Which cable type should be used to connect a laptop directly to a server's 100Mbps management NIC?

To connect a laptop directly to a server's 100Mbps management NIC, using a crossover cable is optimal. A crossover cable is designed specifically for direct connections between two similar devices, such as connecting a laptop's network interface card (NIC) directly to a server's NIC.

In this setup, a crossover cable allows the transmit signals of one device to connect with the receive signals of the other device, enabling proper communication. This is crucial when establishing a link between devices of the same type, such as laptop to laptop or server to server.

Other cable types, such as straight-through cables (both Cat 5 and Cat 5e), are typically used for connecting different types of devices, like a laptop to a switch or a server to a router. Consequently, they would not provide the correct pin configuration needed for direct device-to-device communication in this scenario. The rollover cable is primarily used for serial console connections and would also not be appropriate for Ethernet network connections in this context.