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4 Using the Notebook PC
Network Hub or Switch
Network cable with
RJ-45 connectors
This is an example of the Notebook PC connected to a Network
Hub or Switch for use with the built-in Ethernet controller.
Network Connection (100/10 Base)
Connect a network cable, with RJ-45 connectors on each end, to the modem/network port on the Note-
book PC and the other end to a hub or switch. For 100/10BASE-TX speeds, your network cable must be
category 5 or better (not category 3) with twisted-pair wiring. If you plan on running the interface at
100/10Mbps, it must be connected to a 100/10BASE-TX hub (not a BASE-T4 hub). For 10Base-T, use
category 3, 4, or 5 twisted-pair wiring. Duplex transfers (200/20Mbps) is supported on this Notebook
PC but requires connection to a network switching hub with “duplex” enabled. The software default is
to use the fastest setting so no user-intervention is required.
Twisted-Pair Cable
The cable used to connect the Ethernet card to a host (generally a Hub or Switch) is called a straight-
through Twisted Pair Ethernet (TPE). The end connectors are called RJ-45 connectors, which are not
compatible with RJ-11 telephone connectors. If connecting two computers together without a hub in
between, auto-crossover is supported on this Notebook PC so a crossover LAN cable is not required.