DIY Ethernet Cables

[Miska]

Only connect shield at the source end, but do not connect shield at both ends!

 

[Miska]

31 minutes ago, marce said:

This could create an antenna, always taught that for rf the shield should be connected with a low impedance at rf frequencies at both ends, a usual practice is to use a cap at one end, though for CAT cable it would be hard to do. Be interested in your views on this as Ethernet has some quite high frequency content...

I am with TubeMan on no shielding connection, domestic set-ups don't really need shielding and there could be issues with some shielded connections and some not. Industrial set-ups are often designed from the onset to use shielded cables.

Even with the shield  unconnected the shielded cables does have benefits over un-shielded so is worth using.

 

I would say it is just extension of the source device chassis, connected to earth. But anyway I generally recommend using standard UTP cables that don't have a shield.

 

But certainly avoid connecting shield at both ends (like standard STP cables do), because that destroys one of the primary benefits of Ethernet which is ground isolation (signals are differential transformer isolated there).

 

[Miska]

22 hours ago, TubeMan said:

and what do you think is the source ,

when data goes in both directions in a network cable

 

Source is the one digital side source, so not the one facing analog equipment.