ADSL cable minimum length?

Scougar · 27 Jul 2011 at 10:36

What's the minimum length for adsl modem cable attached to the master socket? I'm only asking, as I tried a 10cm cable from an adsl splitter and it didn't work (which I thought was odd), so is there a minimum length between the master socket and the adsl modem/router ?

I'm about to cut down my round 10 metre cable (24 AWG) RJ11 cable to the minimum if there is one.

raralis · 27 Jul 2011 at 10:42

1 metre should do the trick.

Tealc · 27 Jul 2011 at 10:49

There shouldn't be a minimum length. If anyting the shorter the better. Maybe there was something wrong with the cable you tried or just didn't make a good connection.

Scougar · 27 Jul 2011 at 11:05

That's exactly what I was thinking Tealc, as there are not any electronics as such (other than the socket which doesn't really count?) between the exchange and my router as I see it. Thinking about it, I'm sure I've tried using another (longer) cable with the BT router before, and it didn't work... so I used the BT supplied cable and it worked... odd.

I will cut it down to a metre and go from there :-)

Scougar · 27 Jul 2011 at 11:46

Also.. the cable I'm using I think is a 'high speed modem cable'. I don't know if that means it's shielded or not, but the numbers on it are e166307 75C <UL> 24AWG VW-1 'C' refers to degress celcius btw.

Update: I have now cut up my 10 metre cable and made two 1.8m (6ft) cables. One RJ11 to RJ11 cable, and one RJ11 to telephone jack cable. I have about 8 metres left.

I took some pictures (why not eh?!) and

I'll call it braiding.. but it's not really braided per se, perhaps a bit of reinforcement?

Foil wrapped! :-)

Check!

Twisted pairs for reduced interference? Check!

One of the completed crimped RJ11 (I'm a noob so used pliers to help get the sheath in.)

Tealc · 27 Jul 2011 at 16:58

Cable overkill. The cable BT use to get the cable to your house isn't of that sort of standard so not sure why they market it as high speed modem cable. It's possibly a throwback to the old dial-up days where we were all trying to get a few more kbps by buying a very expensive cable.

Should work fine though.

Scougar · 27 Jul 2011 at 17:14

I wouldn't imagine the BT lines are 'normally' subject to such close proximity electrical interference such as household appliances. I'm right next to the plug sockets so any protection will help :-)

Plus, the cable was 99p in a clearance a year ago and I hadn't used it, so I thought why not. Bear in mind I'm also on a very long line so anything extra is a bonus :-)

Scougar · 27 Jul 2011 at 21:05

Cable works just dandy :-)

Zarf · 27 Jul 2011 at 23:13

No minimum, think my cable is around 20cm. There's less than 50 cm between my router and the cable outside my house, it's made quite a big difference to the amount of noise on my line (previously it was connected at the other end of the house via about 20M of crappy internal wiring that was put in by the cheapskates who built the house)

Scougar · 28 Jul 2011 at 11:28

I have plenty of cable left (and colleague has just sold me some more RJ11's), so I'll make a 20cm - 30cm cable and see if it helps at all.