NETGEAR DG834GT - Manual (Page 130)

Reference Manual for the Model DG834GT 108 Mbps Super Wireless ADSL Router
B-14 Network and Routing Basics
August 2004
When connecting a PC to a PC, or a hub port to another hub port, the transmit pair must be
exchanged with the receive pair. This exchange is done by one of two mechanisms. Most hubs
provide an Uplink switch which will exchange the pairs on one port, allowing that port to be
connected to another hub using a normal Ethernet cable. The second method is to use a crossover
cable, which is a special cable in which the transmit and receive pairs are exchanged at one of the
two cable connectors. Crossover cables are often unmarked as such, and must be identified by
comparing the two connectors. Since the cable connectors are clear plastic, it is easy to place them
side by side and view the order of the wire colors on each. On a straight-through cable, the color
order will be the same on both connectors. On a crossover cable, the orange and blue pairs will be
exchanged from one connector to the other.
The DG834GT Super Wireless ADSL Router incorporates Auto Uplink TM technology (also called
MDI/MDIX). Each LOCAL Ethernet port will automatically sense whether the Ethernet cable
plugged into the port should have a normal connection (e.g. connecting to a PC) or an uplink
connection (e.g. connecting to a router, switch, or hub). That port will then configure itself to the
correct configuration. This feature also eliminates the need to worry about crossover cables, as
Auto Uplink
TM will accommodate either type of cable to make the right connection.