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I tried looking around, but I keep getting answers such to use this or use that for X device(s) and worse case sometimes it may work due to Auto-MDI/MDIX figuring out your cable.

I think I know the answer, but I just do not want to presume. So what happens when you use say a crossover cable for a network to a PC connection? Or when you use a straight-through cable on a router to router? Is there simply no connection if Auto-MDI/MDIX does not exist? If it did work would there be say intermittent connection issue or any faults on the line?

Does Auto-MDI/MDIX have any affect on resources or slow the connection or is it simply a translation in which wire standard to use?

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  • A simple translation. If it's wrong, it'll be "reversed" on the one side without any ill effects. In other words, don't worry about this when working with Auto-MDI/MDIX hardware. Oct 16, 2021 at 19:09

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Each device's NIC port has one or more TX (Transmit) pairs and one or more RX (Receive) pairs. For communication to take place, the TX on one end is physically wired to the RX on the other end. NIC ports on DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) devices (terminals, PCs, etc.) are wired one way and NIC ports on DCE (Data Communications Equipment) devices (modems, switches, routers, etc.) are wired the opposite way. Therefore, a cross-over cable is used to connect similar devices, and a straight through cable is used to connect dissimilar devices.

Auto MDI/MDIX negotiation may delay the initial connection setup slightly (a few hundred milliseconds), but after that it shouldn't have any effect on the traffic.

If you use the wrong cable type and Auto MDI/MDIX is not turned on, it simply will not work.

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