usb cable vs cat5 cable

[rouxel]

Im building a pretty big office in my unfinished basement the is going to have a few different work areas. I want to try and keep it as clean as possible so i going to lay most the wire in the walls to avoid a massive mess of wires on the floor. anyway, what i want to know is, can i use cat5 cable instead of usb cable? I cant really find any information on it. I am going to be soldering the usb and usb micro on the wire myself as i have lots of experience soldering and am comfortable doing so.

I want to know if cat5 can transfer data as well as still charge if I want it to.

Cat5 is much cheaper in bulk then usb cable especially at 24 gauge.

Thanks

Travis

[pheoxs]

Keep in mind the spec for max distance of a USB device is significantly less than ethernet.

I want to say USB is like ~15 feet max for a run assuming a good cable (home made soldering ones probably don't have as good connection as a proper factory produced one) whereas a cat 5 cable is rated for 330 feet.

Not sure about the charging aspect, though the shielding and cat5 being twisted pairs may also cause you issues.

If you have the cable just cut a approx length, solder some ends on and if it works use it, if it doesnt go another route. You can always chop the ends off and put an RJ45 back on it to re-use.

[rage2]

Fuck soldering. There are cheaper options, I just pulled up the first google hit.

http://www.cablestogo.com/product/29342

I don't think there are USB 2.0 or 3.0 versions available though, as it needs the shorter cable length to ensure the higher speeds.

Not sure about charging either. DC current doesn't like long cable runs, that's why the long length USB CAT5 extenders are all powered.

[JustinMCS]

What are you trying to do? CAT5 and USB have completely different purposes. CAT5 or 6 can be powered through POE equipped routers and switches but that's for IP phones and what not.

[Seth1968]

Kind of a side note here.

Cables purchased at big box stores are a rip off. There's no difference between those cables and dollar store cables that are about a 1/3 of the price.

It's like computer power supplies. I've installed hundreds of $20.00 power supplies for my non-gaming customers, and have had less failures than the $100.00 power supplies I purchased in the previous decade.

[pheoxs]

Originally posted by Seth1968
Kind of a side note here.

Cables purchased at big box stores are a rip off. There's no difference between those cables and dollar store cables that are about a 1/3 of the price.

It's like computer power supplies. I've installed hundreds of $20.00 power supplies for my non-gaming customers, and have had less failures than the $100.00 power supplies I purchased in the previous decade.

But everything from monoprice. Even with shipping it's worth it

[ExtraSlow]

Monoprice is awesome if you are buying enough to make the shipping worthwhile.
I picked up a few TV mounts from that a while back, and picked up enough Cat5 and HDMI cables in different lengths that i may never need to buy those again.

[asd913]

Originally posted by rouxel
Im building a pretty big office in my unfinished basement the is going to have a few different work areas. I want to try and keep it as clean as possible so i going to lay most the wire in the walls to avoid a massive mess of wires on the floor. anyway, what i want to know is, can i use cat5 cable instead of usb cable? I cant really find any information on it. I am going to be soldering the usb and usb micro on the wire myself as i have lots of experience soldering and am comfortable doing so.

I want to know if cat5 can transfer data as well as still charge if I want it to.

Cat5 is much cheaper in bulk then usb cable especially at 24 gauge.

Thanks

Travis

As mentioned, USB does not work past 12-15 feet of simple cable. You will need an electronic extender to get distances past that. Therefore, place extra CAT5 or CAT6 cabling in the walls and use a cat5 to usb extender like this.

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030313&p_id=6042&seq=1&format=2

[rage2]

But those look ugly. I think OP is looking for a clean wall plug solution.

[asd913]

^ I should add this device is fine for USB 1.0 speeds. Monoprice has USB 2.0 extenders but they aren't conducive with installing behind the walls.

http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030312

Why exactly do you need to extend USB so far anyway?

[rage2]

Webcam, smartboard, remote control, tons of stuff use USB that needs longer lengths.

[revelations]

Originally posted by rouxel
Im building a pretty big office in my unfinished basement the is going to have a few different work areas. I want to try and keep it as clean as possible so i going to lay most the wire in the walls to avoid a massive mess of wires on the floor. anyway, what i want to know is, can i use cat5 cable instead of usb cable? I cant really find any information on it. I am going to be soldering the usb and usb micro on the wire myself as i have lots of experience soldering and am comfortable doing so.

I want to know if cat5 can transfer data as well as still charge if I want it to.

Cat5 is much cheaper in bulk then usb cable especially at 24 gauge.

Thanks

Travis

Overkill, but you could think about going Cat6 in your office too .... moving large files around would be a snap. Its about 30-50% more than Cat5e though :nut:

[rouxel]

most of this is over my head. i dont a whole lot about this type of stuff and i was hoping for a simple answer. lol.

either way, its for a very simple use. I would never do this if i wasnt starting from scratch in my basement but since i am i thought it would keep things neater and simpler.

I am going to have 3 computers against the far wall and then i am going to have my own personal separate office on the other side of the basement. the cable will be roughly 40-50ft. all im using it for is to transfer drawing or templates from one of the 3 computers to mine or back to one of the 3 computers. I dont like emailing them and would rather transfer via usb. depending where I am, i either us my cell phone, tablet or laptop for work and I want to be able to transfer files from my cell or tablet in my office to one of the computers without having to get up walk to them. I dont want to store on a server for certain reasons.

long story short. i want to run a usb from each computer to my office for transferring drawings and templates back and forth. Would be nice if it also charged my cell or tab.

Travis

[D'z Nutz]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Monoprice is awesome if you are buying enough to make the shipping worthwhile.
I picked up a few TV mounts from that a while back, and picked up enough Cat5 and HDMI cables in different lengths that i may never need to buy those again.

Monoprice can be purchased through amazon.ca now so it's not as it used to be.

[benyl]

Originally posted by rouxel
most of this is over my head. i dont a whole lot about this type of stuff and i was hoping for a simple answer. lol.

either way, its for a very simple use. I would never do this if i wasnt starting from scratch in my basement but since i am i thought it would keep things neater and simpler.

I am going to have 3 computers against the far wall and then i am going to have my own personal separate office on the other side of the basement. the cable will be roughly 40-50ft. all im using it for is to transfer drawing or templates from one of the 3 computers to mine or back to one of the 3 computers. I dont like emailing them and would rather transfer via usb. depending where I am, i either us my cell phone, tablet or laptop for work and I want to be able to transfer files from my cell or tablet in my office to one of the computers without having to get up walk to them. I dont want to store on a server for certain reasons.

long story short. i want to run a usb from each computer to my office for transferring drawings and templates back and forth. Would be nice if it also charged my cell or tab.

Travis

Just run Cat 6. Share files over the same network. USB is not meant for file transfers like you are describing.

Create a share folder on the target computer and drag and drop.

[spike98]

Originally posted by benyl


Just run Cat 6. Share files over the same network. USB is not meant for file transfers like you are describing.

Create a share folder on the target computer and drag and drop.

Cat6 for sure but i would buy a NAS with a RAID array set up for redundancy if they are work files.

[rouxel]

fair enough. I had a feeling that this heading that way. I understand that it would be easier to do that. but for reasons i cant explain, that's not a option. no server.

just for simplicity sake, lets assume this is the scenario...

what if, hypothetically i wanted a 45 ft micro usb to usb cable because my couch was really far away form my computer and i wanted to transfer my pics off my phone to my computer. can i make a custom one using cat 5 or 6?

[revelations]

Originally posted by rouxel
fair enough. I had a feeling that this heading that way. I understand that it would be easier to do that. but for reasons i cant explain, that's not a option. no server.

just for simplicity sake, lets assume this is the scenario...

what if, hypothetically i wanted a 45 ft micro usb to usb cable because my couch was really far away form my computer and i wanted to transfer my pics off my phone to my computer. can i make a custom one using cat 5 or 6?

For moving data off a wireless device to a PC you're FAR better off using your home routers WIFI signal than setting up eventual failure points with USB cables, extenders, etc.

For eg. my phone is set to sync all my phone pictures/media to Google Drive (15GB free online storage) the moment my WIFI comes into range of my phone. When I jump on my desktop in my home office, most of my new pics are there within 5 minutes of me coming in the door (save for the occasional video).

Connecting smart devices to a PC via USB is 2005.

[revelations]

Originally posted by rouxel
most of this is over my head. i dont a whole lot about this type of stuff and i was hoping for a simple answer. lol.

either way, its for a very simple use. I would never do this if i wasnt starting from scratch in my basement but since i am i thought it would keep things neater and simpler.

I am going to have 3 computers against the far wall and then i am going to have my own personal separate office on the other side of the basement. the cable will be roughly 40-50ft. all im using it for is to transfer drawing or templates from one of the 3 computers to mine or back to one of the 3 computers. I dont like emailing them and would rather transfer via usb. depending where I am, i either us my cell phone, tablet or laptop for work and I want to be able to transfer files from my cell or tablet in my office to one of the computers without having to get up walk to them. I dont want to store on a server for certain reasons.

long story short. i want to run a usb from each computer to my office for transferring drawings and templates back and forth. Would be nice if it also charged my cell or tab.

Travis

Cat6 and WIFI is the solution you're after - not USB.

A decent WIFI router will cost about 200$ - do not cheap out on this (esp for commercial purposes) and do not use Telus or Shaws shit box WIFI units - I disable WIFI on most of my clients' ISP-supplied routers as they are nearly useless for anything serious.

[benyl]

Originally posted by rouxel
fair enough. I had a feeling that this heading that way. I understand that it would be easier to do that. but for reasons i cant explain, that's not a option. no server.


You don't need a server. Just need both computers connected to the same router. That router doesn't need to be connected to the internet. Just make a local network if you are scared of hackers.

[rouxel]

thank you for your help, I do appreciate the advice.

I understand I dont need the internet to create a network. I plan on having a network so i can share with the computers but there are some things i cant share with all the computers. I need you guys to trust me or at least humor me.

Is it possible?

Thanks

Travis

[revelations]

Originally posted by rouxel
thank you for your help, I do appreciate the advice.

I understand I dont need the internet to create a network. I plan on having a network so i can share with the computers but there are some things i cant share with all the computers. I need you guys to trust me or at least humor me.

Is it possible?

Thanks

Travis

Absolutely.

[spike98]

Originally posted by rouxel
... there are some things i cant share with all the computers. ...

Porn

JK. You can assign privileges to different users on a network.

[rage2]

Reading this is like seeing how we have perfectly good roads for cars to drive on, only to shrink them down so we can use bike lanes to travel huge distances. I think this guy is Nenshi!

[Hallowed_point]

Originally posted by rage2
Reading this is like seeing how we have perfectly good roads for cars to drive on, only to shrink them down so we can use bike lanes to travel huge distances. I think this guy is Nenshi!


........

[eblend]

Originally posted by rage2
Reading this is like seeing how we have perfectly good roads for cars to drive on, only to shrink them down so we can use bike lanes to travel huge distances. I think this guy is Nenshi!

I agree. Whatever you are trying to do OP with your USB extensions is ridiculous. Yes it can be done, but you can also throw away your house furnace and heat your home with wood, go to the forest every day and pickup said wood ect, why would you when a perfectly good solution exists. Everything you said can be done on a network, restrict the network share to yourself, and whola, only you can access it, and you can access it from any computer you have, or whatever, and doesn't need to be hooked up to the internet if you so prefer.

But if you insist, just get those USB to Ethernet devices and do it that way, it will work, but it will forever be in your walls as a thing that isn't very practical in the long term. If you insist on doing it this way, at least run some ethernet side by side as well for future expansion should you decide to go wired ethernet.

[Stealth22]

Originally posted by rouxel
thank you for your help, I do appreciate the advice.

I understand I dont need the internet to create a network. I plan on having a network so i can share with the computers but there are some things i cant share with all the computers. I need you guys to trust me or at least humor me.

Is it possible?

Thanks

Travis
You don't have to share everything with each computer.

You can set up specific shared folders with specific privileges so that only specific users can access them.

Let's say Computer A is your personal office computer, and you have Computers B, C, and D in this work area on the other side of your basement.

You could create a user account for each of Computers B through D, and give each individual user access to a different set of folders.

Everything that you are asking is doable with some CAT5E/CAT6 cabling and a home network. Of course, the way most of us would do it is with a NAS or a home server.

But you don't need to set up a specific server to do this. Computer A can have one shared folder which all of Computers B through D can access, and have each of their own individual folders if you wanted. Or you could have one separate shared folder for each Computer B through D. How you set it up is completely up to you.

With USB, you're not only setting yourself up for hardware failure down the road, but you're restricting your transfer speeds too. If you're transferring large CAD drawings back and forth, you're better off with a Gigabit router and CAT6 cables instead of USB.

[BavarianBeast]

profibus.

:rofl:

[pheoxs]

Originally posted by BavarianBeast
profibus.

:rofl:

Fuck that never again.

Though devicenet isn't much better.

[jacky4566]

Originally posted by spike98


Cat6 for sure but i would buy a NAS with a RAID array set up for redundancy if they are work files.

psh. Cat 6a or bust.
10GBASE-T future proof.

JK Cat 6 is fine for your needs.

[rage2]

Originally posted by jacky4566
psh. Cat 6a or bust.
10GBASE-T future proof.
Anyone remember when houses built in the late 90's were all pre-wired with fiber? :rofl: