Yes, a powered switch (hubs are no longer used for general networking) will
repeat (rather than amplify) a signal (assuming this is twisted pair and not
thinnet or something). You can run up to 100 meters (300') on CAT5, 5e, 6 at
100Mbps. In some cases you can go farther, but it's not recommended. 150' is
well within the reach of a single cable without having to repeat. If you're
having problems going more than 75 feet, most likely the cable is wired
incorrectly (the proper pins are connected at both ends, but the wires used
are not pairs). Standard wiring for a 538b straight-thru cable is (starting
at pin 1):
white-orange
orange
white-blue
green
white-green
blue
white-brown
brown.
....kurt
