Crossover Network Cable

Crossover Network Cable to Connect 2 Computers

Here on the page, you will find our selection of crossover network cables, which you can use to connect two identical devices, such as two computers.

A regular network cable is used to connect a computer, printer, or other devices to the internet, thus connecting two different devices, for example, a computer and a router.

A crossover network cable is used to connect two identical devices, such as two computers, directly to each other, and this is done from network card to network card, after which data can be transferred through the crossover network cable.

The advantage is that if you only have 2 computers in a network, you can avoid hubs and switches by using a crossover network cable between the two computers.

There are several things you should be aware of when looking for a crossover network cable, and if you are in doubt about what these things are, you can read below.

4 Things You Should Know When Looking for a Crossover Network Cable

There are different varieties of crossover network cables, and therefore it is important to pay attention to the specifications of the cable when you are trying to find the right one for your needs.

Below we have gathered some things you should be aware of when looking for a crossover network cable.

#1 - Crossover or Straight Network Cable?

If you are unsure whether to get a straight or a crossover network cable, and what the difference is between the two types, don't despair, as here you will get a very short explanation of the difference.

First of all, you should know that when you look at networks, there can be 2 types of networks: a straight and a crossover network.

A straight network is when you connect two different devices, such as a computer and a modem, or a computer and a printer, and here you need a so-called straight network cable or a non-crossover network cable.

A crossover network is, thus, the opposite; here two identical devices are connected, for example, two computers, and here you need a crossover network cable.

Today, you can connect most devices wirelessly, but if you have a computer or another device that does not support the wireless connection, you may indeed need a crossover network cable.

You should be aware that you cannot use a crossover network cable to make a connection between two different devices, and therefore it cannot be used to connect the computer with the router.

#2 - Shielded Crossover Network Cable

When you are looking for the right crossover network cable, you should also consider what shielding type the cable should have.

If the cable will be placed in a cable tray with several other different cables, it may be a good idea to buy a shielded cable.

The shielded cable can have a shield in the form of a woven net inside the cable or a foil that mostly resembles aluminum foil.

A shielded cable has protection against interference from other cables that can weaken or disrupt the signal in the network cable.

For crossover network cables, it is often either a double shield or no shield at all.

If you choose a double shielded network cable, it will typically have a woven shield just under the surface and additionally a foil shield around the inner woven conductors in the middle of the cable.

This type of double-shielded cable is referred to as S-FTP, while an unshielded cable is referred to as U-UTP.

These designations will often be printed on the outside of the crossover network cable in connection with information about which category the cable belongs to.

#3 - Length of the Crossover Network Cable

When you need to choose a crossover network cable, you will almost always have to consider how long the cable should be.

It is therefore always a good idea to have measured the distance between the two devices, and you should also try to keep the distance as short as possible.

The crossover network cable should be chosen in a length that is as short as possible, just as it applies to fully standard straight network cables.

This means that if you need a cable of 2.3 meters, you should not, of course, buy a cable of 2 meters but instead a cable of 3 meters, but not 5 meters.

You naturally need enough cable for it to reach, but on the other hand, there is no reason to buy more meters than necessary, which then needs to be rolled up and stored away behind the desk or shelf.

You can find crossover network cables in lengths of:

• 0.25 m.
• 0.5 m.
• 1 m.
• 2 m.
• 3 m.
• 5 m.
• 10 m.

#4 - Category of Crossover Network Cable

You may advantageously pay attention to the category of the crossover network cable, as this indicates how much and how quickly data can be transferred through the cable.

The category of the cable is indicated with “cat,” and for crossover network cables, you can typically find the following categories of cable:

• Cat 5 - Has a transfer speed of 100 Mbps over 100 meters.
• Cat 5e - Has a transfer speed of 1 Gbps over 100 meters.
• Cat 6 - Has a transfer speed of 10 Gbps over 55 meters.

Cat 5 network cables are still one of the most widespread cables in Denmark, and they are really good for many standard tasks, such as smaller transfers of documents and files.

Cat 5e cables are an advanced version of the Cat 5 cable and have a bit more speed, so they can handle a few more and somewhat larger tasks.

The Cat 6 cable is what you should choose if you need to transfer larger files, such as images and video files, or many files at once.