How to Use an Ethernet Crossover Cable

An Ethernet crossover cable is a type of cable used to directly connect two computers or devices instead of going through a third signal routing device, such as a network hub or a modem. This is done by connecting both ends of the Ethernet crossover cable to the network adapter ports in the two machines.

An Ethernet crossover cable is designed to be used by two different machines. It can get confusing when they are used with a networking hub as well since the job of such a hub is to make sense of which data/signal is coming from where. This is difficult when cables like this are involved, as these have had their send/receive wires switched with each other.

In contrast to the normal Ethernet cabling you see around you every day, the use of Ethernet crossover cables leads to the confusion mentioned above. To understand this better, imagine that a normal Ethernet cable has two ends which can speak one of two languages. They are born being able to speak the same language at both ends. In order to be able to speak to other machines, one end has to learn a different language. To do this they are put into a networking hub, which instructs each end what language they are supposed to use.

Ethernet crossover cables are born, as the name suggests, with their ends crossed over i.e. speaking different languages. As a result, when put into networking hubs, they end up creating errors and causing the network to stop working. Therefore it is imperative to remember what kind of cable one is investing in - normal or crossover, as the type of cable used is very important indeed. Buying the wrong kind of cable is a common, costly mistake, and can lead to frustration and anger as you try to figure out which end of the cable goes where.

One can see which end of the Ethernet crossover cable is used for which signal type, as this is marked by the cable itself. The end that contains the reversed cables is colored differently in a very visible way. Therefore when buying cable, make sure that the one you pick up is normal Ethernet cable and not Ethernet crossover cable. This is an easy mistake to make as they look almost identical on the outside, the only difference being in the color shown at each end and the information printed on the outside sheath of the cable.

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