Modem Cable's

[Cannyfixit]

A friend of mine insists on buying the most expensive cables he can find claiming "you get what you pay for" while I would normally go along with this theory with say power tools isn't a cable just a cable ???
My reason for asking is I have managed to break off the plastic clip that holds the modem cable in place it's still working but sometimes it gets pulled out so before I nip down to the local market to buy one is there any truth to my friends thought process
thanks

[dave.m]

Your friend is correct, there are very good quality cables and there are cr4p cables.
When you say 'Modem Cable' which one is is? What does it actually connect to what?

Belkin do very good quality cables and if you Google 'Modem cables' you can find all sorts of cables with very little difference between the top and lower prices. £2 to £4 or £6 is about the difference.

http://www.pcwb.co.uk/catalogue/item/BELCA047

dave

[Cannyfixit]

I think its called a Cat or R45 it connects my Virgin Media modem to the pc

[thescruff]

I use the cat 4 or 5 whichever comes to hand first. normally on wireless

[kellys_eye]

CAT5 cable.

The 'quality' of a cable is mainly judged by it's physical construction - good quality plug, firm hand-hold, strong clips etc. Electrically there's not a lot in it. Copper is copper. For MOST people the cheapest cable will work and you won't notice a difference be it CAT, USB, Serial, HDMI etc as the signals passing through are DIGITAL and either exist or don't - there's no halfway measure.

Nowadays there's a lot of the old hi-fi hype (oxygen-free, b*llox-talking speaker cabels spring to mind) around where the salesman wants to get you to purchase a gold-plated what-not for no other reason than he gets a better commision.

[Cannyfixit]

Well I hate to say this but it's true the Mrs does know everything,just asked her to pick a cable up tomorrow and within minutes she comes back with is this what you want,yes I say
she kept the spare cables from when we had BT all sorted now

[dave.m]

Well done, Mrs Fixit.

I have a box file full of computer cables from previous setups, but it would cost more to post one than to buy a new one so it is not worth offering to send you one.

dave