10GB Network Setup with Lenovo m720q OPNsense Router and CAT5E Cables?

[diploglot]

I am learning more about networking and in the process of setting up my home network. I would like to have a home lab server, a NAS, and my personal computer connected with 10GB transfer speeds. All other ports in my house can be connected with 1GB connection speed.

My setup would include:

## EQUIPMENT

- ISP-supplied modem
- Router (OPNsense installed as bare metal on Lenovo m720q) with four port 1GB NIC
- MikroTik CRS310-8G-2S+in Switch (two 10GB SFP ports and eight 1GB ports)
- MikroTik CRS305 Switch (five 10GB SFP ports)
- Homelab (Proxmox installed on second Lenovo m720q) with single 10GB NIC and single 1GB port
- NAS (TrueNAS as bare metal on custom-built PC) with 10GB NIC
- Personal Computer (Linux/Windows/Hackintosh on custom-built PC) with 10GB NIC and 1GB port

## SETUP

Unfortunately my house is wired with CAT 5E cable and not CAT 6. Can I get 10GB speed over CAT 5E if the distance is short - just 15 meters or so?

The Homelab would plug into the 10GB SFP port on the MikroTik switch.
The second MikroTik 10GB SFP port would be used by the CAT 5E cable that goes to my office. The office Ethernet port would plug into a small Mikrotik five port 10GB switch in the office.
The NAS and my personal computer would plug into two 10GB ports on the small switch in the office.

Does this give me 10GB speeds in my internal network for my personal computer, home lab, and NAS?

 

[sic0048]

Cat5e is not rated for 10gb at any distance. However it might actually work at 10gb in ideal conditions (ie short runs, the wire is in perfect condition, etc). However even if it can't reliably work at 10gb, it will still be faster than 1gb speeds. Long story short, it would be better to replace the existing cabling if you can. However if you can't do that, then use the cat5e cable and just realize you may or may not achieve full 10gb speeds.

 

[diploglot]

Thanks for the reply. Good to know I can still use the existing CatE and get something above 1GB. As for the rest of my setup - does that work right? As I understand, I don't need a 10GB connection from the router to the switch. I would only need 10GB connections from the switch to the specific 10GB devices.

 

[sic0048]

As long as the devices are on the same network segment, data passing between the devices will be routed at the switch level. Even if you use VLANs, as long as the devices are on the same VLAN, the data routing will be handled by the switch. So in that case, you really don't need a fast connection from the router to the switch.