Network Retractable Cable

Pros:

It's really useful and build is generally sturdy and feels durable. Mechanism works nicely. I have been using one for a year and it's as good as new. The flat cable is nice and does not get tangled.

Cons:

The only problem is the locking mechanism in RJ45, which will break. This is a really common problem with all RJ45 cables, and you can still use the cable. If it was made with a more durable plastic this would be perfect.

Bottomline:

Well-built, cheap, and useful. Highly recommended. I already bought two of these (lost the first one).

Pros:

- easy to use and install.
- it's an smart tool.
- easy to carry.
- flexible.
- cheap.
- do exactly what should.

Cons:

- not that durable.
- the cable has not that quality.
- cable can break easily.
- It's good that is small, but it's easy to lose it.
- the retractable system is too fragile.

Other Thoughts:

- Should have more colors
-

Bottomline:

It's good to have a cable like this on the bag, cause it fits in a lot of places. It's not indispensable, but nice to have. It's not complicated to use. It's not necessary to have a lot of knowledge to use. Just plug and use.

Pros:

I bought this cable because I need a small network cable sometimes and this one was cheap. It's a pocket format, so it needs a lot less space than a normal network cable.

Cons:

The build quality isn't superior, but way better than I expected for this price.

Other Thoughts:

Tip: unroll it completely to use it, this way you avoide errors caused by interference (because the cable isn't isolated)

Bottomline:

When I read the reveiws, the biggest part of them says that the build quality is really bad. I haven't noticed this yet! It's pretty solid and travels in my laptopbag for over 2 weeks and still no troubles with it.

Pros:

- its a network cable
- retraction works just fine
- small and light

Cons:

- only 100Mbit/s speed
- no shielding
- no twisted pairs
- very bad quality (surprise, surprise...)

Other Thoughts:

- compared to a normal cable, this thing is very small and light, much better for people who work a lot with laptops
- not so good if you transfer a lot of data because 100Mbits only

Bottomline:

Fine cable, but since i need it for sending data to other peoples laptops it would be much better if the quality was a little bit higher and it would support Gbit ethernet.
Except of that, it is a nice cable, saves a lot of space and weight. Hope there will be an improved version some times.

Pros:

- It's usage is a breeze!
- The space it takes up is tiny compared to regular-sized cables
- Its price's a steal
- The system of unfolding the cable when you need it and folding it back when you don't is absolutely marvelous and fast

Cons:

My greatest problem with this gadget is its build quality. I mean it's something which people tend to use along a laptop, which means it'll sooner or later end up in a laptop bag (or backpack in my case). However with no protection the plastic holder thingies of the RJ45 connector are left unprotected from the external forces and will eventually break off. And that's exactly what happened to me as well. It was easy to fix for me, but it's really something that'd hardly add more than a couple of cents to the manufacturing costs (in added plastic).

Other Thoughts:

To fix the problem of the broken pins permanently I've first cut off the old connectors (I've used scissors for cutting sheet metal, but a saw with finer teeth will do as well; see my attached picture for details), then added a couple layers of heatshrink tubing to the end of the cable for added strength/durability, added the protecting plastic sleeve, put on some new connectors and pulled the sleeve over the connector (see my picture for the finished "product"). Hopefully this minor mod will greatly extend the pins' durability.

Bottomline:

You should definitely buy this if you think that it'll be useful for you, but make sure you're ready to replace the connectors should the need arise :P

Pros:

This thing is very usefull for travellers. It becames quite handy when you dont have a lot of space to carry whit a lot of cables and adaptors. Also you dont have to be worried about untangle cables anymore. It works perfect and seems to be very durable and well finished.

Cons:

This thing doesnt have any cons, it is just perfect.

Bottomline:

It is a really useful thing. Ideal for travellers or just normal people who works everyday whit computers, specially with laptops. Well finished, durable and cheap.

Pros:

- It's usage is a breeze!
- The space it takes up is tiny compared to regular-sized cables
- Its price's a steal
- The system of unfolding the cable when you need it and folding it back when you don't is absolutely marvellous and fast

Cons:

My greatest problem with this gadget is its build quality. I mean it's something which people tend to use along a laptop, which means it'll sooner or later end up in a laptop bag (or backpack in my case). However with no protection the plastic holder thingies of the RJ45 connector are left unprotected from the external forces and will eventually break off. And that's exactly what happened to me as well. It was easy to fix for me, but it's really something that'd hardly add more than a couple of cents to the price of the finished product (in added plastic).

Other Thoughts:

To fix the problem of the broken pins permanently I've first cut off the old connectors (I've used scissors for cutting sheet metal, but a saw with finer teeth will do as well; see my attached picture for details), then added a couple layers of heatshrink tubing to the end of the cable for added strength/durability, added the protecting plastic sleeve, put on some new connectors and pulled the sleeve over the connector (see my picture for the finished "product"). Hopefully this minor mod will greattly extend the pins' durability.

Bottomline:

You should definitely buy this if you think that it'll be useful for you, but make sure you're ready to replace the connectors should the need arise :P

Pros:

Pretty darn good. No wait. Insanely good.
Is works just as I wanted it to, perfect for connecting short distances and saving your desk from clutter, or for diagnosing internet connections and all that jazz.
The cable is excuciatingly thin, which means that it doesn't take up any space at all, and you're able to keep it in such a small package. A normal cable of this size would take up muuuuch more space in your laptop bag.

Cons:

It curls up a little. That isn't a serious con though (well at least for me).

Other Thoughts:

It's really well built. My laptop fell of the chair and the cable saved it from hittng the floor.

Bottomline:

Buy this without any hesitation. It is a truly wonderful product, which I would buy again.

Pros:

I've had this thing in my laptop bag for over a year now, and it's really great. - It's an ethernet cable, so there's not much I can say about the function, except this: the roll-up mechanism works great (i've used mine about a hundred times, it still works)

Cons:

Could be longer. Other than that: can't think of any cons, really.

Bottomline:

This is a great gadget, it doesn't take up much space in a laptop bag, and it's really handy to have an ethernet cable with you all the time. Beats asking for a wifi-password.
It seems to be sturdy as well, so don't hesitate to get one.

Pros:

It is really useful. You won't need pack any other network cable on your trips and visits. You can lock the length at your will and not have cable excess messing around. It's flat shape is also good because it is not rigid as traditional twisted pairs cables.

Cons:

The build quality are not one of its best points. I've used for a month in about 3 travels and everyday I've unplugged it from my netbook ate home, when going to the bedroom. Because of this, the clips from both connectors are already broken, although I can still use the cable, but ata the risk of the connetors pull off if they are hit.

Other Thoughts:

Even when it's fully extended, because they are made (and almost all the time) curled, they can wrap or curl on itself.

Bottomline:

Useful for travelling and even for use at home, when you use it for large files transfer in a net/notebook.

Pros:

Small and fits well in my laptop bag.
More convenient then carrying around a full network cable.

Cons:

When i got mine in the mail, One of the tabs had broken off. It would be nice if they had some sort of protection over them so this wont happen.
It is still usable but I cant have any tension in the cable or it will fall out.
Still worth the buy for the price.

Other Thoughts:

Other then the fact that it broke in the mail. This is still really handy to keep in your laptop bag in case there is no available Wifi.

Bottomline:

I would buy another one at this price.

Pros:

Seems to work fine
Price is very good
Seems to retract and extend fully while using the cable

Cons:

The cable doesn't seem to retract fully sometimes, but if you pull it a slight bit it will eventually retract fine.
Maybe abit short, but maybe it's the best considering the retraction mechanism
The cables are very thin, but thats required for the retraction mechanism to work

Bottomline:

Very good product for the price, I brought it for College to connect my netbook to their network (instead of using their slow machines), and I think it will fit the purpose just fine.

Pros:

Very usefull where wireless is not present, like some hotels.
Cable is 1.5mt that is enough.
It's small and you can put it anyware.
Cable is flat.

Cons:

No big cons.
Only that, due to the small dimension it could not be stronger as the standard cables. But it works as it is.

Bottomline:

I suggest it to anyone that travel a lot.
You must have it in your luggage.
Of course, it is not for home or office use where it is suppose you use standard and stronger cable.
I've tested it for 5 months, this is the second order.

Pros:

i gave this gadget an overall rating of 4 simply because it just works.
very compact. originally i bought this together with cable tester so i dont have to carry lengths of network cables.
now, i got this with every laptop we have.
simple solution simple construction simply great

Cons:

may get tangled when extended fully.
sometimes does not retract or retract well
minor fault

Other Thoughts:

saved space in my toolbox. i use it also behind the router.

Bottomline:

buy !!!! buy !!!!! for this price, give it away to friends and families with laptos

Pros:

Description fully corresponds to item. I ordered 5 pieces and all were in good condition. Excellent material, durable and long cable, which is difficult to bend, break or tear, the connectors are working properly, without jamming. When folded has a very compact size, which is very convenient because you can always carry it with you.

Cons:

Folding mechanism is not working perfectly. No other flaws.

Bottomline:

I am from Russia. Sorry for bad English. This is a good buy. Complaints were not. Positive emotions.

Pros:

-very useful for carrying around network cables in a portable way
-cheap
-pretty good design

Cons:

-cord could be longer
-build quality could be better but it hasn't broken on me yet in years.. it just feels cheap

Bottomline:

This is great for carrying around network cable in the most minimialist way possible. It's tiny. It retracts well and was pretty cheap/. However, the cord could be longer and the build quality of the winder could be better because it feels cheap. Still, it's been working for me for years.

Pros:

A very good and useful little gadget to carry around if you have your computer always with you. Because sometimes wireless is not enough. I am very pleased with my cable. have used it several times over a year now. and it still works. overall a very useful little thing.

Cons:

the cable is very thin. if you are not careful you might brake it. and sometimes it gets tangled when fully retracted.

Other Thoughts:

overall a very useful little thing.

Bottomline:

I am very pleased with my cable. have used it several times over a year now. and it still works.

Pros:

Very good Product, easy of use, CHEAP, it do what its suppose to do. Also u can bring like 3 or 4 in your pocket if you need to do some network fast and its save you from having to roll out the big cable then make room for it

Cons:

Maybe the plastic is a bit cheap, its look like its gonna break everytime you use it. The spring inside get sometime all messed up and its can get the wire back inside and you need to replace its back together.

Other Thoughts:

Work Great for the price, its definatly usefull for a spare or to bring in a laptop bag

Bottomline:

Buy it if you need one, Worth it!

Pros:

I tested the cable with the NAS (SKU 26320) and now I'm keeping it in my notebook's bag.
I'm using it on a 100Mbps network.
It's small and simple to use. No special drivers/expertise are required to do it.

Cons:

None so far.
The cable seems fragile, I think it's a good idea to handle it with care. But it's a very good product for the price.

Other Thoughts:

It's a good product for the price.
In local stores here this cable would cost some dollars more...

Bottomline:

For this price, it's very recommended to keep one with in your laptop's bag.

Pros:

Eu odeio cabos. Tudo o que facilita a minha vida para me livrar dos cabos e bem vindo. Este cabo retrátil é muito bom para o uso esporádico, pois sendo retrátil é muito bom de guardar.

Cons:

A qualidade do cabo é perfeita com três problemas: O tamanho pode ser um pouco curto se o computador não for ficar na mesma mesa do roteador ou do switch, o cabo fica enrolado depois de esticado e o principal problema é o pino que faz o encaixe seguro (o clique) do cabo no slot que é muito frágil e quebra facilmente após algum uso (isso pode ocorrer com qualquer conector RJ45).

Bottomline:

Ótimo produto, barato e fácil de usar. Aconselho a compra.

Pros:

- Easy to use.
- Works fine
- I have one a long time ago.
- Resistant.
- Retractable, and the mechanism works fine until today.
- Small to put on the Notebook's bag

Cons:

- No cons to consider.

Other Thoughts:

- Maybe on the future next versions needs support to gigabite.
- Maybe has others cable's colors is a good idea.

Bottomline:

- It's perfect for me that needs have put some pieces on my netbook's bag.
- A suggestion for the future is apply the same or the similar system to our earphones to avoid break the cables or connectors.

Pros:

- Small compared to network cables
- 100mb Full duplex seems to work well
- Good size for a port tester
- Good size to carry a few around in the pocket as temporary spares
- Good for laptop users to carry with them in their bags

Cons:

- Feels a tad cheap, not too bad though
- Slightly expensive for what it is

Bottomline:

Perfect for someone wanting a small cable to take on holiday, or for a port tester. Or for spares. You can take a few in the same space as one original cable, Must have!!

Pros:

-It's retractable. Meaning that if you don't need the full length, you won't have it anyway
-Works surprisingly well in my situation (would've assumed the cable would wear and tear after a while).

Cons:

-Build quality is not too good to the touch. Having said that, mine (2x) still work.
-It's a bit more expensive than I would give it credit for. I can imagine these selling heaps for $1.25.

Other Thoughts:

If you sometimes have friends come over with their networkable devices (i.e. laptop) and want to have them share your cabled network through a router or switch, pick up several of these and hook them up to the switch permanently. That way, when someone comes along, you'd just have to pull one end of the cable and put it in the device. And when you're done, just give it a tug and the cable will retract.

Bottomline:

Easy operable and saves hassle with multiple devices and cables tangling up.

Pros:

Everyone who owns a notebook knows that wifi it's non used as LAN in the office so you will always need a cable. the regular lan cable are always big and they do not fit into laptop bag, so this flat cable it's perfect for emergency!

Cons:

it's very small and the plastic it's solid. i bought 5 of this and i'm still use the first. the cable it's flat and it very long, the equivalent lan cable would have been very very long.

Other Thoughts:

it's optimal for business trip or for complete replacemente of the regular lan cable.

Bottomline:

if you use a laptop this is a must have

Pros:

Very, very clever designed cable! As an owner of laptop I know and every other owners know that the LAN cable is aways the problem when you go on the business trip. The regular LAN cable is aways big, hard cable that "creates" uncomfortable felling when you put it in laptop case. This one is solution of all problems.

Cons:

Not every cable has good quality. For example the first received, that I ordered as sample, was assembled wrong. So I looked at one that works, from one friend of mine, and I assemble it on right way. But the feelings that the first one is broken was very bad :-) But with next ordered I had no problems. So I think it is rare case.

Other Thoughts:

1. Small and compact.
2. Works very well.

Bottomline:

I thing that everyone who goes to the business trip must have one of those.

Pros:

It is a simple little thing. Whenever you need a network cable, this thing can do the work for you. Using it for laptops is a great thing. You don't need to drag a heavy long cable with you. Just use this thing instead.

Cons:

Today the Bluetooth connectivity replaces the need for such cables. Even WiFi network or similar.
It's nice to use on laptops and similar temp connections. I wouldn't have used it as a perm. (eventhough it can operate as a constant cable.)

Bottomline:

Cute little thing. It does what it needs to do.

Pros:

- Very cheap for its use.
- Useful for those who want stablish a peer-to-peer connection between 2 computers.
- Has a good quality in the overall form.
- Easy to use (just plug each plug in the respective computer the you want to interligate, and of course you need to configure your lan, sometimes manually)

Cons:

- I don´t like much these retractable itens because after sometime they start to slip directly, dont stop in the locks between the full lenght and the total retract of the cable.
- The base of the cable is made with a simple built quality.

Other Thoughts:

Why use a retractable cable, especially for notes, if the tendency is more and more the use of wireless systems? Well, yet this form of connection is WAY LONG faster even than the new technology of wireless...
Allthought, you should have one of these.

Bottomline:

Worth the price. It´s cheap, so dont expect an EXCELLENT quality. But do the job. A simple and fast way to connect computers.

Pros:

- Very compact and light. It lives in my laptop bag. Saved a lot of space and weight compared to my old (also flat) network cable.
- Great for those situations where you need to transfer large files between two laptops (macs have auto crossover).
- Confirmed working at 100Mbit

Cons:

- Have to be very careful when retracting it. It can get tangled up pretty easily.
- It is a little fragile and I don't recommend lending it to others to use.

Bottomline:

It's cheap, light, compact and it works. Highly recommended product that should be in all laptop bags.

Pros:

- Small and portable
- Ideal for carriying on your bag with your notebook
- Nice design, can strech to the distance you need and be fixed at it
- Even tough the cable seems fragile, it might be more durable than a regular network cable rolled and tangled on your bag
- Very Cheap

Cons:

- It's too short for most of the regular uses, it's hard the situation where you are at just 1m of the network switch
- It's fragile, the cable is very thin and if you dont handle it carefully it will probably not last long

Other Thoughts:

If it was a crossover cable it could be more usefull, when you want to connect two norebooks but have not a wifi hotspot available and dont want or dont know to setup a ad-hoc network

Bottomline:

It can be useful in some cases, it's up to the situation, i allways carry mine with me but i still hadn't the need to use it yet

Pros:

Very small and compact design.
Cable does not get all tangled up like normal lan cables in your bag.
Easy to use.

Cons:

retractable mechanism is a bit tricky to use but you will learn how to use it.
The cable when retracted is all curly and likes to create knots. Better just pull it out as long as you need and not more.

Other Thoughts:

I wish there is a longer version but of course longer means bigger.

Bottomline:

Cheap and useful constant companion in my laptop bag that already has been very helpful in many times.