Where to get good Patch cables

[follower]

Just buy a well known brand cable from Amazon. They are good enough for home use. You don't have to buy expensive high quality cables unless you install LAN cables for your entire house.

 

[coxhaus]

I am now only going to buy patch cables from Altex Electronics for it is easy for me stop at and buy them. I am not going to order off Amazon any more for patch cables.
I tried to buy a Belden patch cable from Amazon but it kept taking to noname cables on Amazon.

 

[follower]

I am now only going to buy patch cables from Altex Electronics for it is easy for me stop at and buy them. I am not going to order off Amazon any more for patch cables.
I tried to buy a Belden patch cable from Amazon but it kept taking to noname cables on Amazon.

Those cables from Altex Electronics are Chinese cheap cables. Cables from Amazon are much better. Amazon doesn't sell Belden except 3rd parties. But B&H and a lot of websites are selling. B&H's price is good.
Belden CAT.6 is not expensive.

Belden Cat6 Cable | B&H Photo Video

Shop B&H's in stock, large inventory for fast shipping, great service and everyday low prices on Belden Cat6 Cable. For more info, please call 800-947-4415

www.bhphotovideo.com

Find A Distributor

www.belden.com

 

[coxhaus]

Those cables from Altex Electronics are Chinese cheap cables. Cables from Amazon are much better. Amazon doesn't sell Belden except 3rd parties. But B&H and a lot of websites are selling. B&H's price is good.
Belden CAT.6 is not expensive.

Belden Cat6 Cable | B&H Photo Video

Shop B&H's in stock, large inventory for fast shipping, great service and everyday low prices on Belden Cat6 Cable. For more info, please call 800-947-4415

www.bhphotovideo.com

Find A Distributor

www.belden.com

I don't want to buy Belden bulk cable. I want premade cables.

I have not been happy with Amazon cables.

How did you figure out Altex Electronics is cheap Chinese? Do you have a link? I looked but could not find it. The 3 cables I bought have worked well. I threw away an Amazon cable and a Chinese CAT6 cable which I don't remember where it came from but it had a tag made in China.

 

[follower]

I don't want to buy Belden bulk cable. I want premade cables.

I have not been happy with Amazon cables.

How did you figure out Altex Electronics is cheap Chinese? Do you have a link? I looked but could not find it. The 3 cables I bought have worked well. I threw away an Amazon cable and a Chinese CAT6 cable which I don't remember where it came from but it had a tag made in China.

It looks cheap. I can see cheap Boots and Plugs. I have some Cables, Plugs, Boots.
CAT5.E
CAT5.E SFTP
CAT.6
CAT.6A(normal)
CAT.6A(thin, 28awg, Locking Plug with Boot)
CAT6 SFTP
CAT.7
CAT.8

If you want premade cables buy these brands. These are top quality cables.
Panduit, CommScope, 3M and more. Where? EBAY.


My two cables.

Blue: CAT.6a, 28awg, Locking Plug with Boot, 3m, over $20 each.
Yellow: CAT.7.

 

[coxhaus]

Nice looking cables and they are rated for 100 watts of POE+. I will keep them in mind. If I go 10 gig I will give them a try. I guess if I buy a long cable for another POE+ AP then they look like a good choice.

Altex is good for me right now as it is on my way into Austin TX. I don't have a big demand for cables nowadays. I really don't need any more cables. I only bought CAT6 not CAT6a. Altex CAT6a cables are twice as much and have better plugs.

 

[coxhaus]

So, I ordered a StarTech.com Cisco console USB cable. I need to console in to my new Cisco CBS switch. Shipping was $8 plus tax. It looks nice. Shipping is a little high for a single cable.

What happened to the link for StarTech.com? And now it says eBay? I would not trust eBay CAT6 cables, too easy to be a fake.

 

[follower]

So, I ordered a StarTech.com Cisco console USB cable. I need to console in to my new Cisco CBS switch. Shipping was $8 plus tax. It looks nice. Shipping is a little high for a single cable.

What happened to the link for StarTech.com? And now it says eBay? I would not trust eBay CAT6 cables, too easy to be a fake.

I removed startech link. Because I thought you don't need it. Anyway, eBay cables that I mentioned are not fake except 'ships from China' and other countries. Buy those cables from the states. Or go to Newegg.com. Do not buy any of them 'ships from China'. Check the Seller 'Newegg'.

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?d=panduit+utp&N=8000

 

[drinkingbird]

So, I ordered a StarTech.com Cisco console USB cable. I need to console in to my new Cisco CBS switch. Shipping was $8 plus tax. It looks nice. Shipping is a little high for a single cable.

What happened to the link for StarTech.com? And now it says eBay? I would not trust eBay CAT6 cables, too easy to be a fake.

If the router/switch has a USB port (usually miniusb) you can use any USB cable and just install the Cisco driver, the USB controller is built into the router.

For the cisco devices that only have RJ45 console, any decent USB to serial converter will work along with the blue cisco RJ45 to RS232. But $8 isn't bad to have the converter built in (of course it can only be used with cisco, I use my USB to serial adapters for a lot of stuff like APC UPSes etc too so it is nice to have that flexibility).

I prefer this one (or any good brand with the FTDI chipset, there are a lot more now than a few years ago), the cheaper generic ones are full of counterfeit Prolific PL2303 chips and the FTDI is the best OS and device compatibility I've found.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DYNNUS8/?tag=snbforums-20

EDIT - I should say USB CONSOLE port. The USB-A ports are only for storage/data transfer, the don't have serial/console ability. Usually the USB console port is mini USB and I've used them with old blackberry cables etc fine.

 

[sfx2000]

Just buy a well known brand cable from Amazon. They are good enough for home use. You don't have to buy expensive high quality cables unless you install LAN cables for your entire house.

These should be good enough...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01INRUKPG/?tag=snbforums-20

 

[follower]

If the router/switch has a USB port (usually miniusb) you can use any USB cable and just install the Cisco driver, the USB controller is built into the router.

For the cisco devices that only have RJ45 console, any decent USB to serial converter will work along with the blue cisco RJ45 to RS232. But $8 isn't bad to have the converter built in (of course it can only be used with cisco, I use my USB to serial adapters for a lot of stuff like APC UPSes etc too so it is nice to have that flexibility).

I prefer this one (or any good brand with the FTDI chipset, there are a lot more now than a few years ago), the cheaper generic ones are full of counterfeit Prolific PL2303 chips and the FTDI is the best OS and device compatibility I've found.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DYNNUS8/?tag=snbforums-20

No, he has SG350. That's why he need USB cable. He will buy CBS350 soon.

 

[drinkingbird]

These should be good enough...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01INRUKPG/?tag=snbforums-20

Bought a bunch of amazon basics (and some other no-name brand) when they were on clearance last fall. No issues with any of them even tested a couple, full throughput at 1 gig, no errors. I don't have any 10G copper SFPs so haven't tested them at that but I doubt they'd have any issues at 10 feet.

 

[drinkingbird]

No, he has SG350. That's why he need USB cable. He will buy CBS350 soon.

Yeah the SG350 is only USB storage. CBS350 will do console using any USB-A to Mini USB with the cisco driver. I don't believe you need a CCO login to get the usb driver.

 

[follower]

Bought a bunch of amazon basics (and some other no-name brand) when they were on clearance last fall. No issues with any of them even tested a couple, full throughput at 1 gig, no errors. I don't have any 10G copper SFPs so haven't tested them at that but I doubt they'd have any issues at 10 feet.

I feel he is like me. I use high quality cables. However I don't actually feel any difference between high quality and cheap cables. It's just Self-satisfaction.

 

[coxhaus]

I am not buying Amazon cables. My Cisco AP ran to hot using an Amazon cable. My cheap China CAT 6 cable failed my speed test. I posted a week or 2 ago.
I just bought a Cisco CBS350 POE+ switch. It is my first CBS switch. I need the cable for it. I have a dozen or so of the old Cisco rollover cables. My new laptop does not have a serial port only usb. My USB to 9 pin does not work very well as it is very old, and I am tired of using it. It is always a hassle.
I thought I would try StarTech.

 

[coxhaus]

Yeah the SG350 is only USB storage. CBS350 will do console using any USB-A to Mini USB with the cisco driver. I don't believe you need a CCO login to get the usb driver.

There is no USB Mini on my Cisco CBS350 switch. So, explain it more.

 

[drinkingbird]

I am not buying Amazon cables. My Cisco AP ran to hot using an Amazon cable. My cheap China CAT 6 cable failed my speed test. I posted a week or 2 ago.
I just bought a Cisco CBS350 POE+ switch. It is my first CBS switch. I need the cable for it. I have a dozen or so of the old Cisco rollover cables. My new laptop does not have a serial port only usb. My USB to 9 pin does not work very well as it is very old, and I am tired of using it. It is always a hassle.
I thought I would try StarTech.

The CBS350 console will work using any USB-A to Mini USB cable and the Cisco driver.

The USB to serial converter I posted will work perfectly with their rollover cables but not needed for this particular switch.

Understood your apprehension toward Amazon cables but most likely they're the same cables you got from your local PC shop.

Far more important than the brand of the cable is the gauge of the wires inside and the quality of the plugs on the end.

 

[drinkingbird]

There is no USB Mini on my Cisco CBS350 switch. So, explain it more.

Which model particularly? Many of them have mini USB console, but I think the smaller don't. In that case the startech should work fine but I've found the one I posted to be bulletproof. Anything with the FTDI chipset is the way to go now. Not sure which chipset the startech uses, but even good name brands have been ending up with the bogus PL2303 chips in them so I avoid those like the plague. They work spotty and then eventually just stop working completely.

The nice thing about a good USB to serial is it ends up being useful for many other things (without having to try and make an adapter for the RJ45 to work with other pinouts).

 

[coxhaus]

I removed startech link. Because I thought you don't need it. Anyway, eBay cables that I mentioned are not fake except 'ships from China' and other countries. Buy those cables from the states. Or go to Newegg.com. Do not buy any of them 'ships from China'. Check the Seller 'Newegg'.

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?d=panduit+utp&N=8000

I am trying not to buy from Newegg. I am not sure they are the best quality more like seconds. I have bought from them in the past.

 

[drinkingbird]

I am trying not to buy from Newegg. I am not sure they are the best quality more like seconds. I have bought from them in the past.

Newegg has been around 20+ years (originally Egghead) and sells perfectly good stuff. If they are selling used or refurb they will list that right on the page. This of course applies to stuff sold and shipped by newegg (just like Amazon). I rarely would buy something from a 3rd party on either amazon or newegg unless I recognize the 3rd party and it is cheaper than buying direct from them.

If you want to take a step up in cables, you can try Tripp Lite/Eaton from Newegg or Amazon. I've used a bunch of their various different cables (video, ethernet, USB, etc) and all were good quality. I use their RJ45 ends for years with no issues as well. They're a happy medium between no name and high priced Data Center patch cables.

Newegg is often my go to for PC components and even the good deals they run on software like Office 365 and Quicken every few months. Never had any issue with them.