Patch Vs. Crossover Cables

""patch" is just another term for "crossover"" is incorrect.

Crossover cables are wired differently but look identical to patch cables. Every factory-made crossover cable I ever seen was clearly labeled as such. If it doesn't say "crossover", it's probably not one.

Patch cables are wired "straight through". Crossover cables have signals crossed.

Two different definitions here, one is a generic usage description ("patch cable") and one is wiring (pin out) scheme description ("cross-over").

A patch cable just a phrase to describe the usage of a short cable. It does not specify the wiring scheme, i.e. straight-through or cross-over.

It is usually a short 3 ft. cable that connects two devices together, such as the house cable termination patch panel to a hub or switch located in your equipment room, as opposed to the cabling inside the wall (house cable) or from office wall jack to the computer NIC (you could usually just call this the network cable to the computer).

These cables use a straight-through wiring scheme in that both cable ends and jacks are wired identically. It doesn't matter what wiring scheme or jack standard you use, 568A or 568B, just as long as the same standard is used through out the wiring plan.

There is one exception where you might need a cross-over patch cable. A cross-over cable is where the pins 1 and 2 are swapped with pins 3 and

1. Basically the cable has a 568A wiring scheme on one end and 568B on the other. This is often used for the cable from a DSL modem to the internet jack of a router or uplink jack between two hubs, or for connecting only two computers together in an simple "network".

So to answer your question...99.9% of patch cables are straight-through, the .1% exception is when you really need a crossed over cable. Therefore the customer service answer in the context you described would be incorrect.

Look at the two ends of the cables you bought. If pin 2 is the same color on both cables, you have a straight through patch cable. It will most likely be orange/white 568B), but may be green/white 568A). *IF* pin 2 is green/white on one end and orange/white on the other end, then you have a cross-over patch cable which is not what you'll be wanting to use. BTW, I used pin 2 for my example as its easier to see the colors compared to pin 1.

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T> Hi everyone,

Both the other answers are essentially correct but let me embelish a litter on them. A standard patch cable is where the pairs (not pins) are straight through and may be wired as either T568A or T568B at BOTH Ends.

I crossover cable does not have the pair wired straight through to allow signals to cross. Depending upon the protocol that you are crossing will depend on the color codeing of the cable at each end 10 & 100base-t are the same but different from 1000BaseT. See this url for the more common types of wiring including three different types of cross-over cables:

Joe Golan, RCDD

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I am a firm believer that you should go with either 568A or 568B throughout an entire installation, not a mix. But tell me this, is there really any technical problem with using 568A patch cables in a building that is wired to the 568B standard? I mean, permanent in-wall cabling is all terminated

568B but you use patch cables that are 568A?

Or the other way around, the permanent cabling is terminated 568A but you use patch cables that are 568B?

It seems to me that no problem should be caused by this, and I wouldn't want to do it just because I like to keep things simple to avoid complications down the road. But what do you guys think? Should there be any problem?

THANKS!

--Dan

There's nothing wrong doing that at all. Consider all the government house cabling jobs done with the 568A standard and then using 568B patch cables and jack to computer cables.

Since the patch cables are pre-made, the only thing YOU would need to make sure is that the wall jacks are wired to same standard as you equipment room patch panel jacks.

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dg wrote:

Dan,

There should not be a problem at all as electrons are colorblind and the pairings are the same. There is no technical or performance difference between T568A and T568B

Joe Golan, RCDD

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Don't we agree that a patch cable is straight through and isn't specifying 568A or 568B for the patch cables a bit of overkill?

LOL...I agree. Reminds me of the saying, the more you run over a dead cat in the road, the flatter it gets.

Al Dykes wrote in part:

Only slightly. Some people will call a cable with split pairs "straight thru". Specifying 568A or 568B catches them.

-- Robert

I'd use the term "BS" not overkill, myself... It's short of the level of MonsterCable, but still...

Yeah, but is MonsterCable CAT5 rated?

I know there are Monster Cable(tm) USB cables in the stores.

I actually don't think the Monster RCA audio patch cords are, or were the last time I bought some, unreasonable. I've had lots of audio gear going back (gasp) 30+ years and I know what goes into making a good cable.

The Monster RCA cables has 4 machined RCA plugs, with good gold plating. Sold retail it's worth the $5 per end that I paid for them. I've never had one go bad. Profitable, yes, but there is value.

The rest of the Monster line has become a joke.