Symptom: If the client PC is able to link to the network, performance may be poor. The PC may not be able to connect at all.
Cause: In networks today, Gigabit to the desktop is common. Gigabit requires four pairs of cable, so anything lower than Category 5 will not work for Gig. In older buildings this must be taken into consideration. In addition, any amount of untwisting of the cable (often near the RJ-45 termination or patch panel) can cause signal loss. This will result in FCS Errors on the switch ports or network adapters.
Resolution: In most cases with cable problems, the cable simply needs to be replaced. If the problem is because the cable has become untwisted, re-terminating the cable may resolve the errors. When supporting new technologies such as Gigabit or Power over Ethernet, the cable must be Cat 5 or better.
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