You want a switch, not a splitter.
A splitter is for running two 100 Mbps connections over a single 4 pair cable, and it uses splitters at both ends of the cable.
this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2023
1 points (100.0% liked)
Home Networking
198 readers
1 users here now
A community to help people learn, install, set up or troubleshoot their home network equipment and solutions.
Rules
- Please stay on topic.
- Please use the search function to look for keywords related to what you want to ask before posting since most common issues have been answered.
- No Ads. This community is for support and discussion. Ads and self promotion are not welcome here.
- No product reviews or announcements. If you have a question about a product, be specific about what you want to know.
- Be civil. Don't be a jerk. Not being a jerk is surprisingly easy.
- No URL shorteners. URL shorteners tend to hide the real use of a link. For this reason, please use normal links, even if they're long.
- No affiliate links.
- No gatekeeping. With profession shall come professionalism. Extend help without judging others for their ignorance. The same goes for downvoting of comments or posts for "stupid questions" or not being as knowledgeable as others.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
Most splitters aren't even that. They connect both devices over the same 4-pairs. So it only works if one of the devices is powered off.
A) I can guarantee you wasted money CAT8 cable for one.
B) You can't split ethernet like you can a coax TV cable for example or even a phone line. You would need a splitter on both sides that would limit both connections to 100 megabits per second and you would still need an extra port on the the router or switch.
What you need is a network switch. It would plug into an available port on the router, and more devices can plug into it.
You got conned by marketing. First of all, you need a switch and not a splitter. Maybe it's just your terminology, so share what you bought and we can help. If it actually is a splitter, especially since you say it says Cat7, it has to be some POS junk that should be returned. As for Cat8 cables, anything you can buy on Amazon that is Cat7 or Cat8 is probably garbage. You should only ever use Cat6 at home. I would replace those as well and pick up a CableMatters or Monoprice Cat6 patch cable in whatever length you need. Stay away from flat cables as well.
Return it. Buy a Cat6 cable and an unmanaged switch. Ethernet splitters are a scam, and Cat 8 is a cable for special applications in big data centres and nothing you own can take advantage of the ways it differs from regular Cat 6 unless you're Bill Gates.
Nobody actually uses Cat8, not even datacenters (we just use fiber or DAC). The wiki article says it was designed for it, but it's less reliable, has more overhead, and is more power hungry, so it never caught on.