Can my existing Cat 5 cable be used for Gigabit switch?
Yes. The IEEE 1000Base-T specification supports the use of Cat 5, or enhanced Cat 5 cable, for successful gigabit transmission running Gigabit Ethernet on Cat 5 cabling is easier than wiring for 10/100M bit/sec Ethernet. The 1000Base-T specification provides for the automatic negotiation of link characteristics, including automatic crossed cable correction. Automatic negotiation enables successful cable connections between 1000Base-T network interface cards (NIC), hubs, switches or other devices that may operate at half-duplex when the ports are initialized.
