Solid core is normally used for longer runs (lower resistance/metre) than multicore, where multicore is normally used for fly and patch leads (outside of the building structure) because of the greater resistance to flex (bend a solid core enough times one or more of the cores breaks).
The other issue is this: IDC connectors (normally found on the back of the RJ45 socket are designed to use solid core, and the RJ45 plugs are (with specific exceptions) designed to be used with multicore. Trying to terminate the wrong type of cable into the wrong type of socket/plug will often result in poor or missing termination, even though visually it looks ok.
A cheap cable tester can save much heartache and head scratching, a mid priced one (say a Fluke 620) even more. Now if you're very rich, there's nothing like a DSP2000 to sort out all your etwork cabling problems... (or if you know a school that has Cisco Academy status, borrow theirs!)
Cheers
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Aird
To: schoolforge-discuss@schoolforge.net
Sent: 8/14/02 1:09 AM
Subject: [school-discuss] Cat-5 question
I just got a new box (1000ft) of cat-5 cable and made five new runs
through my office but couldn't get the links to come up. After several
hours of troubleshooting, re-crimping cables, moving hardware etc. I
discovered that the new cable (four twisted pairs) is conducting on many
tiny fibers of copper while the rest of our building, running fine, has
a solid piece of copper within each of the 8 individual strands.
Otherwise there is no difference.
Am I going nuts or is there something to the solid piece vs. the many
tiny strands difference?
Any help within the next 1-24 hours would be a huge help, so I can be
ready to drop in our new set of servers and firewalls and offer internet
filtering (squid) and related services to the students by the first day
of school.
Jim Aird
HomeTech Charter School