What is this cord for?

[learninmypc]

Amongst my box of cables/cords,etc, I have a ?? that has a MODEM/DATA connector that looks like this

on one end & on the other end it has a dual end with same & a usb so it can be plugged into a pc. What is this for? If a picture of it is needed,let me know,I'm curious.
Edit, at the dual end, one of them is tagged PC/ETHERNET & the other one is labeled PC/USB.

 

[SNGX1275]

Just a guess, but it may be for running a cable/dsl modem to your computer. I know on my Motorola Surfboard? cable modem I can use USB rather than an ethernet cord to connect to my computer.

Could also be for a UPS. My UPS has ethernet on one end and USB on the other.

 

[learninmypc]

Just a guess, but it may be for running a cable/dsl modem to your computer. I know on my Motorola Surfboard? cable modem I can use USB rather than an ethernet cord to connect to my computer.

Could also be for a UPS. My UPS has ethernet on one end and USB on the other.

Ok, attached is the best picture I could take of it using my webcam.

 

[c3h899]

The cable is generally called an "ethernet cable" and it is used for data transmission. It is a heavily upgraded phone cable used to connect computers on a network (before wireless). From a technical standpoint it is (likely) a Cat.5 cable (or Cat.5e, Cat.6) with an RJ45 connector on the ends (RJ11 with 4-pins is used for phone lines).

If you plan on setting up a WIRED home network using a router, you want to keep it. IF you have/plan on having but a single computer (likely connected to the internet) you can give it to a friend. Those cables are basically disposable at they are too short for most uses, but they still will cost you if you try to buy one from a local retailer.

 

[learninmypc]

The one I have is 6' long. I'll just put it back in the box till it might be needed, thanks.

 

[SNGX1275]

c3h899 - I think you are overlooking the USB on one of the ends. That is why it is an unusual cable.

 

[learninmypc]

Yes, SNGX1275 is correct. The end with the USB on it also has PC/ETHERNET on it.

 

[Darth Shiv]

Just a guess, but it may be for running a cable/dsl modem to your computer. I know on my Motorola Surfboard? cable modem I can use USB rather than an ethernet cord to connect to my computer.

Could also be for a UPS. My UPS has ethernet on one end and USB on the other.

Yes pretty common. No idea why they do that. Haven't seen them anywhere else but you never know what crazy custom cables people come up with...

 

[learninmypc]

Ok, IF I'm reading the cable/cord correctly, I think it says;
AWM 2835 24 AWG/4PR 60 degrees c 30V E311387 & then it repeats that & restarts showing FT2 UTP ETL VERIFIED TO ANSI/TIA - 5688.2 CAT.5 e YSE

& I THINK that is it.

 

[Zen]

Well now, just when I thought I'd heard and seen pretty much just about all that I can, something like this topic comes along and makes me scratch my head, while saying "what"? In all my tech travels I've never seen a network cable with an RJ-45 connector at one end and a USB connector at the other, strange times were having here..................strange times!

 

[learninmypc]

The top one (see attached) is the PC/Ethernet & the bottom one is the USB/PC HUB & the MODEM/DATA

 

[Zen]

The top one (see attached)View attachment 73282 is the PC/Ethernet & the bottom one is the USB/PC HUB & the MODEM/DATA

My only suggestion here would to be to put a stop to this madness! If you only need a cable for your internet needs, and this little mess of strangeness is all you've got, I would then recommend a quick trip to your local computer store and buy yourself a true blue Internet or Ethernet cable, with two identical RJ-45 connectors at each end. But there again you've probably already done that, so I guess I will slip back into the shadows and continue to think you'e little collection of strange wires is just that, pretty strange!

 

[learninmypc]

No,it was just a cable/cord I came across in my box of cords & thought I'd see if anybody here could tell me what it is used for.
Lets just consider it solved & move on . I thank you & all for your input .

 

[SNGX1275]

Well now, just when I thought I'd heard and seen pretty much just about all that I can, something like this topic comes along and makes me scratch my head, while saying "what"? In all my tech travels I've never seen a network cable with an RJ-45 connector at one end and a USB connector at the other, strange times were having here..................strange times!

I have.

Could also be for a UPS. My UPS has ethernet on one end and USB on the other.

Proof:

 

[learninmypc]

The entire rolled up item,attached

 

[Zen]

Well my first thought here is that wouldn't speed be a little lessened by the USB portion of that interesting Internet cable? The basis for my thought here, is that say with my external hard drive, it has two ways to hook it to my computer, (1) USB or (2) Fire Wire. Now my external hard drives user guide says for normal data transfer speeds to use the USB, but for more faster and accelerated data transfer to use the Fire Wire. So would the same be true for Internet connectivity? Would USB slow things down and who ever would choose to use such a cable, would that person get no where close to the Internet speeds that they might be paying for?

Sorry for possibly making a mountain out of a mole hill here, and people can say all they want that this is a "resolved matter and let's move on"! I might be 42 years old and and have several certifications in technology and even Microsoft Certified to boot, but when it comes to seeing new things, or safe to say things I've never seen before, I can get rather childish about it, like I'm 10 years old again and I'm getting "ohhhhhhh and ahhhhhh and wowwwwwww" about things! Just ask my former college instructors, back when I was securing my Computer Science Degree and my instructors would bust out a new piece of hardware, most would look at it and quickly move on without being impressed. Me, oh no, I would hold it in my hand and inspect it and try to figure it out the best I could before the teacher would be like "Aaron, you done with that processor chip, I need to put it away and you've been looking and dissecting it with your eyes for way too long"!

So when I see something new, like this cable, that little 10 year old inside me just get's that old fascination thing going, trying to learn all he can about it.

 

[learninmypc]

Well my first thought here is that wouldn't speed be a little lessened by the USB portion of that interesting Internet cable? The basis for my thought here, is that say with my external hard drive, it has two ways to hook it to my computer, (1) USB or (2) Fire Wire. Now my external hard drives user guide says for normal data transfer speeds to use the USB, but for more faster and accelerated data transfer to use the Fire Wire. So would the same be true for Internet connectivity? Would USB slow things down and who ever would choose to use such a cable, would that person get no where close to the Internet speeds that they might be paying for?

Sorry for possibly making a mountain out of a mole hill here, and people can say all they want that this is a "resolved matter and let's move on"! I might be 42 years old and and have several certifications in technology and even Microsoft Certified to boot, but when it comes to seeing new things, or safe to say things I've never seen before, I can get rather childish about it, like I'm 10 years old again and I'm getting "ohhhhhhh and ahhhhhh and wowwwwwww" about things! Just ask my former college instructors, back when I was securing my Computer Science Degree and my instructors would bust out a new piece of hardware, most would look at it and quickly move on without being impressed. Me, oh no, I would hold it in my hand and inspect it and try to figure it out the best I could before the teacher would be like "Aaron, you done with that processor chip, I need to put it away and you've been looking and dissecting it with your eyes for way too long"!

So when I see something new, like this cable, that little 10 year old inside me just get's that old fascination thing going, trying to learn all he can about it.

I personally have no problem with your thinking.
If I remember correctly, it was a forgotten item (I don't know if its a cord or a cable) from a friends son who works with computers & for the life of me, I can't remember what he called it or what he said he used it for or for what it is used for.
The MODEM/DATA plug like shown in the first picture, has white,red or orange,white,blue,white green,white black wires in it.
The PC/ETHERNET one has white red or orange, white & a space & a green wire. As previously said, it is 74 & 1/8 inches long give or take some eighths

 

[learninmypc]

There is a pc store in the neighborhood, I'll take it there & see if they can tell me something about it.(y)

 

[SNGX1275]

Zen - Nah, it isn't going to be slowing up your internet. USB 2.0 is 480Mbps, so unless you have a gigabit internet connection (not gigabit lan, gigabit to the outside) you aren't going to be limited using USB from a modem. My downstream is 15Mbps. Google was supposed to be bringing gigabit internet to Kansas City, but I haven't heard anything on that in a while.

So, in summary, not gonna affect anything unless you are one of the few that has a true gigabit connection to the outside world.

 

[learninmypc]

OK, according to the guy at the pc store, its a converter. Evidently there is a chip in the Y part that has a chip in it so one can go from a pc to dial up connection on another pc.