🚀 go-pugleaf

Two questions about home networking:

Q1  What is the difference between coaxial cable designed for thin 
Ethernet and a general purpose RF coaxial cable such as RG58c/u or 
RG223?  

The background to the question is that in the UK suppliers charge 
significantly more for Ethernet cable than for good quality RG58 
cable.  I know from my background as an electronics engineer with 
principally RF experience that coax has a characteristic impedance 
dependent on the distributed inductance and capacitance of the cable 
and that the velocity of propagation is also dependent on these 
characteristics.  The loss is dependent on frequency, cable size and 
the materials used in its construction.  One other characteristic is 
the screening effectiveness which is dependent on the screen 
construction.  Now Ethernet at 10 Mbps (cf RF at 10 MHz) seems a 
relatively undemanding application so why is Ethernet cable more 
expensive?

Q2  Any comments on the proposal below?

I currently have 3 PCs within a few feet of each other linked using 
coaxial cable running 10 Mbps Ethernet.  I'm considering expanding 
this to support more PCs in different parts of my home.  My intention 
was to use a number of 4 port hubs linked by coax with the PCs 
connected to the hubs using Cat 5 cable.  

BTW the coax I'm currently using is RG58 and it has given me no 
problems.

TIA

Jim

Jim Backus  OS/2 user because it's better
bona fide replies to jimb(at)jita(dot)demon(dot)co(dot)uk
http://www.jita.demon.co.uk