What style ethernet cord to have?
 

While staying at hotels that have free internet, but no wifi, what kind of cord should I bring to hook up my netbook to wired hotel internet? What are at the 2 ends of the cord? Is one end USB and one end the ethernet jack? I've never had to supply my own cor before-hotels with a wired connection have always had the ethernet cord in the room that I plug into my computer.

I want to be sure and bring the correct cord to be able to go online. My netbook is a PC, not an apple product.

Ethernet cords are ethernet cords (to be technical, generally CAT-5e wire with RJ-45 connectors) wherever you happen to be in the world. Both ends are the same.

If your netbook doesn't have an ethernet port (and many now have only Wi-Fi), you'll need to get a USB-to-ethernet adapter. Any of these should work fine. Alternatively, you could look into bringing an AirPort Express or similar portable wireless router, but this would be significantly more expensive and occasionally doesn't work, depending on how the hotel's network is configured.

Amongst all the extra cords I have accumulated over the years of buying computers, I have one that has a USB port on one end and the wider plastic ethernet (RJ 45?) plug. I don not have a cord that has both ends the same.

My netbook has both USB and ethernet ports. I can plug into one of those but what kind of plug is goes into the internet line that is in the hotel room? Should I look for a cord that has RJ 45 plugs on both ends? Something like this:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...872&CatId=1167

I'm trying to use something I already have and not have to go buy another piece of computer paraphanalia that I'll never use again.

That's exactly the type of cable you'll need. Most halfway-decent hotels will either provide it in the room or be happy to lend one to you, however. Finally, even if it turns out that you do need one, you're almost certainly better off buying this once you're here... probably no more than 6RMB, if that (depending on your bargaining skills).

Edit: For example, http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=8656157143 is 4RMB... and a bit of haggling at a local electronics market and you'll be able to do better than that.

Thanks for the advice. If I can't find one at my office or borrow one from a coworker, I'll plan on buying one in Beijing, our first stop.

How difficult will it be to find an electronics market? I don't want to waste much of my short vacation time in Beijing (3 days) looking for a computer cord. As I plan to stay in 4 or 5 star American hotels, are they likely to have these cords to lend out if the wifi doesn't work?

A four or five-star Western hotel chain should certainly provide or lend an ethernet cable if one is required. Even inexpensive Chinese hotels will usually provide this service (at least assuming that either you speak enough Mandarin or they speak enough English to communicate about such things).

If, for some reason, you really need to purchase one, there are plenty of electronics markets scattered around the city. Zhongguancun (中关村) is perhaps the largest and most famous, and something of a tourist attraction in its own right... might be worth checking out regardless of your need for ethernet cables if knock-off (and genuine) gadgets are something you're interested in.

Anyway, try to relax a bit – if you're off to Beijing, you're travelling to one of the largest and most modern cities on the planet. Anything you need will be easy to find. This is urban China, not Sudan or North Korea! :)

Ethernet is carried on cables with RJ-45 on both ends. I've never seen any other cable with modern networks.

I have only seen one cable that was USB on one end and RJ-45 on the other--it connects my UPS to my computer. It's really a USB cable but for some very strange reason the connector to the UPS itself is RJ-45.

I never travel with an ethernet cord and have yet to experience a single issue. There's no need to worry about this little stuff, Susie; your trip will be cool, I promise.

My cord has seen occasional use in hotels and I'm not a heavy traveler at all.

+1

I always carry one. Never know. And it's not like it takes up a lot up space or weighs a lot. Get one before you depart. Who wants to waste time looking for one if you need it?

I'd go to any market and buy one, ask the hotel for help. To be honest, I can't imagine someone selling fake internet cords, there are limits to that stuff in China. Walk to the street and find a shop, should cost your like $3 or so, will last you probably a month.

Actually Ethernet is also available through optic fibre with associated connectors. Of course you're unlikely to find this in a hotel room :D

Yeah, for server rooms and the like. You don't see much fiber to the desktop and certainly not in a hotel or the like.

Please let us know which hotel uses fibre for their ethernet so I will have the correct 10G cable when I check in. :rolleyes:

I carry a retractable one, similar to this, to cut down on weight, space, and cord tangle in my bag.