Firewalla Gold Pro: Are Ethernet Ports Shielded
Hi,
Are the ethernet ports shielded on the Firewalla Gold Pro? I can't find anything on the subject, but since it is a 10Gpbs device there is possibility they could be grounded through the power supply and that could affect the wiring decisions I make.
Thanks,
Eric
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No, I mean it in the following sense:
Using a shielded cable with no ground source for the shield in the cable is not a good idea, the shield acts an antenna for noise. It is arguably worse than using an unshielded cable.
A shielded cable is only useful if a connection to the cable provides ground source to the cable shield. So either both ends of the cable provide the same ground to the cable or at least one end of the cable provides ground. The latter is called a single ground point, it ensures no grounding loop when you can't guarantee the very same ground reference at both ends of the cable. Having a ground loop is also worse than using unshielded.
As for my case, I have an ethernet cable between a Netgear Nighthawk CM 3000 and a Firewalla Gold Pro port. The Nighthawk is an unshielded port, it does not provide ground contact to the cable. So at best I have a single ground point situation if the Firewalla Gold Pro's ethernet ports are grounded. If the Firewalla port is not grounded then I should use an unshielded cable (UTP) between the Firewalla and the Netgear. This is to avoid the noise antenna scenario. If it is grounded then it is better to use a shielded cable of F/UTP or STP type between the devices to get the EMI benefits at least a single ground point.
I do not know if the Firewalla ethernet ports a shielded, and further if they provide a ground reference for the cable. I am asking if it does. And if it does, how is the ground supplied to the port ? Is it the power supply ground, should I connect a wire to the the chassis (doubtful with the knockout paint job, love it), or through some screw I am not able to identify on the box. In my experience consumer devices have unshielded ports, but here we have a device that supports > 1Gpbs, where such details start mattering.
So my question is: are the ethernet ports on the Firewalla shielded ? And if so, what is the ground source? That will help me decide on a cable. I would prefer to use shielded due to my setup but I'd have to take additional steps depending on the response.
Thank you for taking the time to respond!
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Gold Pro:The RJ45 is GND with board, RJ45 and board as a whole is connect to the mental case. The way the chassis (the case) is grounded through the Adapter’s ground, Adapater’s ground will be grounded to earth via outlet ground. So, the board and chassis are grounded.Gold Plus:RJ45 is ground via the chassis, and the group to that can be done via the grounding screw (should be in the pack)
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