Do ethernet cable signals deteriorate the longer the cable is?

Question

I need to purchase an etheret cable to connect a second computer in my house, planning on running it through the attic. The wireless I am using is far too slow.

My question is this, do the cables not work as well the longer they get? I estimate I will need about 20-30 feet of ethernet cable to do what I am trying to. And am worried that with that log of an ethernet cable, it won't work.

Please post your thoughts.

Thanks!

Answer 1

I did a experiment not to  long ago with a 50 foot Ethernet cable. And a regular Ethernet cable.

Found that the longer the cable the slower you Internet connection is.

Answer 2

The signal does degrade but the length you want to use is nothing compared to the lengths used in commercial data cable runs. The cable will perform just fine at those lengths.

Cat5 cable will run to approx 328 feet (100 meters) before experiencing any considerable degradation.

Answer 3

All cables will lose signal strength with distance.  However, CAT5 cable, properly run will carry full signal a distance of 100 meters (approx 110 yards).  You are well under that distance.

Be sure to use quality hardware.  Low end, household grade routers and switches are usualy more problematic than the CAT5 cable.

Avoid running the cable within 3 ft of fluorscent lights, electric motors, microwave ovens and any other RF interferences.  Other than that you should be fine.

I am glad to see you consider wired solutions.  They are a lot more dependable than wireless - and a lot more secure.