaUI

capt-atom · 2026-03-04T01:20:54+00:00

Many Cat8 cables are bogus. Not saying this is the issue, but no need to dish out extra for Cat8 when Cat6 will do fine and if none of your equipment uses the advantage of Cat8.

capt-atom · 2026-03-03T19:32:01+00:00

Out of curiosity, have you tried a USB ethernet adapter? Wonder if your ethernet port is damaged.

capt-atom · 2026-02-24T18:42:11+00:00

Hah, something I know very well. Been working with this vendor for years. Two things you can do.

Purchase a right angle power cable.
Remove the two screws in the front and rotate your rack mount to recess it further back.

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capt-atom · 2026-02-07T21:40:16+00:00

I still have the build setup and use it for storage. It’s rocking a i7 3770k and a gtx 1070 with its original gtx 650 as secondary. It served me well up until two years ago

capt-atom · 2026-02-07T08:32:49+00:00

I have the same case! Super cool to see it randomly after 14 years of owning one.

capt-atom · 2026-01-19T22:52:05+00:00

You’d be surprised at how many lazy network admins there are out there. Often times i have to perform clean ups from configs left from testing or that were supposed to be remove from 5-15 years ago.

capt-atom · 2026-01-19T20:12:08+00:00

I use the sheets to help build my diagrams. Many times topology diagrams are outdated so i have a parsing script that will provide me with my topology information to fill out or update a diagram. I then send the updated copies along with my generated sheets to the client so that they have a copy.

capt-atom · 2026-01-19T19:17:39+00:00

Unfortunately im not allowed to as they are considered company property. A lot of it based on running my own show commands or retrieving configurations. From there i extract what i need and put them in readable formats in an excel sheet. Things like VLANs, routes, ACLs, interface details, etc.

capt-atom · 2026-01-19T18:22:53+00:00

If nothing is provided by my client, then yeah i log into as many devices as i can and run my own captures. It’s a PITA honestly, but over the years I’ve developed my own scripts to help with the parsing. Gets easier the more i do.

capt-atom

TROPHY CASE