I'm trying to connect my laptop to a router that's 150 feet away. I have a TP-Link router and the laptop seems to work fine with a short Ethernet cable, but when I use a 150-foot Cat5e Ethernet cable, it doesn't function properly. I've tested the cable and all 8 wires are showing green. I even made both ends myself using Cat5e and the T568B pinout. Do I need a repeater for this distance? Should I consider splitting the cable at a certain length before repeating it?
2 Answers
You're well within the specs for Cat5e since it can handle up to 328 feet. It should work as you have it. I recommend trying a repeater or even another router at the end of the cable just like you mentioned. It seems odd that it isn’t working, but sometimes that's just how it goes!
It sounds like you're experiencing signal degradation over distance, which can happen for various reasons. Adding a switch or a repeater in the middle of the run could definitely help boost the signal. It might be worth a shot!
I'm going to give adding a switch before the laptop a try and see if that helps boost the signal.