So I am trying to make my own networking cables out of CAT5e cable and some of those clear Telephone jack looking conectors. I want to run a conection from one room to another to a roughter.
So I realize you have to strip the cable with a calble stripper as I have done - but after that Im lost. How do I make this work? The concetor has no where for the cables to go into. Is there some kind of tool?
What tools do I need?
You need an RJ-45 crimp tool. These are available at RadioShack, as well as hardware and home improvement stores. This will also usually have a stripper which will strip the outer jacket to the proper length. Do NOT strip the individual wires–the RJ-45 connectors are wire-piercing IDC (insulation displacement connections) and do not need to have the wires stripped. You then need to arrange the wires in the proper order. For 8-wire unshielded twisted-pair communications cabling, this order is detailed here, along with detailed instructions for installing the connectors properly.
There isn’t much else to add except tou will have these wires that have to be threaded almost individually into the right holes into the connector. It isn’t all that easy the first time but take your time and get it right. Once that is done, you use the tool to crimp. I am pretty sure that you have to have that exact tool for it to work.
Here’s a couple of cites on doing this:
http://www.swhowto.com/CAT5_Ch1.htm
http://www.hometoys.com/htinews/oct98/articles/karas/cabling01.htm
P.S. Frankly, unless you are wiring a whole house or something like that, I’ve found that buying the pre-made CAT5e is usually better & cheaper. If you figure what your time is worth, and figure how much cable/connectors you will waste while learning how to do this properly, pre-made cables are cheaper. And usually guarenteed to work. And they come in lots of lengths & colors.
I’d have to disagree, considering that the OP describes trying to run a wire between rooms, presumably through walls. Even if he could find a premade wire the perfect length, he’ll have to drill larger holes in the walls to accommodate the plugs, with the attendant risk of accidentally damaging the plug in the process. It’s cleaner to drill smaller holes, push a stretched-out wire hanger through, tape it to the cable, pull the cable through, staple it down as you go and crimp on the plug when you have the correct length.
If you’re wiring within a room, or if there is an existing passage (i.e. a ventilation duct or false-ceiling tiles), I’d agree that premade is easier.
This depends a lot on whether you shop around for the cables, too. Practically any cable (USB, Ethernet, cellphone, etc.) bought “off the shelf” at Staples or OfficeMax will run you $19.99 - $39.99. Even if you’re only installign a router or a hub to connect a few computers and your Tivo, that can get to be $100+ for cables alone for that single task.
$50 would probably buy the average person a lifetime supply of Cat5e wiring, connectors, and maybe even the crimp tool. It’s only hard the first couple of times, and “hard” here means “time consuming” more than “difficult.”
I would agree that crimping your own cables is way cheaper than off the shelf, but their use depends on the application.
Another tool that might not hurt is a LAN cable tester (example). This way, you can test your cable without getting under the desk and looking for a tiny link light on the back of the computer or switch. Also, if the wrong wire is crossed, you may get a link light and still not get the best speed or any speed at all.
And if you screw up a few cables (inevitable), it’s easy enough to cut the head off and recrimp the wrong side.
A cable tester is a good idea; I believe it’s actually possible to damage network interfaces if the cable is incorrectly wired (at least that used to be a reason why not to use a straight-through cable where a crossover was required).
I found it quite easy to make up cables; the length of outer sheath that you should trim off is absolutely critical - trim off too much and the strain relief crimp won’t grip the bunch of loose insulated conductors properly; don’t trim off enough and the individual conductors will be hard to insert into theit proper places in the right order, or to their full depth.
Once you get that bit right, it really is only a case of getting the conductors lined up and pushing them in - the inner shape of the plastic plug will guide them home before you crimp.
Check and double-check the order of the conductors before you crimp and don’t listen to anyone who says that it doesn’t really matter which one goes where; it does matter, because the conductors are in twisted pairs inside the sheathing - it is possible to wire up a cable that has all the right pins at one end connected to all the right pins at the other, but is not wired correctly in terms of the twisted pairs. This typically results in poor performance and greater vulnerability to electromagnetic interference.
Give some thought to putting jacks on the ends of the cables. If nothing else, it looks more professional to have a jack mounted in or on the wall, than to have a cable just sticking out of it. From the jacks, just use regular patch cables. When I recently wired up my house, I was able to find 2-meter patch cables for 2 bucks each at the neighborhood non-chain computer shop.
Another concern against using plugs at the ends is that most crimp-on plugs are designed for the stranded wire used in patch cables. Bulk cable is normally solid. The plugs might or might not work the first time around, and may be permanently intermittent as the internal teeth in the plugs won’t be able to make proper connection with solid wire. As it was explained to me, plugs for stranded cable bite into the wire, but plugs for solid hold the surface. Use the wrong stuff, and you’ll be plagued with intermittent problems.
Jacks are pretty easy as they usually have the color codings marked on them. Use the “B” version of the coding and do not strip more cable jacket than necessary, and do not untwist the wire pairs more than half an inch - with high-speed Ethernet, maintaining the twist is important. Then, just snap the jack into a wall plate or surface-mount box.
When you run the cable, try think of it as laying the cable in place, rather than pulling it. It’s surprisingly easy to damage Cat5 (or Cat5e / Cat6) by pulling too hard, or by bending it sharply.
Forgot to say that you will need a punch-down tool to wire up the jacks. You should be able to find one of the “strips and punches” tools for five bucks or so. They’re usually yellow or orange plastic.
For two jacks, you don’t need a $100 impact tool, but you do need a punch tool of some sort. You really can’t “fake” this with pliers, two screwdrivers or anything else. FWIW, I did my whole house - wall jacks, patch panel and all with one of these and had no problems.
slight nitpick. it does not matter is you use the A or B standard for your cables, as long as on each individual cable you use the same standard on both ends (either A to A or B to B) making an A to B cable results in a crossover cable. thats no good. An A to A cable will talk to a B to B cable just fine.
True. I just said to use “B” in an attempt to keep it simple by removing a configuration option.
Plus, that’s the arangement that matches the color order on both my patch panel and most pre-made cables.