Ethernet 10/100Mbps FAQ from HomeNetHelp.com

(A) Fast Ethernet 100baseT 100 Meters
Twisted Pair Ethernet 10baseT 100 Meters
Thin Ethernet 10 base 2 185 Meters
Thick Ethernet, 10 base 5 500 Meters
See this link for more info

(A) Although cat-5 cable is not rated for outdoor use, I have heard many people using it for years without a problem. If possible, bury the cable at least 8 inches to reduce moisture. Try not to run it along rooftops because the cable can attract lightning. Remember, 100 Meters is your max distance.

(A) This means that packts sent from two different computers at the same time. This is often normal when transfering large files on your network. If your collision light seems to stay on most of the time, you may have a bad network cable or network card. Unplug your computers one at a time to determine the problem computer. Switches eliminate network collisions.

(A) USB 1.0 is limited to 12Mbps so your theoretical max throughput is 12Mbps. Your actual throughput will probably be more like 6Mbps.

(A) UTP is short for Unshielded Twisted Pair cable. If a Cat-5 or cat-5e cable is a UTP.

(A) CAT5 / CAT5e / CAT6 are UTP (unshielded twisted pair) cable ratings. The higher the number, the higher the max throughput. Cat5 = 100Mbps, Cat5e =200Mbps, Cat6=1000Mbps (gigabit). If you are using a 100Mbps switch, try and get cat5e cable instead of cat5.

(A) Please see the HomeNetHelp article Hub vs Switch

(A) An Ethernet cable can be used to connect two computers directly together. A crossover cable is wired differently than a standard Ethernet cable. Check this page for more info about crossover cables. Check our deals and rebates area.

(A) Check our deals and rebates area.

(A) Connect the uplink cable from one hub to a standard port on the second switch. If neither have an uplink port, connect a standard port from each hub with a crossover cable. See this link for details on crossover cables.