By standards, a CAT 5 cable is good for 300' (feet). I personally know of
one that's working now that is at least 17 floors in an office building.
(figure 12' per floor times 17 = 204')

Winston Pike

> I have been told by our network administrator that if the cable to connect
> the computers is more than 20 feet, it should be amplified. He did not go
> into detail and I don't know if it is true or not but will soon
(hopefully)
> find out at home connecting four computers beyond the cable modem.
>
> > > I am going to setup a cable modem to two computers.  I was told
> > > that I needed a amplifier to boost the signal along with a router.
> > > I am not sure what all of this means.  What is the best and
> > > safest way to do this??
> >
> >   A router is the recommended way to connect multiple computers to a
> > single Internet connection.  (If the router supports a feature called
> > "NAT" -- most do -- then your entire home network can look, to your
> > cable provider, like a single machine.)
> >
> >   I am familiar with the use of amplifiers to improve analog video
> > reception from an antenna.  You should not need any such thing for
> > cable, either for the video signal or the digital internet
> > connection.  Might it have been April 1 when you were told you needed
> > one?

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