Can I use these different network cables to connect my computers to a switch?

Well I have a netgear switch FS116 and 3 desk top computers and 3 lap tops that I would like to set up as a home network. I have a few different types of cables and I am not sure what the difference is between them; so a little would be appreciated.
Cable #1 is blue -- type cm 24awg 75*c (ul) e151955 csa ll79189 cmg etl verified eia/tia-568a cat.5 cable master.
Cable #2 is grey -- type cm 24awg 75*c (ul) e212964 etl verified to eia/tia-568b cat.5e patch cable
CABLE #3 is green -- enhanced patch cord 24awg 4pr 2835 e87647-dg 5u awm 60*c 30v ll58663 csa awm I A 80*c 30v ft1 etl verified to tia/eia-568b cat.5e
Cable #4 is yellow -- type cm 24awg 75*c (ul) e151955 csa ll79189 cmg etl verified to tia/eia-568-b.2 cat.5e 4pr cable master

When connecting the computers to the switch do they all need to be either blue or grey or green or yellow or does it matter?
What happens if I use different cables?

Michael2011-11-21T20:05:29Z

Favorite Answer

Ok in a nut shell this is what you need to know. Of all the numbers you entered the only real important one is the "cat" part with a number or number and letter after it.

CAT5, CAT5e or CAT5E or CAT6

CAT stands for category. The number after the CAT tells you how fast the data could theoretically travel on the cable.

If you want to read the exact specs you can go here:
http://cableorganizer.com/articles/cat5-cat5e-cat6.htm
be warned unless you are a tech (nerd) person this is a really good way to fall asleep.

The color has very little to do with. Kind of like a color on a car. The same car be many different colors. When I do cabling I don't much care what color the cable is except for maybe red. i try to reserve red for cross over cables, but even that is not really standard.

Hope that helps

10

Anonymous2011-11-21T20:01:23Z

You can use all 3 of those cables, Heres what you do
Take your first computer plug one end of one of the cables into the Ethernet port on the pc it looks like a phone jack but a little bigger then plug the other on of the cable into the router into any port besides the one that says uplink on it (ushally ports 1 & 2), then repeat steps for all your pc's to connect a internet modem connect a cable from your internet modem into port 1 or 2 (uplink slot) and the get all the computers into a home network follow instructions under control panel (networking for windows 7) ( set up a home network for xp)

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Russell2011-11-21T20:05:00Z

AWG is wire gauge. cat 5 is type of cable/connector. from what i see they are all the same, except color. I could be wrong, but if they are all same gauge, same connector, how are they different? color means NOTHING. are they all 4pr or are they 6pr?

pr means pair, pairs of wires.

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Bishow2011-11-21T22:14:21Z

to connnect you can use twisted pair cable

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Neil2011-11-21T20:50:52Z

Color does not matter.

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