@jiub mhm alright, thank you :3 - I am just wondering about what to choose for the case of permanently installing new cables but yeah I know that theoretically CAT6 or even CAT5e would be fine...

@MagicLike@soc.sekundenklebertransportverbot.de true, if you're permanently installing cables inside the wall or smth it might be worth spending extra! i just don't know what the best value is

@jiub yeah same here >.>

If looking for a small 19" rack (like between 5-10HE) to neatly mount everything, what brand would you look for/what is important to look out for?
Also there sure are cages/adapters to mount non-rack devices in one, right? (Especially stuff that can be wall-mounted)

Alright, networking is scary but I want to learn. If buying new cables, CAT8.2 is a appealing option imo, especially ij terms of future proofing. I know I won't be able to go over the 500MHz of CAT6A without a better connector than RJ45, correct? Afaik GG45 ports are backwards compatible and can be used in the future when devices might upgrade their ports too. So a hypothetical setup just to understand things: Most home routers have RJ45 ports as of right now, lets say those are 1Gbit capable. Connecting that via a patch cable to a CAT8.2 line (with GG45 ports on both ends) to a patch panel which comprises of only GG45 connectors. That in turn gets connected to a 2,5Gbit or even 10Gbit switch through ≥CAT7a cables with RJ45 connectors. The connection from the switch to the patch panel and to the end-user devices are the same. That should work and would make it easy to upgrade by swapping out the patch cables and switch to a better one with GG45 connectors in the future, right?
Now the question I haven't quite understood and maybe it is a very dumb and obvious to answer question: If the 1Gbit router were to stay in place, but the switch, cables and end-user devices are all set for higher throughput, would a client connecting to a NAS for example or any other use case with high-throughput operations between at least 2 computers in the network still benefit from the higher speeds or be bottle necked by the router? In my head it would be possible as soon as the connection between the devices is set, that all traffic gets exchanged directly/is handled by the switch, but maybe I am wrong...

#Networking

@MagicLike@soc.sekundenklebertransportverbot.de maybe cat 6a is the sweet spot? that's rated for 10 gbps, and looking at bulk cable prices in the US, it's only about 30% more expensive than cat 5e, while cat 7/8 is much more expensive

i also suspect that future ethernet standards will increase the speeds of existing cable as well. for example, 2.5gbase-t and 5gbase-t only date to 2016 and increased the official maximum speed of cat 5e from 1 gbps to 5 gbps

@jiub @MagicLike CAT5e can reliably run 10Gbps up to about 10m. I’d run 6A inside my walls to guarantee 10Gbps works, but 5e is my pick for anything accessible/short/1Gbps.

@ClickyMcTicker@hachyderm.io @MagicLike@soc.sekundenklebertransportverbot.de interesting, thanks for the practical info! i have no experience with anything faster than 2.5gbps (which i just got recently lol)

@MagicLike Startech makes good stuff but smaller racks may be filed under audio equipment. For cages, it is often harder to find anything more specific than a shelf, but 3D printers are your friend here

@MagicLike
1. Never heard of GG45 till today, so I can promise if you use it you’ll have to convert every single plug back to RJ45 to use it. Looks proprietary and practically experimental. I’d avoid at all costs.
2. CAT7+ is useless to 99+% of the population. CAT5e is significantly easier to work with, effective for gigabit anywhere or 10Gbps on short runs. CAT6a will do 10Gbps as far as you’ll practically need it. Fiber is by far the better option for anything high speed running beyond 50 meters / 150ft.
3. Separate your OSI model layers. Layer 1 is explained above (buy CAT5e/6a + RJ45). Layer 2 on a flat network is handled entirely by your switches and access points. Layer 3 is where your router comes in. Unless you’re using VLANs or something funky (for a home), your router is only going to impact speeds heading out to the internet. If you’re concerned with local speeds to a NAS, you should focus on getting switches that support the necessary speeds.