# repairing an ethernet cable **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2004, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239 "2004-11-17T10:35:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/21 "2004-11-20T02:56:33Z")
> [@Berkut](#): > > That’s still not right, though. > > Pin 1 is transmit+, pin 2 is transmit-. They should be on a twisted pair. > > Pin 3 is receive+, pin 6 is receive-. They too should be on their own twisted pair. Going by the fact that he’s only mentioning 4 of the wires, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt that he was speaking “for example”, and assume the red and red/white are one twisted pair, and not going for an accurate pinout. In which case he’s right. In most setups, you can also make the mistake of connecting tx+ to rx- and tx- to rx+ and have the switch and nic figure it out. (IOW, if 3 goes to 6 and 6 goes to 3). Not that you should want to do that, but if you do it accidently, that’s why it still works. -lv ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/22 "2004-11-20T06:11:04Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > An RJ45 that isn’t crimped properly won’t fit into the hub. My hubby said you just hit hero status. That’s what the problem is without a doubt. I wouldn’t let him buy a crimper for $40 at Office depot. I’ll find one online for him. At least the computer I disconnected is a spare. To everyone else, you are all heros in my book. I know answering my computer questions is like trying to teach a parrot physics. ---
**Author:** ![jsleek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@jsleek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsleek)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/23 "2004-11-20T06:31:03Z")
I’ve used this ugly, but easy way. Just get a $5 jumper cable, cut it in half, and splice the wires. Red to red, etc. There are cute little button splicers that work fine. But twising the wires together will work, sortof. Try to keep the untwisted part sort, but it’s not all that critical. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/24 "2004-11-20T14:19:59Z")
Berkut & Odaran, If building a cable from scratch, you’re right you need to pay attention to get the right pairs of pins on separate twisted pairs of wire. But for the OP’s problem, where one end is factory made, and the other end is cut off & needs replacement, all they need to do is blindly match the colors of the new end to the colors on the old end. The factory will (presumably) have gotten the pin/wire pairs installed correctly on their end. ---
**Author:** ![odaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e0b2c6/32.png) [@odaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/odaran)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/25 "2004-11-20T18:18:26Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Berkut & Odaran, > > If building a cable from scratch, you’re right you need to pay attention to get the right pairs of pins on separate twisted pairs of wire. > > But for the OP’s problem, where one end is factory made, and the other end is cut off & needs replacement, all they need to do is blindly match the colors of the new end to the colors on the old end. The factory will (presumably) have gotten the pin/wire pairs installed correctly on their end. That was my original point > [@Odaran](#): > > As a “backyard mechanic” of PC’s I have found, as long as it is not being used as a crossover cable, that it really does not matter what order the wires are in. You just need to make sure that the color order is the same on both ends. If you have access to the other end of the wire, note the order of the wires and when you put the new connector on, make sure it is in the same order. Of course, this might confuse anyone else that might come along if they are not in the standard order but all these are, are just copper wires. ---
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/26 "2004-11-20T18:38:12Z")
I find it humorous that when trying to educate a damsel in distress, you rather end-up educating each other :rolleyes: no worries guys, I’m sure picnurse has enough hero medals for all of you. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/27 "2004-11-20T22:52:14Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I wouldn’t let him buy a crimper for $40 at Office depot. I’ll find one online for him. Thanks! Buyer beware: The company bought me a cheap crimper with teeth that don’t line up. They had to buy me a more expensive one that works. ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/28 "2004-11-20T23:20:31Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Berkut & Odaran, > > If building a cable from scratch, you’re right you need to pay attention to get the right pairs of pins on separate twisted pairs of wire. > > But for the OP’s problem, where one end is factory made, and the other end is cut off & needs replacement, all they need to do is blindly match the colors of the new end to the colors on the old end. Oh, absolutely. I just didn’t want someone reading the thread to get the impression that generally, the wiring doesn’t matter. I run across a lot of miswired cables that were built by people who didn’t know it makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/29 "2004-11-29T12:27:27Z")
Medals all around! We got the crimper, after the learning curve, the RJ-45s were perfect! One small problem it doesn’t work. :mad: He checked the wire pattern, it appears to be correct white/orange, orange, white/green, blue, white/blue, green, white/brown, brown . The wire is labeled “Cat-5-B general cable J EMG 4 pair” What did we do wrong? Maybe when we finally get it right it will be cookies instead of lame old hero medals Thanks once again. M 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@blinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinx)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/30 "2004-11-29T12:45:22Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > What did we do wrong? Do the wires match with the ones in the other end? you havn’t turned the whole thing around so that what is left on one end is right on the other? Do you get a link light on the hub/network card? ---
**Author:** ![Servo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@Servo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Servo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/31 "2004-11-29T16:15:25Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > white/orange, orange, white/green, blue, white/blue, green, white/brown, brown. As a quick check…with the contacts pointed to your right and the retaining clip down, that’s the correct order from the top down. If it’s reversed then you’ve probably found your problem. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/32 "2004-11-29T17:49:53Z")
Most frequent mistakes I make are: Wire ends not all the way into plug Not crimped hard enough colors dot the same on each end. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/33 "2004-11-29T21:34:55Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > Medals all around! > We got the crimper, after the learning curve, the RJ-45s were perfect! One small problem it doesn’t work. :mad: He checked the wire pattern, it appears to be correct white/orange, orange, white/green, blue, white/blue, green, white/brown, brown . The wire is labeled “Cat-5-B general cable J EMG 4 pair” > What did we do wrong? > Maybe when we finally get it right it will be cookies instead of lame old hero medals > Thanks once again. > M 🙂 Sometimes the only way out of this mess is to cut both ends off and recrimp them. One wire (out of the eight) screwed up could make your cable not work. Make the wires longer as you get them in the proper order and then whilst fimly grasping all of them cut them all the same length just before you slide them into the rj-45. IOW, start out with a good two inches of stripped wires and then arrange them in the correct order then cut them to the proper length then slide them into the connector. Again, both connectors should be exactly the same color for color while looking at the same side of the connector and reading from right to left. Are these solid or stranded wires? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/34 "2004-12-01T02:49:55Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > Sometimes the only way out of this mess is to cut both ends off and recrimp them. One wire (out of the eight) screwed up could make your cable not work. > Make the wires longer as you get them in the proper order and then whilst fimly grasping all of them cut them all the same length just before you slide them into the rj-45. IOW, start out with a good two inches of stripped wires and then arrange them in the correct order then cut them to the proper length then slide them into the connector. Again, both connectors should be exactly the same color for color while looking at the same side of the connector and reading from right to left. > > Are these solid or stranded wires? They are solid. Ant that’s exactly what we did and all is well! It works, my new computer works and my husband’s works. We can’t have all there on line at once, but, I knew that. The only reason we wanted the old G-3 on line is to be able to transfer information to and from the new ones. Thank you one and all. Your patience with me has been, as always, saint-like. If you lived in my neighborhood, I’d be baking cookies right now. 😃 So…until my next stupid question… M ---
**Author:** ![galt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@galt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galt)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/35 "2004-12-01T19:19:26Z")
By the way, if you want all three (or just the two you use a lot) online at once, routers are getting pretty cheap. I see that [buy.com](http://buy.com) has a GigaFast 10/100 4-port router for $25. We’ll talk you through setting it up if you want. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/36 "2004-12-01T19:39:59Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > The end connector came off. The telephone jack on steroids thingy. The wire is long, about a 50 foot run. Its pretty inaccessible, in the wall and floor. > We got some of the RJ45 connectors, but, how do you get the wires into it in the right order? It looks like reconnecting human nerves might be easier (But, wouldn’t really solve our problem) > Any advice, comments, cat calls, for the person who tripped over it. (yes, me. :rolleyes: ) Just to pour fuel onto this fire . . . if it were me, and I had a long cable going through walls, I’d cut off the end and wire it as a wall jack and just get a patch cable to run to the switch/hub/router/nic. Of course you’d have to buy a [punch-down tool](http://www.cat5ecableguy.com/torjcrand110.html) instead of a crimping tool . . . ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/37 "2004-12-01T19:49:53Z")
> [@LateComer](#): > > Just to pour fuel onto this fire . . . if it were me, and I had a long cable going through walls, I’d cut off the end and wire it as a wall jack and just get a patch cable to run to the switch/hub/router/nic. > > Of course you’d have to buy a [punch-down tool](http://www.cat5ecableguy.com/torjcrand110.html) instead of a crimping tool . . . CP’s primary networking rule: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/38 "2004-12-01T21:32:17Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > CP’s primary networking rule: > > If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That is a good all-purpose rule but, in this case, I believe it is broke! :rolleyes: I actually wonder how they got it through the floor and walls with the rj45 connector intact in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/39 "2004-12-01T21:50:58Z")
> [@LateComer](#): > > TI actually wonder how they got it through the floor and walls with the rj45 connector intact in the first place. Easy! Drill a hole big enough for the connector to fit thru. You usually leave room anyway, to make pulling the cable easier. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239/40 "2004-12-02T08:03:51Z")
Yeah, what he said. 🙂 **galt** We have a couple routers, but Comcast, our cable provider charges for each IP address. Its only an extra $5.00 a month, but there are just tthe two of us. One computer upstairs, and two down, so there’s no way we can use all three at once anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-an-ethernet-cable/275239.md?page=3)