# Solved: Extend a Cat5 network cable?



## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

Is there a way to extend an existing network cable? I have one that reaches my brother's room by carpet but now I have relocated the router and it no longer reaches. The easiest fix I want is just to be able to attach another cable to the current cable to make it longer.. Next fix is more cable but that seems more expensive due to length.
Thanx in advance.


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## jmwills (Sep 28, 2005)

Get a barrell connector, or a switch.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

This is the easiest way if your not wanting to add more devices -

http://cablenbits.com/NETWORKING/CAT5-Coupler.html

or do a google search on "Cat5 coupler"

Adding a switch means you have to add power as well and that just adds another bulky item and a power cord. However if you want more network devices in that room a switch is the way to go.


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## jmwills (Sep 28, 2005)

True, but with the switch, the distance can be almost infinite.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

True true.... different life applications... different solutions...

The only thing that truely matters is "is it compatible"!


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

I still have my DI-604 xD
Should that work or would it be more trouble then its worth?
I could use it until I can head out all the way to CompUSA.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Sure you can.... make sure to turn off the DHCP and all that junk in the router and plug both cables into the LAN portions and it effectively becomes a switch.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

Could you give me a quick little tutorial on turning the DI-604 into a switch to extend a cable please?


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## Rockn (Jul 29, 2001)

Buy a 5 port switch for $20


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Here a link that holds johnwill's instructions.

http://forums.techguy.org/networkin...-wireless.html?highlight=Johnwill+soho+router


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

I am able to connect to the DI-604 (secondary) using my main PC (connected to the new DGL-4300) and configure settings at address 192.168.0.254. DHCP is enabled on my 4300 but disabled on my 604. They are both on 255.255.255.0 but my brother's computer (the one in the other room where the cable did not reach) cannot connect to the DI-604 or DGL-4300 and there is no internet.... Actually it is connected and lights are blinking and the network goes active but it cannot visit 192.168.0.254 nor can it connect to the internet and I don't think it is getting its own IP address.

Here is the setup:
Internet --> DGL-4300 --> DI-604 (lan 1 and lan 1) --> My brother's computer (lan 3)
Internet --> DGL-4300 --> Main PC (lan 2)
Internet --> DGL-4300 --> Nintendo DS (wireless)


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Okay here is how it should look -

Internet ---> to WAN port on DGL-4300 ---> lan port on DGL-4300 ---> to lan port on DI-604 ---> another lan port on DI-604 ---> My brother's computer (lan 3)

Note this is AFTER you have connected to the DI-604 and ensured 1) DHCP was off and 2) the IP address of the DI-604 router is set within your Ip range of what is setup on the DGL-4300 but OUTSIDE the scope of the DHCP the DGL-4300 gives out.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

DGL-4300's DHCP handles 2-199 and the DI-604 is 192.168.0.254
They are both on 255.255.255.0 subnet.
I can connect to the d link just fine from my main PC but my brother's computer still cannot get an IP address and connec to the internet.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Ah okay I misread your diagram....
Have you ensured the network adapter and the ethernet cord between the computer and the D-link


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

StumpedTechy said:


> Have you ensured the network adapter and the ethernet cord between the computer and the D-link


??
finished that post??

They are connected if that is what you mean.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Just in case you missed it in JohnWill's procedure, the cable between routers is a cross-over unless either port is auto-sensing (also sometimes called MDI/MDIX).


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

I'm not sure if it is auto sensing but shouldn't that not matter if I can connect to the DI604 from the main PC?
The problem is the secondary PC connected directly into the DI-604.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Sorry, misread.

What is the DGL-4300's LAN IP? How about posting an ipconfig /all for brother's computer and another for the main PC.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Well I mean ensured they are good I.E. swap them with known good parts or place the brothers computer in your room and your ocmputer in the brothers room and see if the problem reverses.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

DGL-4300 is 192.168.0.1.
I'll ipconfig /all when I can get in bro's room (he is sleeping)
I know the cables work because the cables are the ones I used before I changed routers which is only 2 days ago.


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## jmwills (Sep 28, 2005)

More than likely it is on the same subnet (255.255.255.0) the key is to chnage the IP Address of the the device to fall within the scope of the DHCP range being issued by the DGL-4300.
It appears the DGL router will probably issue addresses in the range of 192.168.0.100-255


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Another thought is just try hardcoding the IP and DNS information from your working wired PC but change the last octet outside the 254 you used for the router and the gateway (probably 1) and outside the dhcp scope. Maybe this second router is fuding with your brothers Pc getting dhcp?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"I know the cables work because the cables are the ones I used before I changed routers which is only 2 days ago."

The last time I had a bad ethernet cable it was good two days before that. The last time I had a flat tire it was perfectly round two days before. The last time I had a burned out light bulb it was working great two days before.

There is no guarantee that the problem is a bad cable, and I realize that in your case it is probably not easy to check, but so far it looks like you've done everything right in the setup. That means StumpedTechy's suggestion of a hardware problem has great merit. Check the router's LAN port, the cable, and the brother's PC. I'd be especially suspicious if that cable was under a carpet and may have been stepped upon. 

An easy way to check is to temporarily re-enable the Dhcp server, carry the router close to the computer, connect it with a known good cable, and see if the PC gets a good ipconfig.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

DGL-4300's DHCP extends from 100-199 on the subnet.
The IP is set on the DI-604 to 192.168.0.254

Now I know the carpet cable works because I reset the router, disconnected the LAN cable connecting it to the DGL-4300, and that allowed me to use my brother's computer to connect to the DI-604 (with DHCP temporary re-enabled as set from my main PC which could still access the DI-604).

The cable connecting the two router works because I can connect to the DI-604 from my main PC.



StumpedTechy said:


> Another thought is just try hardcoding the IP and DNS information from your working wired PC but change the last octet outside the 254 you used for the router and the gateway (probably 1) and outside the dhcp scope. Maybe this second router is fuding with your brothers Pc getting dhcp?


Could be, could you explain how to do that? Every now and then my brother's PC will spaz about having IP address conflicts (even though I could have sworn I disabled DHCP on the DI-604).


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks; now I too believe that the cable is working. 

Back to your new setup (Dhcp disabled on the DI-604), an ipconfig /all for both PCs could still give good clues. Do you have a way to "carry" the output from the brother's PC to main PC (floppy, flash drive, CD)? To create a text file (arbitrarily named config.txt) you type
ipconfig /all >c:\config.txt


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

Yes, I will use a USB flash drive or a floppy.
I am assuming you want me to do this with the routers connected through lan ports (as opposed to disconnected), thus I will go do that now.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Also you don't mention OSes your running but you can normally find the IP information on recient OSes by going into the Network Connection and then going to the properties and modifying the TCP/IP settings of the adapter in there are all the fields that you can fill in to hardcode.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

*Main PC* (connected to DGL-4300)

```
Windows 2000 IP Configuration
  	Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : pavilion
	Primary DNS Suffix  . . . . . . . : 
	Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
 	IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
 	WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
 	DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : br.no.cox.net

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
  	Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : br.no.cox.net
	Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
	Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0C-6E-EA-AF-7E
 	DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
 	Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
 	IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.102
 	Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
 	Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
 	DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
 	DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.109.202.25
	                                    68.109.202.30
	                                    68.11.16.25
	Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, June 21, 2006 8:49:18 PM
 	Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Monday, January 18, 2038 9:14:07 PM
```
*Brother's PC* (connected to DI-604 which is connected to DGL-4300)


```
Windows 2000 IP Configuration
  	Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : matthew-1005va3
	Primary DNS Suffix  . . . . . . . : 
	Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
 	IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
 	WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No 
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
  	Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : 
	Description . . . . . . . . . . . : LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapter Version 1.0
	Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-A0-CC-22-55-E2
 	DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
 	Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
 	Autoconfiguration IP Address. . . : 169.254.58.204
 	Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0
 	Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
  	DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . :
```


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

169.254 is an apipa address your brother is NOT getting a dhcp lease from the main 4300.

I would first try the easiest thing and just try putting all of this into your brothers TCP/IP properties. Change the X to not be in the 4300 dhcp range and not 254, 255 or 1. once you have it hardcoded see if you can web browse.

IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.X
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.109.202.25
68.109.202.30
68.11.16.25


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

As you have indicated all along, Brother's PC is trying to get an auto IP config, fails to find a Dhcp server, and so an APIPA (169.254.x.y) is assigned. The failure makes no sense to me at this point. Your testing has showed a good link from that PC to DI-604, and a good link from DI-604 to DGL-4300 to Main PC.

Does the DGL-4300 do anything "stupid" like MAC address filtering?

To assign a static IP per StumpedTechy, in Network Connections right click on the connection - click on Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) - Properties.
Set IP to, say, 192.168.0.99, and the other fields the same as on the Main PC.

Restart the PC, and try to ping each router, Main PC, internet address, internet name.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

OK, StumpedTechy, you're quicker but at least we're telling the same story.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

Do you have to restart or would disabling and enabling the connection work?
Heres another ipconfig from my brother's PC after doing what you said (and still not getting internet)


```
Windows 2000 IP Configuration
  	Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : matthew-1005va3
	Primary DNS Suffix  . . . . . . . : 
	Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Broadcast
 	IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
 	WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No 
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
  	Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . : 
	Description . . . . . . . . . . . : LNE100TX Fast Ethernet Adapter Version 1.0
	Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-A0-CC-22-55-E2
 	DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
 	IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.250
 	Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
 	Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.0.1
 	DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 68.109.202.25
	                                    68.109.202.30
```
Does the DGL-4300 do anything "stupid" like MAC address filtering? 
not sure - help me find out please.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

MAC address filtering should only be for wireless things wired does not provide that (as far as I have ever seen).

Can your brothers PC connect to the same router turned switch that your PC can connect to? the 254 device?


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Also are you sure the cord from your brothers PC to the router turned switch is a straight through and not a crossover? Maybe thats an issue?


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

My brother can only connect to the DI-604 if the cable to the DGL-4300 is disconnected. Oddly enough that isn't every time too. Connect the cable linking the two devices and then my brother can no longer connect to the DI-604 and my main PC becomes able to connect to the DI-604.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

StumpedTechy said:


> Also are you sure the cord from your brothers PC to the router turned switch is a straight through and not a crossover? Maybe thats an issue?


Not sure.
I just know I used it before when the only router I had was the DI-604 and it went from the DI-604 under the carpet into my brother's PC in the other room.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

I suspect the cable is a crossover one.... not a straightrhough.

the DGL-4300 has autosensing ports so this makes it so the DGL-4300 can see the DI-604. the only other thought is try another port on the DI-604 or try another cable if you know the NIC and the TCP/IP on the brothers computer works okay. is there any way to have your brothers direct connect to the DGL-4300 to make sure his gets DHCP from that (basically eliminating nic and PC software)?


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

"My brother can only connect to the DI-604 if the cable to the DGL-4300 is disconnected."

Something else that makes no sense! I'm not saying you're wrong or anything like that, just saying that I can't think or imagine why that would be. "Connect' is a term that can mean different things to different people, so let's look at some pings.

For each ping we want to know whether there are 4 Replies, 4 lost packets, or some of each. With the cable between routers disconnected, open a command window on Brother's computer and type
ping 192.168.0.254

With the cable between the routers connected, type
ping 192.168.0.254
ping 192.168.0.1
ping 192.168.0.102

StumpedTechy may be correct about the cross-over, but I don't understand how that would give the symptoms seen so far.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

MAC Address filtering for home ethernet connections doesn't make much sense, but on my Belkin router the feature is in the "firewall" section of settings and apparently (I've never used it) applies to ALL connections.

Somewhere in your router's LAN or Firewall or Advanced or Security settings should be the capability for MAC address filtering--to allow only certain MAC addresses to connect or sometimes to deny access to certain MAC addresses.


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

StumpedTechy said:


> I suspect the cable is a crossover one.... not a straightrhough.
> 
> ... is there any way to have your brothers direct connect to the DGL-4300 to make sure his gets DHCP from that (basically eliminating nic and PC software)?


Look my first post in this thread to answer that question xD

As for the cable, I _am_ using the network cable that *used* to connect my old cable modem to the router to now connect the two routers. I'll go search for another cable and use the new one to connect the two.

TerryNet - I will ping soon.

MAC address filtering (sorry I had a brain fart) is enabled (by me) because I don't want the random goon with a wireless device near me to connect onto my network. I realize this isn't the best protection against experienced users but it does help with those who just try and connect to whatever has the highest signal strength.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

> As for the cable, I am using the network cable that *used* to connect my old cable modem to the router to now connect the two routers


This could still be a crossover the DI-604 has an autosensing WAN port so both types of cables would have worked going from the DI-604 to the modem.

The one thing that has me puzzled is the fact his PC can connect to the DI-604 if the other connection is removed...


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

Since you had MAC address filtering already enabled before this change then this should not be the problem UNLESS one thing - maybe the DI-604's routers mac addresses have to be in there as well? maybe disable it as a test? The only thing is if the DWL-4300 was filtering out the mac address of the second router why would your PC be able to access it via the web interface?

Other than that the only thing added into this mix is 1 DI-604 router and 1 network cable. So this really narrows down where the problem can lie.

I have given up on thinking its PC related if the brothers PC worked on the original router this whole time. (sorry we have been working on this long enough I am going in a big circle and not rereading posts just tossing out ideas).


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

I am now using the network cable that used to connect the old modem to the old router to connect the new modem to the new router.

The cable that was once connecting the new router to the new modem now connects the two routers together.

Both before and after though, pings on my brother's computer to 192.168.0.1, 192.168.0.254 and 192.168.0.102 all timed out 4 times.

Pings to 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.254 on my main PC work fine, however a ping to 192.168.0.250 (brother's PC) times out.

I disabled MAC address filtering.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

I agree with StumpedTechy about the possibility of needing to allow the DI-604's MAC address. I don't know how this works, but it seems possible that you could access it because you were initiating the action; but Brother's messages would seem to be initiated by the DI-604.

Thought of one other thing while eating lunch. Please don't get insulted--just set my mind at ease. You are NOT connecting to the DI-604's WAN port, right?


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

> The cable that was once connecting the new router to the new modem now connects the two routers together.


Can you swap this cable with the cable between the router and your brothers PC and perform the same ping tests and give us these results?


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

OMG EVERYONE I AM SO SORRY
*hit me with a taser please*

This is what happens when you work without *glasses and you have POOR vision (even with glasses on).

The new router and old router's ports are lined up slightly differently since I have one vertical and I just clipped the connection in and uh... accidently had it plugged into the WAN.

However this was only recently after I changed that cable that was once with the modem (and now once again is). I went back and put the other cable on the LAN port instead of WAN (oops again) and my brother's PC has internet..
LOL.
thanx.


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## StumpedTechy (Jul 7, 2004)

At least it wasn't anything we said that was the problem *snicker* glad to hear its up and running!


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

Yah. But yall really did help because I still think MAC address filtering and that old modem cable was the problem too. It all got messed up in the last minute when my uncle came to the door and I just clicked the cable in not paying attention to the fact that I put it into the WAN port.


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Blame it on the uncle. Let's us all off the hook. Works for me!


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## I Fix 4 U (Jul 19, 2004)

That's how things work in this country, MIRITE?


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