topic Re: Ethernet cable in Sky Stream

Ethernet cable

Super+Anthony — Sat, 11 May 2024 03:50:43 GMT

What's the best one to buy for stream. CAT 6 or 8?

Re: Ethernet cable

GD1 — Sat, 11 May 2024 04:46:23 GMT

@Super+Anthony Both are overkill as the pucks only have 100mbps ethernet ports.

Cat 5 will be sufficient.

Re: Ethernet cable

lettice — Sat, 11 May 2024 06:48:53 GMT

You will be fine with a cat 5e cable and above for Sky Stream.

But, would recommend now going for at least a cat 6, Sky Stream cannot make full use of its full speed potential yet, but it does offer much improved crosstalk and noise interference in our busy households.

On Amazon and other places, I have bought cables from Ultra Clarity cables (like connecting my ONT to router over a many feet run) and also if you prefer the flat type for runs behind your equipment and skirting runs, try those or the normal round cables form Kenable.

I have one Sky Stream box connected with a kenable cat 6 flat cable and had no issues.

My main Sky Stream box is connected via wifi, also with no issues.

Re: Ethernet cable

Super+Anthony — Sat, 11 May 2024 07:38:19 GMT

Thank you. Brought 6 one

Re: Ethernet cable

Super+Anthony — Sat, 11 May 2024 10:56:27 GMT

Update from last post. I was just told by a tech individual from a shop that a CAT 8 will still work and won't make it worse and is compatible. He also mentioned if anything, will make it run better

Re: Ethernet cable

rg99 — Sat, 11 May 2024 12:23:08 GMT

Cat 8 is designed to work with devices at both ends that have screened sockets. The Puck doesn't and most routers don't, so it's no better than Cat 6.

Re: Ethernet cable

TimmyBGood — Sat, 11 May 2024 12:47:08 GMT

@Super+Anthony wrote:

He also mentioned if anything, will make it run better

Almost certainly not, but his profit would be improved by the cost difference...

Cat8 is server-room technology for switch-to-switch patching on 10GbE ports and entirely unnecessary for domestic cable runs.

Re: Ethernet cable

Super+Anthony — Sat, 11 May 2024 12:49:39 GMT

Looking at Amazon, there is not much price difference between the two though, but thank you @TimmyBGood

Going to try the CAT 6 one though as suggested

Re: Ethernet cable

rscott — Mon, 13 May 2024 07:35:55 GMT

Personally, I'd get a cat 5e cable for under £2, rather than spend £6 on cat 6.

Cat 6 makes sense if everything is gigabit, especially on longer runs or if it's an electrically noisy environment, but for domestic use, it's usually overkill.

I have several managed network switches within my home network and none report noticeable error levels with cat 5e.

Re: Ethernet cable

Super+Anthony — Mon, 13 May 2024 07:39:44 GMT

Thank you @rscott

i had already brought the 6 though, but never mind. Compared to the 8, i haven't noticed much difference. In fact the 8 had better picture it looked like

Re: Ethernet cable

Padam_Padam — Mon, 13 May 2024 08:51:07 GMT

@Super+Anthony wrote:
Thank you @rscott

i had already brought the 6 though, but never mind. Compared to the 8, i haven't noticed much difference. In fact the 8 had better picture it looked like

The category of ethernet cable will have zero effect on picture quality.

Re: Ethernet cable

rscott — Mon, 13 May 2024 09:58:14 GMT

@Padam_Padam wrote:

@Super+Anthony wrote:

Thank you @rscott

i had already brought the 6 though, but never mind. Compared to the 8, i haven't noticed much difference. In fact the 8 had better picture it looked like

The category of ethernet cable will have zero effect on picture quality.

Ssh. Don't tell the people paying £500 for an "audio grade" network switch 😀https://www.kjwestone.co.uk/product/chord-co-english-electric-8switch/

That's the entry level product - the really gullible can spend £2k on them.

Re: Ethernet cable

Padam_Padam — Mon, 13 May 2024 10:04:50 GMT

@rscott wrote:
@Padam_Padam wrote:
@Super+Anthony wrote:
Thank you @rscott

i had already brought the 6 though, but never mind. Compared to the 8, i haven't noticed much difference. In fact the 8 had better picture it looked like
The category of ethernet cable will have zero effect on picture quality.
Ssh. Don't tell the people paying £500 for an "audio grade" network switch 😀https://www.kjwestone.co.uk/product/chord-co-english-electric-8switch/
That's the entry level product - the really gullible can spend £2k on them.

Hilarious. Reminds me of those 'experts' in Currys who try and force incredible gold plated HDMI cables costing upwards of £80 on unsuspecting customers, claiming it'll improve their picture/sound quality.

Re: Ethernet cable

Super+Anthony — Mon, 13 May 2024 10:05:30 GMT

Maybe it's just being neurodivergent which makes me think that!!

What exactly are the differences? @Padam_Padam

Re: Ethernet cable

Padam_Padam — Mon, 13 May 2024 10:15:58 GMT

@Super+Anthony wrote:
Maybe it's just being neurodivergent which makes me think that!!

What exactly are the differences? @Padam_Padam

It's easier for the mind to play tricks like that. When you buy something you're told is better, you want to believe it... 😁

This will explain the basics:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/different-types-of-ethernet-cables-explained/

All a Sky Stream puck cares about is receiving a stable broadband signal. As long as it gets 35Mbps or above consistently then it's happy.

I used a very cheap cat 5e cable on my Puck for a year and it was totally stable. Never had buffering or anything caused by a network issue. The issues I had were all hardware/software or server based. All the image processing is done on an entirely separate chip, completely unnaffected by the network.

Re: Ethernet cable

Exiled-in-HH — Mon, 13 May 2024 10:26:57 GMT

Stream management is performed on the Sky server .... is any stream management performed by the puck device other than passing the stream change request to the Sky server🤔

Re: Ethernet cable

Super+Anthony — Mon, 13 May 2024 12:22:45 GMT

@Padam_Padam Thank you.

I also agree with your other point. When I brought my TV, the shop basically told me to buy the gold plated HDMI cable, rather than using the TV one

Re: Ethernet cable

TimmyBGood — Mon, 13 May 2024 12:44:55 GMT

@Super+Anthony wrote:

When I brought my TV, the shop basically told me to buy the gold plated HDMI cable, rather than using the TV one

There might actually be more profit for the retailer (not margin, but real cash) in upselling to an premium HDMI cable than there is on the television set itself.

I'd note for example the 3 metre £49.99 Currys 'Sandstrom' : a brand which doesn't exist outside that particular shop.

Re: Ethernet cable

GD1 — Mon, 13 May 2024 14:56:26 GMT

@TimmyBGood wrote:

@Super+Anthony wrote:

When I brought my TV, the shop basically told me to buy the gold plated HDMI cable, rather than using the TV one

There might actually be more profit for the retailer (not margin, but real cash) in upselling to an premium HDMI cable than there is on the television set itself.

I'd note for example the 3 metre £49.99 Currys 'Sandstrom' : a brand which doesn't exist outside that particular shop.

Reminds me of the old days when they always tried to flog you their overpriced montster scart cables 🙂