Converter for Cross-over Cable

[Scorpio]

Is there any gadget or adapter which can convert a
Cross-over Cable into a Standard Cat5 straight cable? Until
recently I was using a Cross-over Cable between my Laptop
and my Desktop PC for ICS, with the PC connected to the
Internet via a USB ADSL modem. Now I have replaced the USB
Modem with a Belkin Wireless ADSL Modem-router and have
hard-wired the PC to the router through the ethernet ports.
The Laptop has a PCMCIA adapter card for a wireless link
with the router. Unfortunately the wireless modem-router is
not all that it claimed to be and I wish to retain a
hard-wire connection to my laptop as an alternative. Since
this cable is a Cross-over and runs through the attic etc.
I was wondering if there is any way I can still make use of
it and connect to the router using an adapter which will in
effect "straighten" the cross-over cable. Any suggestions?
Please reply to Newsgroup.

 

[Dave Lowther]

Is there any gadget or adapter which can convert a
Cross-over Cable into a Standard Cat5 straight cable? Until
recently I was using a Cross-over Cable between my Laptop
and my Desktop PC for ICS, with the PC connected to the
Internet via a USB ADSL modem. Now I have replaced the USB
Modem with a Belkin Wireless ADSL Modem-router and have
hard-wired the PC to the router through the ethernet ports.
The Laptop has a PCMCIA adapter card for a wireless link
with the router. Unfortunately the wireless modem-router is
not all that it claimed to be and I wish to retain a
hard-wire connection to my laptop as an alternative. Since
this cable is a Cross-over and runs through the attic etc.
I was wondering if there is any way I can still make use of
it and connect to the router using an adapter which will in
effect "straighten" the cross-over cable. Any suggestions?
Please reply to Newsgroup.

If you want to wire the laptop to the router using a cross
over cable then you might be lucky if the router has an
'up link' port. Such a port expects a cross over cable.
Sometime there is a switch for normal / uplink on one
of the router ports.

Alternatively a short cable with an RJ45 socket on one
end and an RJ45 plug on the other. I think if you wired
this 'adaptor' cable with the normal connections for a
cross over cable it would make the combination of
cross over cable + 'adaptor cable' equivalent to a
straight through (patch) cable. I don't know if such
'adaptor cables' are available to buy off the shelf.

Another option would be to cut off the RJ45 plug from
one end of your cross over cable and put on a new RJ45
plug wired so that it's connected as a normal patch cable.

Dave.

 

[Scorpio]

The router does not have a spare up-link port. Moreover, the
crossover cable was purchased from an online retailer and I
am not conversant with crossover wiring to attempt a
conversion myself. But I will see if I can get a short RJ45
plug-socket combination and try out your suggestion no.2.
Many thanks for your comments. Will post results in this
thread shortly.

|
| > Is there any gadget or adapter which can convert a
| > Cross-over Cable into a Standard Cat5 straight cable?
Until
| > recently I was using a Cross-over Cable between my
Laptop
| > and my Desktop PC for ICS, with the PC connected to the
| > Internet via a USB ADSL modem. Now I have replaced the
USB
| > Modem with a Belkin Wireless ADSL Modem-router and have
| > hard-wired the PC to the router through the ethernet
ports.
| > The Laptop has a PCMCIA adapter card for a wireless
link
| > with the router. Unfortunately the wireless modem-router
is
| > not all that it claimed to be and I wish to retain a
| > hard-wire connection to my laptop as an alternative.
Since
| > this cable is a Cross-over and runs through the attic
etc.
| > I was wondering if there is any way I can still make use
of
| > it and connect to the router using an adapter which will
in
| > effect "straighten" the cross-over cable. Any
suggestions?
| > Please reply to Newsgroup.
|
| If you want to wire the laptop to the router using a cross
| over cable then you might be lucky if the router has an
| 'up link' port. Such a port expects a cross over cable.
| Sometime there is a switch for normal / uplink on one
| of the router ports.
|
| Alternatively a short cable with an RJ45 socket on one
| end and an RJ45 plug on the other. I think if you wired
| this 'adaptor' cable with the normal connections for a
| cross over cable it would make the combination of
| cross over cable + 'adaptor cable' equivalent to a
| straight through (patch) cable. I don't know if such
| 'adaptor cables' are available to buy off the shelf.
|
| Another option would be to cut off the RJ45 plug from
| one end of your cross over cable and put on a new RJ45
| plug wired so that it's connected as a normal patch cable.
|
| Dave.
|
|
|

 

[Dave Lowther]

The router does not have a spare up-link port. Moreover, the
crossover cable was purchased from an online retailer and I
am not conversant with crossover wiring to attempt a
conversion myself.

This link may help, it shows the colour coding for how the wires
should be fitted in to the RJ45 plugs for normal and cross over:
http://www.alatec.com/info/rj45.html

If you wanted to try and convert it using the above info you
would need an RJ45 'crimp tool' and an RJ45 plug.

You would also need the above info / tools if you wanted
to make an 'adaptor cable' to convert from cross over to normal.

 

[Chuck]

Is there any gadget or adapter which can convert a
Cross-over Cable into a Standard Cat5 straight cable? Until
recently I was using a Cross-over Cable between my Laptop
and my Desktop PC for ICS, with the PC connected to the
Internet via a USB ADSL modem. Now I have replaced the USB
Modem with a Belkin Wireless ADSL Modem-router and have
hard-wired the PC to the router through the ethernet ports.
The Laptop has a PCMCIA adapter card for a wireless link
with the router. Unfortunately the wireless modem-router is
not all that it claimed to be and I wish to retain a
hard-wire connection to my laptop as an alternative. Since
this cable is a Cross-over and runs through the attic etc.
I was wondering if there is any way I can still make use of
it and connect to the router using an adapter which will in
effect "straighten" the cross-over cable. Any suggestions?
Please reply to Newsgroup.

Connect a second cross-over cable to the first, using a straight-thru connector.

Both the cross-over cable, and the connector, you can buy at any computer
networking store. Don't try to make your own - there's too many ways to screw
it up. Pre-made and tested are far cheaper in the long run.

And please don't contribute to the spread and success of email address mining
viruses. Learn to munge your email address properly, to keep yourself a bit
safer when posting to open forums. Protect yourself and the rest of the
internet - read this article.
http://www.mailmsg.com/SPAM_munging.htm

Cheers,
Chuck
Paranoia comes from experience - and is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Kent W. England [MVP]]

The router does not have a spare up-link port. Moreover, the
crossover cable was purchased from an online retailer and I
am not conversant with crossover wiring to attempt a
conversion myself. But I will see if I can get a short RJ45
plug-socket combination and try out your suggestion no.2.

That will cost more than simply replacing the cross-over cable with a
straight-thru cable, assuming you can even find such an adapter. Go to
Fry's or CompUSA or even Circuit City or Best Buy and get a cable. Cost
$5 and up.

 

[Dave Lowther]

That will cost more than simply replacing the cross-over cable with a
straight-thru cable, assuming you can even find such an adapter. Go to
Fry's or CompUSA or even Circuit City or Best Buy and get a cable. Cost
$5 and up.

The OP said "Since this cable is a Cross-over and runs through the
attic etc. I was wondering if there is any way I can still make use of it"

From the above I assumed that it wouldn't be easy to route another
cable, hence the reason for the OP asking how to conver it.

Dave.