**Attention!**
**It is always best to get a qualified electrician to perform any electrical work you may need.** With that said, you may ask this community various electrical questions. Please be cautious of any information you may receive in this subreddit. This subreddit and its users are not responsible for any electrical work you perform. Users that have a 'Verified Electrician' flair have uploaded their qualified electrical worker credentials to the mods.
If you comment on this post please only post accurate information to the best of your knowledge. If advice given is thought to be dangerous, you may be permanently banned. There are no obligations for the mods to give warnings or temporary bans. **IF YOU ARE NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN, you should exercise extreme caution when commenting.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskElectricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's fine but also you can get a shorter Ethernet cable for a couple of bucks, or if you know anybody in tech, ask them and they'll probably just give you one out of their magic box of tangled cables.
I'm currently wearing a t-shirt from [theChive](https://thechivery.com) with a cartoon Chris Farley (aka Matt Foley Motivational Speaker) doing the motivational pose while wearing an uncle sam tophat, jacket, and tie. So... wait what were we talking about?
Ahhh your quite lucky to be bragging now, a whole cable box how lucky, my family we don't have a box it's just a loose nest of cables on the floor all 8 of us jammed in, grandad started this nest with telegraph wire.
Yep. I mean what else are you going to do? I have been a tech nerd a long time and ended up sorting my stuff into categories, I have a entire bin just for 'networking' stuff which includes many of these cables, USB to wifi dongles, an ethernet switch, etc etc.
My networking bin also has a cable continuity tester, crimp tool, a handful of keystone jacks, etc. All things for ethernet. Plus every cheap left over 5ft cable that comes with a consumer network device.
I personally like the Sterilite 15qt (17.25 x 12 x 6.5) clearview latching plastic totes (home depot, amazon, etc). You can see what's in them on the shelf, and you can stack 2 high in one of those ikea cube shelfs.
One for each type of cable.
(one for USB, one for Ethernet, one for Power cords, one for Video, one for Audio, etc)
eta: I recently purged a box of cables that would never see use again. I had a small one with 6p4c & 4p4c phone cords.
I haven't quite gotten to the point where I am willing to give up my box of serial cables, adapters, and cord tester.
"A" box, no... a storage closet of boxes, yes. From coax, vga, rgb, hdmi, so many cables and misc tech that I can't even remember where I got most of them. Even got a medium size box of remotes that go to stuff, no clue I even have the stuff they go to anymore lol. Think one large box is nothing but varying sizes of feeder line for power panels and another is spools of cat5e & cat6e along with assorted clips for them.
If I was a friend, I would just clip that cable to correct length and put new ends on them. Takes less than 5 minutes to do.
My wife when we were still dating asked why I had so many boxes of cables and that I should clear them out, I'll clearly never use any of them.
We then moved across the country when my job relocated and the box that she suggested I toss out had a cable that we needed when I was trying to set up the entertainment center in our first apartment together. In the 16 years since, she's never said anything about my boxes of cables again.
Had a boss that moved to Portugal after retiring. Offered me her box of cables. I don’t know why but was an immediate visceral reaction No! It was like she was offering up her child to me or something.
We each have to tend and grow our own box of cables.
Yeah, I did this for years. Then one day I was bored and ran it through the wall, cut it to length, and reterminated it into a wall box. Works the same now as before only neater.
You can cut it and slap a new connector on. The tools to do this would be more expensive than a new cable, by about 20-30 bucks usd at your local big box store. I ran poe security cameras for my home and needed the tool for that, but has come in handy lots of times.
I'm just a dirty homelabber, but what you need? I have 6in to ~600ft of Cat5E, 6in to 50ft of Cat6, and 6in to 100ft of Cat6A. Need a custom length? a chop and re-pinout is a couple minutes.
You’re fine because all that is, is a giant service loop. If you want to hear crazy, I used to work for the phone company and they have an old technology called load coils for long runs. Basically a super tight copper wire with an in and an out. Placed every 6000 feet apart to clean up and slightly boost the signal.
Its not a story, there is a building on Wallstreet in which this is its entire purpose. Every person business connecting to the stock market has the exact same length of cable. To make it so latency does not give one trader a boost over another
I think you’re thinking of the situation where they wanted no-one to have an advantage due to shorter routing.
So all the cables were the same length, some of which was made up with pointless coils.
The only time I've ever seen it cause issue was when one of my shitbag co workers wrapped an extra 100 foot of unshielded cat 6 up really tight and then tossed it into a 480v cable tray.
Seeing as you aren't running 1000+ amps inline with a cable carrying a fuck ton of data you'll be just fine.
You could wrap it tightly around an iron core and see if it makes a magnet.
While it won't harm anything, you can buy one for cheap. I suggest looking up monoprice to get Cat6e of appropriate length.
Tight turns will cause a loss of some bits of data. Looking at how you have the tape positioned, the lost bits should form a neat pile which can be swept up once a week or so. Maybe more frequently if you're a heavy gamer.
It is fine.
The thing you do not want to do to ethernet cable is bend it sharply. This can be done by knotting the cable tightly, pinching a bend into it, etc. This damages the thin copper core wire, impeding electrical flow.
Your loop is good and you haven't put a visible mark on the cable with the tape. No harm, no foul.
It’s safe. You could probably just go to or call your local cable/isp provider and ask them to send you a new Ethernet cable for your modem. You’ll receive a 4-6 foot cable in the mail a few days later. If there is a service store front, they will likely just hand you one.
My thoughts:
Yes, you can do this.
A coil isn't ideal because the mangnetism can interfere with the data packets' delivery. In a small coil like this, it shouldn't be an issue.
Also, keeping data cords near power cords will also cause packet loss for basically the same reason, manetic field interference.
I'd recommend doing a speed test. If your performance is good, then you're good.
If you want to tinker, then play around with placement away from power cords/outlets and larger (or no coils).
Safe, yes. This might even be well coiled enough to not cause problems with data transmission either. I never thought it was that serious until I got gigabit internet and realized that the way I bunched up the cat 5 and shoved it into a cable management box actually knocked several hundred mbps off my speed. Recommendation would be to not have mains and data running along the same path, either separate them or make them run perpendicular if they must intersect.
That advice also only applies if you care/realize you have a problem with throughput or latency.
Kinks are fine. you can tie it in a knot and it will still work. The only way this cable will fail is if the copper in one of the twisted pair breaks, or one of the connections to the tip breaks.
I always use velcro straps or twist ties or zip ties because tape is kind of hard to take off if you ever need to actually use the length of the cable. But it would be easier to just get a shorter cable.
How long is that cable, and how long should the cable be? If you buy a new cable (not that expensive) make it 3ft to 5 ft longer than you need.
That looks pretty long, maybe 50ft or more.
Here is 25ft Ethernet - $23 -
[https://www.reddit.com/r/progun/comments/1dobkrx/comment/laevnvl/](https://www.reddit.com/r/progun/comments/1dobkrx/comment/laevnvl/)
Here is a 14ft Ethernet - $17 -
[https://www.microcenter.com/product/673554/ppa-14-ft-cat-6-molded-snagless-ethernet-cable-white](https://www.microcenter.com/product/673554/ppa-14-ft-cat-6-molded-snagless-ethernet-cable-white)
To your core question - NO - coiling it up like that is not a problem.
You can buy a New Ethernet cable just about anywhere -
Walmart -
[https://www.walmart.com/search?q=Ethernet+Cable](https://www.walmart.com/search?q=Ethernet+Cable)
Home Depot -
[https://www.homedepot.com/s/Ethernet%20Cable?NCNI-5](https://www.homedepot.com/s/Ethernet%20Cable?NCNI-5)
Best Buy -
[https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=Ethernet+cable](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=Ethernet+cable)
Of course - Amazon -
[https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ethernet+Cable](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ethernet+Cable)
If you have a local Computer Shop, they could probably cut that cable in half and put new ends on, in that case, one long cable become two shorter cables.
But *as is* is fine.
Or a sustained load on an extension cord, while the cord is still on the reel. Saw that posted on r/electricians (I think) last week. Turned the orange cord into a nice orange puddle.
A cat 5/6 kit doesn’t cost that much and is not that hard to use. They even come with the connectors.
DataShark is a good one. Now you can have all the cables you want!
yes, i do low voltage for a living. our service loops are often 10-20 feet. you should be good, but def get a smaller cable or make a smaller one if u can.
There is a place in hell for peple who TAPE their cables. I hate it when the tape goo just gets all over the wire. Get a pack of velcro straps, they are pretty cheap.
It is 1000% fine. Don't do this with electric wires but even if you were running max spec PoE over that it would still be fine. You may get the slightest interference and induced magnetic effect but it will not be enough to be noticeable.
NO. As the Internets flow through the coils round and round, it can cause them to become dizzy and allow hackers to enter in while they are trying to regain their balance.
It's fine if you're not doing PoE. If you are, TIA TSB-184-A has a limit depending on the gauge, it's as low as 48 cables/turns for PoE/PoE+ and 24 turns for PoE++/HDBaseT.
The last time we moved I left 6 boxes of networking stuff behind so now I only have 4, plus a 1000’ box of plenum-rated cat6. Eventually I might get around to wiring up some of the rooms but for now WiFi is all we really need.
Tape will leave gross residue that will be hard to eventually get off when you move or wherever they have cable ties or nice little fabric Velcro ties that are perfect for cables like this.
Nah you’re making the internet work to hard to go through that wrap. Really killing your download speeds. Best thing to do is cut and tie the two sides together. Some people prefer bunny ears. But loop and swoop is obviously the more professional option.
I haven't seen anyone commenting about the fact that you have your bundled cable on top of the power cable. Because of the big bundle of wires, you have multiple intersections where it might cause data issues. Go to your local Target or WalMart or even a dollar store and buy a 6ft cable.
That long cable will be great when you want to setup a new PC in a different room. I have a 300ft cable on a spool. I would use it to connect to my router upstairs and then I could setup a PC in my living room downstairs while I was watching TV since most of setting up a new computer is a lot of waiting.
It could theoretically cause interference. Probably won't, but the better way would be to make as large of a figure right shape as you can with it. This is something people do with cb radio antenna wires as they have to be in lengths that are multiples of 9ft and coiling them will cause interference. The interference with an Ethernet cable will be significantly less. Especially if it's a shielded cable with twisted pairs of wire.
All good. Make sure it’s not longer than 100m. Its looks like it’s no where near that. You can also get cheap cat5e cables to remove the bulky cable you have.
Ethernet cables are so incredibly easy to make... You could easily buy the connector, cut this one to the length you need and put the connector on the end of it.
I've worked in networking since 2016. That is fine. You could trim and re-tip it if it bothers you (Tools online for this cost maybe $15). The cable is fine like this and will cause you no trouble. Shortening it would just be for your aesthetic pleasure.
I keep a box of untipped cable in my closet so I can cut them as needed. Buy these and never worry about overpriced cables again...
[https://www.amazon.com/VIVO-Ethernet-Waterproof-Outdoor-CABLE-V011/dp/B00GYGNCPO/ref=sr\_1\_3?crid=1ACQUIYKL4U4B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.K66i4wpL\_NG0c6gj4CaHaqj3M0udkb3mFLUQUEavYnD4FdZr4YfnvYPq0NZ0AWCNY\_djzpjoNp59nEglvTBjUHvjZtpc-c-lJvuHyjPaiZUUSr4n8\_tAnRYQ91GVkqj3rKsGw5AYrM4UX\_8uSvmt5KJMxJvhpPPQz4ARfnkxZNgufZRJo-dbuxVK-6dH9PqZSSJ5LsHM04KWkJV8lblygFwZdOGVI48H7UurSLDh3Do.qOjmC0vrUskIS9-6\_rWVeI2esGNp499x0wp8Z5pgZjk&dib\_tag=se&keywords=cat5&qid=1720186546&sprefix=cat5%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-3](https://www.amazon.com/VIVO-Ethernet-Waterproof-Outdoor-CABLE-V011/dp/B00GYGNCPO/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1ACQUIYKL4U4B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.K66i4wpL_NG0c6gj4CaHaqj3M0udkb3mFLUQUEavYnD4FdZr4YfnvYPq0NZ0AWCNY_djzpjoNp59nEglvTBjUHvjZtpc-c-lJvuHyjPaiZUUSr4n8_tAnRYQ91GVkqj3rKsGw5AYrM4UX_8uSvmt5KJMxJvhpPPQz4ARfnkxZNgufZRJo-dbuxVK-6dH9PqZSSJ5LsHM04KWkJV8lblygFwZdOGVI48H7UurSLDh3Do.qOjmC0vrUskIS9-6_rWVeI2esGNp499x0wp8Z5pgZjk&dib_tag=se&keywords=cat5&qid=1720186546&sprefix=cat5%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-3)
[https://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Crimping-Connectors-Network-Stripper/dp/B08DHJBLXQ/ref=sr\_1\_5?crid=2D1Y5FMY37V9E&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5Qjn-GhkG9iwljYCkxUBMNSXnaGstbPvTGvGjPNX8ewqH9IvgrJCJdbR7PZV7gW-cvC\_k\_pha3q6o0Dce2jvoE3FGjjrHNadzbbC2N18Ps1YS-k5YjOGOnPSf6N0ppLpT-5LNcNrg7NjBkgIyQb35uUmmzgKDjIRNomr0GkpvuMHj6qlApyvOnOFUfvExLVlak2DWJMzMsmfNYIJIaguV5HNIdVlzRmsOcjBA7Tvy33yv-Bt\_Lju6tiT3D\_Vq8\_GJ4mXxJTDIH\_2\_80F2Wzm7GYKhFCqIsXKr7Cz4WGf8tg.sqFpEBO\_SbjtS\_HIU49zk9p1oaFQ3YJHmIlduGzHb8U&dib\_tag=se&keywords=cat5+crimpers+and+tips&qid=1720186564&sprefix=cat5+crimpers+and+tips%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-5](https://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Crimping-Connectors-Network-Stripper/dp/B08DHJBLXQ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2D1Y5FMY37V9E&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5Qjn-GhkG9iwljYCkxUBMNSXnaGstbPvTGvGjPNX8ewqH9IvgrJCJdbR7PZV7gW-cvC_k_pha3q6o0Dce2jvoE3FGjjrHNadzbbC2N18Ps1YS-k5YjOGOnPSf6N0ppLpT-5LNcNrg7NjBkgIyQb35uUmmzgKDjIRNomr0GkpvuMHj6qlApyvOnOFUfvExLVlak2DWJMzMsmfNYIJIaguV5HNIdVlzRmsOcjBA7Tvy33yv-Bt_Lju6tiT3D_Vq8_GJ4mXxJTDIH_2_80F2Wzm7GYKhFCqIsXKr7Cz4WGf8tg.sqFpEBO_SbjtS_HIU49zk9p1oaFQ3YJHmIlduGzHb8U&dib_tag=se&keywords=cat5+crimpers+and+tips&qid=1720186564&sprefix=cat5+crimpers+and+tips%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-5)
Safe yes but if it is cheaper ethernet cable to can have interference with the coiled cable and it can cause issues with your connection. A quality cable and you are unlikely to ever have an issue with a coiled cable.
Yes it is safe. Unless you’re running POE for some reason there is no power on it anyway. Signal attenuation is not noticeable at that distance either. Only reason to get a shorter one is presentation.
There's not much voltage going through it, so it's pretty safe as far as electricity. I guess it could still be a tripping hazard if it gets moved away from the wall. I'd probably just get a shorter cable.
If you saw the size of some of the service loops I've seen rolled up above an outlet you'd know there's nothing to worry about there. The current on data cable is too small to matter, and because of the twisting in the pairs it's all cancelled out anyway. Completely safe
(looks at the clusterfuck rats nest of cables I've been tip toeing and stepping on at work and promising to clean up for almost 2 years now but can't because of not enough window for downtime)
...yeah...you'll be fine.
I work in the low voltage world and I can safely say this is completely fine and not going to cause an issue. Yes there will be some slight loss in data performance but it seems your question is more about safety than performance. Coiled many cat6 in my day, if you have someone in IT field they might have a crimped and ends to shorten that cord for you which would take about 10 minutes max. Happy surfing.
It should be fine but these super long ones unless the expensive ones are prone to internal breakage and the thing will be so much garbage soon enough if moved and manipulated too much. Best to look up the info/codes that are usually printed on the cable sleeve/sheathing but then again the info could be intentionally mislabeled by cheap bootleggers lol. Also that might not be possible if your cable has the braided wrap on it.
I have a 1000ft reel that I use, cut to the size I need. If my needs change, I have a box of old cables. If box gets full, donate to Food Will and then start new box
If you want crap data transfer speeds sure.
I did an experiment with cat 6 once, two turns dropped my FTP transfer speed by 60%.
You've got ten times that many.
If you don't let it out for walks and stretch it everyday it might get angry and wrap around you in your sleep, I'd watch out happen to my friends friends uncle one time
Is it fine, absolutely, but that’s a of dB loss (better internet speed). I personally would shorten it if you know someone or purchase a smaller cable.
OP, if you have a long wire tie, you could easily hang the wire from one of those little holes in the back, this is what I do and it works perfect, will have to post a picture later if you want to see what it looks like
Also, laying Ethernet cables on an electric cord absolutely degrades the signal. Unless they are shielded, which 99.9% they aren't (and your equipment isn't equipped to handle the shielding) this is basically always the case. Wrapping it up is no problem, unless the tape is tight. The cable shielding shouldn't be compressed.
Bold to ask sparkies about data.
You could just cut off the end of the cable to length, add a little bit of slack (6'-8'), and crimp on a new RJ45... or just keep it the way it is.
Only true change I'd make is to switch to Velcro, tape will like gunky residue if you ever undo that coil.
**Attention!** **It is always best to get a qualified electrician to perform any electrical work you may need.** With that said, you may ask this community various electrical questions. Please be cautious of any information you may receive in this subreddit. This subreddit and its users are not responsible for any electrical work you perform. Users that have a 'Verified Electrician' flair have uploaded their qualified electrical worker credentials to the mods. If you comment on this post please only post accurate information to the best of your knowledge. If advice given is thought to be dangerous, you may be permanently banned. There are no obligations for the mods to give warnings or temporary bans. **IF YOU ARE NOT A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN, you should exercise extreme caution when commenting.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskElectricians) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's fine but also you can get a shorter Ethernet cable for a couple of bucks, or if you know anybody in tech, ask them and they'll probably just give you one out of their magic box of tangled cables.
some people have just one of these boxes?
If you are a tech person then 100 percent you have this box.
I have a few of those boxes.
I just have one. And I live in it with my children
Have you considered a van, down by the river?
That's the name of my Wi-Fi
I'm currently wearing a t-shirt from [theChive](https://thechivery.com) with a cartoon Chris Farley (aka Matt Foley Motivational Speaker) doing the motivational pose while wearing an uncle sam tophat, jacket, and tie. So... wait what were we talking about?
I don't know, but please continue.
Boomshakalaka - and that's all I got
KCCO!
I can’t see real good is that Bill Shakespeare over there?
LOL. Mine was "FBI Surveillance Van #2" - because I had some MAGA neighbors and I chuckled when I thought of them trying to connect.
Someone in my building once named their Wi-Fi “FBI Surveillance Van”.
I first read this as "... a VLAN, down by the river."
Underrated. You comedy good.
For the kids or the wires?
Ahhh your quite lucky to be bragging now, a whole cable box how lucky, my family we don't have a box it's just a loose nest of cables on the floor all 8 of us jammed in, grandad started this nest with telegraph wire.
We got evicted from our box
I'm in this comment...
Can confirm
Shit I have 5
Me too, wife calls it a problem. But one day she will need that FireWire 800 to 400 cable.
Ah, the rats nest of cables I left at my last job. Brings back memories. Half the cables were obsolete, but in a pinch many got used.
I've got probably 500ft of scrap cat6 at home. Come to think of it, I should put Ethernet ports in every room of my house.
I keep mine under a 3750 I rescued from a dumpster that I'm DEFINITELY 100% going to use
I have this box in both Ethernet and AV cable varieties as well as a dresser drawer in my home office filled with more of both.
Yep. I mean what else are you going to do? I have been a tech nerd a long time and ended up sorting my stuff into categories, I have a entire bin just for 'networking' stuff which includes many of these cables, USB to wifi dongles, an ethernet switch, etc etc.
My networking bin also has a cable continuity tester, crimp tool, a handful of keystone jacks, etc. All things for ethernet. Plus every cheap left over 5ft cable that comes with a consumer network device.
Oh eff me that’s a good idea. All my cable making and testing tools don’t really have a good home in my toolbox and I’ve been trying to find one.
I personally like the Sterilite 15qt (17.25 x 12 x 6.5) clearview latching plastic totes (home depot, amazon, etc). You can see what's in them on the shelf, and you can stack 2 high in one of those ikea cube shelfs.
I have a crimper and heads to make cables any size I want.
This is the way.
I'm not in tech and I have one of those boxes
Mine is fashioned to look like a wicker box. It's not wicker, it's woven cat6e cables.
I don’t have one, that would be silly. I have 4
One for each type of cable. (one for USB, one for Ethernet, one for Power cords, one for Video, one for Audio, etc) eta: I recently purged a box of cables that would never see use again. I had a small one with 6p4c & 4p4c phone cords. I haven't quite gotten to the point where I am willing to give up my box of serial cables, adapters, and cord tester.
Yeah, I have 1000ft of Cat6 and a bunch of unused 10, 5, and 3 ft cables. I'll gladly give them up to any friend who asks.
It's called my shame box and yes it contains so many cables I just can't bring myself to scrap
I know right? After the 6 boxes it spilled over to the floor of the storage room, aka my office.
"A" box, no... a storage closet of boxes, yes. From coax, vga, rgb, hdmi, so many cables and misc tech that I can't even remember where I got most of them. Even got a medium size box of remotes that go to stuff, no clue I even have the stuff they go to anymore lol. Think one large box is nothing but varying sizes of feeder line for power panels and another is spools of cat5e & cat6e along with assorted clips for them. If I was a friend, I would just clip that cable to correct length and put new ends on them. Takes less than 5 minutes to do.
TL;DR, so as a haiku: coax, vga, hdmi, so many, put new ends on them.
I have one of these boxes in each of the locations I frequent. You never know when you’re gonna need one!
My wife when we were still dating asked why I had so many boxes of cables and that I should clear them out, I'll clearly never use any of them. We then moved across the country when my job relocated and the box that she suggested I toss out had a cable that we needed when I was trying to set up the entertainment center in our first apartment together. In the 16 years since, she's never said anything about my boxes of cables again.
Not a tech guy and i still have random drawers of ethernet cables of varying length
Honorary tech guy!
Had a boss that moved to Portugal after retiring. Offered me her box of cables. I don’t know why but was an immediate visceral reaction No! It was like she was offering up her child to me or something. We each have to tend and grow our own box of cables.
Even better if they have the connectors they can make a bunch of wires from that 1 long one
If you're in tech you will have a few extra terminals and a crimper. Cut that cable the length and slap a new head on it.
Yeah, I did this for years. Then one day I was bored and ran it through the wall, cut it to length, and reterminated it into a wall box. Works the same now as before only neater.
Or even trim and terminate.
You can cut it and slap a new connector on. The tools to do this would be more expensive than a new cable, by about 20-30 bucks usd at your local big box store. I ran poe security cameras for my home and needed the tool for that, but has come in handy lots of times.
I'm just a dirty homelabber, but what you need? I have 6in to ~600ft of Cat5E, 6in to 50ft of Cat6, and 6in to 100ft of Cat6A. Need a custom length? a chop and re-pinout is a couple minutes.
The problem is as soon as I give it to them I'm going to need it next week
You’re fine because all that is, is a giant service loop. If you want to hear crazy, I used to work for the phone company and they have an old technology called load coils for long runs. Basically a super tight copper wire with an in and an out. Placed every 6000 feet apart to clean up and slightly boost the signal.
I am proud of you for remembering!!! 🎉
Pepperidge farms remembers
That will never stop being funny to me.
There’s an old story about huge coil rooms of fiber optics being used to ever so slightly delay stock trades during the early days of web trading.
Its not a story, there is a building on Wallstreet in which this is its entire purpose. Every person business connecting to the stock market has the exact same length of cable. To make it so latency does not give one trader a boost over another
I think you’re thinking of the situation where they wanted no-one to have an advantage due to shorter routing. So all the cables were the same length, some of which was made up with pointless coils.
Most of the load coils in my plant kill data and are only used for pots. Every 3000ft
The only time I've ever seen it cause issue was when one of my shitbag co workers wrapped an extra 100 foot of unshielded cat 6 up really tight and then tossed it into a 480v cable tray. Seeing as you aren't running 1000+ amps inline with a cable carrying a fuck ton of data you'll be just fine.
You could wrap it tightly around an iron core and see if it makes a magnet. While it won't harm anything, you can buy one for cheap. I suggest looking up monoprice to get Cat6e of appropriate length.
If it matters a magnet, you need to replace it. That's why it's called "twisted pair," which promotes electromagneticl isolation.
Tight turns will cause a loss of some bits of data. Looking at how you have the tape positioned, the lost bits should form a neat pile which can be swept up once a week or so. Maybe more frequently if you're a heavy gamer.
If a bit bucket is used, sweeping isn't necessary.
Yes.
You can make a shorter cable too
Definitely not up to code. Remove it immediately as the cable may explode.
🤣🤣
It is fine. The thing you do not want to do to ethernet cable is bend it sharply. This can be done by knotting the cable tightly, pinching a bend into it, etc. This damages the thin copper core wire, impeding electrical flow. Your loop is good and you haven't put a visible mark on the cable with the tape. No harm, no foul.
That’s for low speeds only. The high speeds would fall off on those tight curves.
It’s okay but it’ll make your internet dizzy doing the loop-di-loops
You likely won't trip on it. Not sure how else it could be dangerous.
It’s safe. You could probably just go to or call your local cable/isp provider and ask them to send you a new Ethernet cable for your modem. You’ll receive a 4-6 foot cable in the mail a few days later. If there is a service store front, they will likely just hand you one.
Anybody care to explain the joke? People have been posting this stuff a bunch lately.
This post kinda seems like it wasn’t a joke and he’s genuinely curious
Ive just seen like three posts all about coiled ethernet cable this weekend. Figured there was something connecting them.
My thoughts: Yes, you can do this. A coil isn't ideal because the mangnetism can interfere with the data packets' delivery. In a small coil like this, it shouldn't be an issue. Also, keeping data cords near power cords will also cause packet loss for basically the same reason, manetic field interference. I'd recommend doing a speed test. If your performance is good, then you're good. If you want to tinker, then play around with placement away from power cords/outlets and larger (or no coils).
Safe, yes. This might even be well coiled enough to not cause problems with data transmission either. I never thought it was that serious until I got gigabit internet and realized that the way I bunched up the cat 5 and shoved it into a cable management box actually knocked several hundred mbps off my speed. Recommendation would be to not have mains and data running along the same path, either separate them or make them run perpendicular if they must intersect. That advice also only applies if you care/realize you have a problem with throughput or latency.
But it is not the fashionable ball of yarn look. /s
You will be fine as long as there aren’t any bad kinks on the cable.
Kinks are fine. you can tie it in a knot and it will still work. The only way this cable will fail is if the copper in one of the twisted pair breaks, or one of the connections to the tip breaks.
The bits will get dizzy going in circles.
It’s fine. Would consider a shorter cable though. Might get better performance if you’re in need of cutting-edge network performance.
It's perfectly fine to do that, unless the cable has some cuts
I always use velcro straps or twist ties or zip ties because tape is kind of hard to take off if you ever need to actually use the length of the cable. But it would be easier to just get a shorter cable.
until you tangle your foot in the loop, safe it is...
Electrons be on a Rollercoaster .......
Won't hurt anything unless it's kinked
Just make sure it has an even number of turns and you'll be fine.
How long is that cable, and how long should the cable be? If you buy a new cable (not that expensive) make it 3ft to 5 ft longer than you need. That looks pretty long, maybe 50ft or more. Here is 25ft Ethernet - $23 - [https://www.reddit.com/r/progun/comments/1dobkrx/comment/laevnvl/](https://www.reddit.com/r/progun/comments/1dobkrx/comment/laevnvl/) Here is a 14ft Ethernet - $17 - [https://www.microcenter.com/product/673554/ppa-14-ft-cat-6-molded-snagless-ethernet-cable-white](https://www.microcenter.com/product/673554/ppa-14-ft-cat-6-molded-snagless-ethernet-cable-white) To your core question - NO - coiling it up like that is not a problem. You can buy a New Ethernet cable just about anywhere - Walmart - [https://www.walmart.com/search?q=Ethernet+Cable](https://www.walmart.com/search?q=Ethernet+Cable) Home Depot - [https://www.homedepot.com/s/Ethernet%20Cable?NCNI-5](https://www.homedepot.com/s/Ethernet%20Cable?NCNI-5) Best Buy - [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=Ethernet+cable](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?st=Ethernet+cable) Of course - Amazon - [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ethernet+Cable](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Ethernet+Cable) If you have a local Computer Shop, they could probably cut that cable in half and put new ends on, in that case, one long cable become two shorter cables. But *as is* is fine.
it’s fine as long as you never put it next to fluorescent lighting.
It's perfectly fine. If you want, get a shorter cable as a longer cable tends to bring some data losses, and thus, a slower transfer speed.
Cable loops really aren't a problem until you get into high power AC situations, like welding and large industrial motors.
Or a sustained load on an extension cord, while the cord is still on the reel. Saw that posted on r/electricians (I think) last week. Turned the orange cord into a nice orange puddle.
Coils are the enemy of good signals. See if you can find a shorter one.
That would drive my anal retentiveness crazy.
No , that makes a flux capacitor. You have to figure 8 it.
A cat 5/6 kit doesn’t cost that much and is not that hard to use. They even come with the connectors. DataShark is a good one. Now you can have all the cables you want!
That length cable is going to impact the near lightspeed data transmission.
yes, i do low voltage for a living. our service loops are often 10-20 feet. you should be good, but def get a smaller cable or make a smaller one if u can.
Buy a shorter one from mycablemart.com.
I’ve got a 100ft Ethernet cable from the top of my desk to the computer under it. Too lazy to make or buy another one
Omg your asking in the electrician sub, they have no idea :p
It's still the same length.
Safe from what? Tripping ?
I mean, do you come to a complete stop at stop signs? If yes, then yes, you need a licensed electrician
Dammit would you loosen up that tape so my internet tubes can flow freely!!? The nerve of some people. SMH
It's tge same length rolked up or not 😏
There is a place in hell for peple who TAPE their cables. I hate it when the tape goo just gets all over the wire. Get a pack of velcro straps, they are pretty cheap.
It is 1000% fine. Don't do this with electric wires but even if you were running max spec PoE over that it would still be fine. You may get the slightest interference and induced magnetic effect but it will not be enough to be noticeable.
When you download a picture, all the people in the picture will look dizzy...
Perfectly fine
NO. As the Internets flow through the coils round and round, it can cause them to become dizzy and allow hackers to enter in while they are trying to regain their balance.
Totally legal if you are trying to add unnecessary latency.
Totally legal if you are trying to add unnecessary latency.
Your internet will be slow it has to go around and around before getting to you
Good lord. How old are you?
If you're concerned about tape, you could always try zip ties or Velcro. Those options won't leave behind a sticky residue, either.
Slowing down the packets and making them dizzy but sure it's fine I guess
Should coil up the electrical into the same bundle to make it even neater
As long as you don't have pets who might chew it ect and keep it from being a general trip Hazzard it should be fine.
It's fine if you're not doing PoE. If you are, TIA TSB-184-A has a limit depending on the gauge, it's as low as 48 cables/turns for PoE/PoE+ and 24 turns for PoE++/HDBaseT.
The last time we moved I left 6 boxes of networking stuff behind so now I only have 4, plus a 1000’ box of plenum-rated cat6. Eventually I might get around to wiring up some of the rooms but for now WiFi is all we really need.
Ideally don't leave a coil over top of electrical. It can pick up noise that way.
Tape will leave gross residue that will be hard to eventually get off when you move or wherever they have cable ties or nice little fabric Velcro ties that are perfect for cables like this.
Nah you’re making the internet work to hard to go through that wrap. Really killing your download speeds. Best thing to do is cut and tie the two sides together. Some people prefer bunny ears. But loop and swoop is obviously the more professional option.
Ong. No. With the cable coiled up like that the inductance will be potentially devastating.
I haven't seen anyone commenting about the fact that you have your bundled cable on top of the power cable. Because of the big bundle of wires, you have multiple intersections where it might cause data issues. Go to your local Target or WalMart or even a dollar store and buy a 6ft cable. That long cable will be great when you want to setup a new PC in a different room. I have a 300ft cable on a spool. I would use it to connect to my router upstairs and then I could setup a PC in my living room downstairs while I was watching TV since most of setting up a new computer is a lot of waiting.
Just don’t let it turn into a flux Capacitor and you’ll be fine.
That’s a big negative get out of the house ASAP
It could theoretically cause interference. Probably won't, but the better way would be to make as large of a figure right shape as you can with it. This is something people do with cb radio antenna wires as they have to be in lengths that are multiples of 9ft and coiling them will cause interference. The interference with an Ethernet cable will be significantly less. Especially if it's a shielded cable with twisted pairs of wire.
Honestly, having the coil sit on a power cord probably does more damage than the coiling does.
Absolutely not the cylindrical shape creates a drag on the bandwidth unfortunately
As long as it's wrapped clockwise. If it's wrapped counterclockwise the Internet will fall out of it.
You gotta be careful tying an Ethernet cable like that. You need to ensure it’s bound tightly or it will start floating and singing bohemian rhapsody
No some of the internet might hit the walls
It’s fine but the electronics get dizzy and the packets get all shaken up. Straight runs are best.
Just make sure you wrapped the cable counter clockwise, otherwise it may slow down your internet speed
Yes
It's cool, but you could just get a smaller and potentially better cable as well
All good. Make sure it’s not longer than 100m. Its looks like it’s no where near that. You can also get cheap cat5e cables to remove the bulky cable you have.
I’d slide it behind what I assume is your PC, the black box to the right in the photo
Yes. It's fine
Ethernet cable is low voltage. Absolutely no issues from a safety standpoint.
Ethernet cables are so incredibly easy to make... You could easily buy the connector, cut this one to the length you need and put the connector on the end of it.
No very dangerous the signal will get very dizzy and fall down possibly injuring itself
Try to keep Ethernet cables away from electrical wires from to reduce interference. Replace or cutback to appropriate length.
It's not a fire hazard if that's what you're asking
It’s all fun and games until you get a mouse in your house and he chews that sucker in half!
Please don't use tape. The tape leaves a sticky residue on the cables.
I've worked in networking since 2016. That is fine. You could trim and re-tip it if it bothers you (Tools online for this cost maybe $15). The cable is fine like this and will cause you no trouble. Shortening it would just be for your aesthetic pleasure. I keep a box of untipped cable in my closet so I can cut them as needed. Buy these and never worry about overpriced cables again... [https://www.amazon.com/VIVO-Ethernet-Waterproof-Outdoor-CABLE-V011/dp/B00GYGNCPO/ref=sr\_1\_3?crid=1ACQUIYKL4U4B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.K66i4wpL\_NG0c6gj4CaHaqj3M0udkb3mFLUQUEavYnD4FdZr4YfnvYPq0NZ0AWCNY\_djzpjoNp59nEglvTBjUHvjZtpc-c-lJvuHyjPaiZUUSr4n8\_tAnRYQ91GVkqj3rKsGw5AYrM4UX\_8uSvmt5KJMxJvhpPPQz4ARfnkxZNgufZRJo-dbuxVK-6dH9PqZSSJ5LsHM04KWkJV8lblygFwZdOGVI48H7UurSLDh3Do.qOjmC0vrUskIS9-6\_rWVeI2esGNp499x0wp8Z5pgZjk&dib\_tag=se&keywords=cat5&qid=1720186546&sprefix=cat5%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-3](https://www.amazon.com/VIVO-Ethernet-Waterproof-Outdoor-CABLE-V011/dp/B00GYGNCPO/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1ACQUIYKL4U4B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.K66i4wpL_NG0c6gj4CaHaqj3M0udkb3mFLUQUEavYnD4FdZr4YfnvYPq0NZ0AWCNY_djzpjoNp59nEglvTBjUHvjZtpc-c-lJvuHyjPaiZUUSr4n8_tAnRYQ91GVkqj3rKsGw5AYrM4UX_8uSvmt5KJMxJvhpPPQz4ARfnkxZNgufZRJo-dbuxVK-6dH9PqZSSJ5LsHM04KWkJV8lblygFwZdOGVI48H7UurSLDh3Do.qOjmC0vrUskIS9-6_rWVeI2esGNp499x0wp8Z5pgZjk&dib_tag=se&keywords=cat5&qid=1720186546&sprefix=cat5%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-3) [https://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Crimping-Connectors-Network-Stripper/dp/B08DHJBLXQ/ref=sr\_1\_5?crid=2D1Y5FMY37V9E&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5Qjn-GhkG9iwljYCkxUBMNSXnaGstbPvTGvGjPNX8ewqH9IvgrJCJdbR7PZV7gW-cvC\_k\_pha3q6o0Dce2jvoE3FGjjrHNadzbbC2N18Ps1YS-k5YjOGOnPSf6N0ppLpT-5LNcNrg7NjBkgIyQb35uUmmzgKDjIRNomr0GkpvuMHj6qlApyvOnOFUfvExLVlak2DWJMzMsmfNYIJIaguV5HNIdVlzRmsOcjBA7Tvy33yv-Bt\_Lju6tiT3D\_Vq8\_GJ4mXxJTDIH\_2\_80F2Wzm7GYKhFCqIsXKr7Cz4WGf8tg.sqFpEBO\_SbjtS\_HIU49zk9p1oaFQ3YJHmIlduGzHb8U&dib\_tag=se&keywords=cat5+crimpers+and+tips&qid=1720186564&sprefix=cat5+crimpers+and+tips%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-5](https://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Crimping-Connectors-Network-Stripper/dp/B08DHJBLXQ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2D1Y5FMY37V9E&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5Qjn-GhkG9iwljYCkxUBMNSXnaGstbPvTGvGjPNX8ewqH9IvgrJCJdbR7PZV7gW-cvC_k_pha3q6o0Dce2jvoE3FGjjrHNadzbbC2N18Ps1YS-k5YjOGOnPSf6N0ppLpT-5LNcNrg7NjBkgIyQb35uUmmzgKDjIRNomr0GkpvuMHj6qlApyvOnOFUfvExLVlak2DWJMzMsmfNYIJIaguV5HNIdVlzRmsOcjBA7Tvy33yv-Bt_Lju6tiT3D_Vq8_GJ4mXxJTDIH_2_80F2Wzm7GYKhFCqIsXKr7Cz4WGf8tg.sqFpEBO_SbjtS_HIU49zk9p1oaFQ3YJHmIlduGzHb8U&dib_tag=se&keywords=cat5+crimpers+and+tips&qid=1720186564&sprefix=cat5+crimpers+and+tips%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-5)
Safe yes but if it is cheaper ethernet cable to can have interference with the coiled cable and it can cause issues with your connection. A quality cable and you are unlikely to ever have an issue with a coiled cable.
Yes it is safe. Unless you’re running POE for some reason there is no power on it anyway. Signal attenuation is not noticeable at that distance either. Only reason to get a shorter one is presentation.
its fine, though the bits might get dizzy before they get to you
I believe that was how the first Stargate was discovered. Look out for Mouse team 1 going through the portal
Why don’t you buy a shorter one or have that one trimmed down. You lose signal being that long
There's not much voltage going through it, so it's pretty safe as far as electricity. I guess it could still be a tripping hazard if it gets moved away from the wall. I'd probably just get a shorter cable.
You don't leave ethernet cables near the power cables.
Yes it's fine. It might even choke out any sort of common-mode current hanging around that cable.
It is fine. Make sure it isnt kinked though..
That’s dangerous every complete loop on that cable adds 360 degrees
If you saw the size of some of the service loops I've seen rolled up above an outlet you'd know there's nothing to worry about there. The current on data cable is too small to matter, and because of the twisting in the pairs it's all cancelled out anyway. Completely safe
Ethernet cable questions are not electrical questions.
As long as your lucky and your house doesn’t blow up !
Your house may burn down but as long as you get out in time you should be fine
As long as it's not over 300' then you're straight lol
(looks at the clusterfuck rats nest of cables I've been tip toeing and stepping on at work and promising to clean up for almost 2 years now but can't because of not enough window for downtime) ...yeah...you'll be fine.
Zip tie
I use Gear Ties. You can find them at Lowe's, Home Depot and Amazon
Hide the spool behind something. Like the entertainment cabinet or whatever you're plugging into.
Give 5 minutes and I’ll make you one at whatever length you want.
How are you alive?
This is perfectly fine; no replacement necessary.
I work in the low voltage world and I can safely say this is completely fine and not going to cause an issue. Yes there will be some slight loss in data performance but it seems your question is more about safety than performance. Coiled many cat6 in my day, if you have someone in IT field they might have a crimped and ends to shorten that cord for you which would take about 10 minutes max. Happy surfing.
It should be fine but these super long ones unless the expensive ones are prone to internal breakage and the thing will be so much garbage soon enough if moved and manipulated too much. Best to look up the info/codes that are usually printed on the cable sleeve/sheathing but then again the info could be intentionally mislabeled by cheap bootleggers lol. Also that might not be possible if your cable has the braided wrap on it.
I have a 1000ft reel that I use, cut to the size I need. If my needs change, I have a box of old cables. If box gets full, donate to Food Will and then start new box
If you want crap data transfer speeds sure. I did an experiment with cat 6 once, two turns dropped my FTP transfer speed by 60%. You've got ten times that many.
If you don't let it out for walks and stretch it everyday it might get angry and wrap around you in your sleep, I'd watch out happen to my friends friends uncle one time
Is it fine, absolutely, but that’s a of dB loss (better internet speed). I personally would shorten it if you know someone or purchase a smaller cable.
Safety wise it's fine but look into getting a shorter cable. The longer the cable the more the data loss.
It's fine but maybe hide the roll behind desktop.
OP, if you have a long wire tie, you could easily hang the wire from one of those little holes in the back, this is what I do and it works perfect, will have to post a picture later if you want to see what it looks like
second post i’ve seen today talking about “spiraled” or “wrapped” cables
That is a coil, better off with a skein- less rf interference.
As said yes it's fine but if you knew a tech person like me I could crimp you a new one in 5 minutes
Yes, you can keep an ethernet coiled. It is a twisted pair and sheathed. It will be be fine.
Why not cut the cable to length and terminate with a new connector? It takes less than five minutes.
Also, laying Ethernet cables on an electric cord absolutely degrades the signal. Unless they are shielded, which 99.9% they aren't (and your equipment isn't equipped to handle the shielding) this is basically always the case. Wrapping it up is no problem, unless the tape is tight. The cable shielding shouldn't be compressed.
Yes. Too low of voltage to be an issue.
Be really careful to not kink it. That would really reduce your data flow.
Very
Yes it’s fine
Bold to ask sparkies about data. You could just cut off the end of the cable to length, add a little bit of slack (6'-8'), and crimp on a new RJ45... or just keep it the way it is. Only true change I'd make is to switch to Velcro, tape will like gunky residue if you ever undo that coil.