Eric Smith wrote:

> If it is Category 5 Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP), it most certainly
> does consist of twisted pairs.

  Well, that's OK then!

> The silver satin flat modular line cord you are probably thinking of
> is not twisted.

  Except as a matter of how it's run.

> I'm not sure what Category it officialy requires, but any normal
> twisted pair telephone cable will work.

  Within limitations.  "Normal" phone cable (at least over here) is
twisted quad, i.e., four wires in a square comprising two pairs mutually
balanced out, with a slow common twist (spiral).  If however you run two
lengths closely parallel and the "twist" matches, they can couple.  How
does this compare to "Cat 5"?

> Note that flat modular telephone cable is often wired with a flip
> (i.e., pin 1 at one end is wired to pin 'n' at the other end.

  It is, as I gather, *supposed* to be.  That is, the wiring of the
equipment (at the jacks) expects it.

> 10BaseT and 100BaseT cable has to be "straight-through", unless you're
> using a crossover cable between two nodes, in which case two pairs get
> swapped.

  As has been posted, the pairs are not adjacent.  They are calculated
to be as near to two balanced pairs as can be practically implemented
with ribbon cable.

  Cheers,
        Paul B.