# Where can I get a CAT-6 cable split and connectors put on the cut ends? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 23, 2024, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666 "2024-04-23T18:10:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/21 "2024-04-23T21:52:40Z")
One benefit of keeping the cable the full length is that it can be used for longer runs in the future. Even if 210’ feet is good now, your next use might need the full 300’. Are the signals in the ethernet cable affected by how the cable is looped? I’ve heard that video cables should not be looped since the loops can create inductance which can affect the signal quality. Is something like that a concern for ethernet cables? In my personal experience of seeing rats nests of network cables in the server room, I’m guessing it doesn’t matter too much. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/22 "2024-04-23T23:22:06Z")
Or you could just go with a new cable. [$88.07](https://www.fs.com/products/191037.html) for 210 feet of shielded Cat 6. [$79.54](https://www.fs.com/products/191038.html) for 210 feet of unshielded Cat 6. But a long lead time. Found another company that will sell you 210 feet of shielded Cat 6 for [$87.04](https://www.showmecables.com/cablebuilder/index/index/id/CCC-222212), and they’re claiming a 1 to 2 week turnaround time. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/23 "2024-04-24T00:27:57Z")
I’m pretty much sold on the idea of using the cable I’ve got, uncut, with the unused length of it coiled in the room where the router sits. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/24 "2024-04-24T00:41:32Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Cat-5 was rarely used for more than a few hundred Mbps and inexpert crimping was rarely an issue. Never had a problem with Cat5 at gigabit speeds, though maybe it’s marginal at close to the length limit. That said, there are limits to how inexpertly one can crimp. A friend of mine showed me how to crimp cable, but put all the pairs side by side: WO, O, WG, G, WB, B, WBr, Br. That worked poorly even at 1 megabit over a few dozen feet. But with proper pairing (WO, O, WG, B, WB, G, WBr, Br) it works fine even at gigabit speeds. Might even be ok at 2.5 Gbps over short hops. Cat6 crimped to Cat5 standards should also be fine at 1 Gbps. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/25 "2024-04-24T00:53:03Z")
If I’m running a 300’ cable or even a 100’ cable, I want it ready for 10 years from now. This house I ran all cat-7 or better, and unlike my last house, I did no crimping. I’m already at a Gig, and in another 6 years will probably be thankful I already support much higher. I’ve seen crappy crimps that led to degraded throughput and screwed up at least a few myself and had to redo the crimp. So size the cable run and use factory made and tested cat-7 or 8 is my method now. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/26 "2024-04-24T00:55:54Z")
Anyone planning for the future should be installing fiber, not copper. My home network is fiber at 10 Gbps and I’ll probably upgrade to 100 once old datacenter equipment gets cheap enough (which is where my current equipment came from). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/27 "2024-04-24T01:00:43Z")
Fiber is expensive, cat 7 is pretty cheap. Beside the cat-7 rating is really high. 10 gig in fact. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/28 "2024-04-24T01:10:57Z")
It’s a lot cheaper than you might think, mainly because it’s totally obsolete in the datacenter and you can get used stuff for almost free on eBay. Only cost me a few hundred bucks for a router and equipment for two machines. IIRC, it was actually cheaper than copper and it’s easier to run (far thinner cables). Even 100G is getting pretty cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/29 "2024-04-24T01:11:42Z")
Fiber was installed in our (very large) complex at work about 20 years ago. There were all kinds of reliability problems with it. Last year they installed copper, at great expense. So far, so good. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/30 "2024-04-24T01:16:41Z")
The space is totally different today than it was 5 years ago, let alone 20. 10G is cheap because it’s over 3 generations old. They threw out the 10 when upgrading to 40, which they threw out when they upgraded to 100, which they’re in the process of throwing out in the transition to 400. I’m not a fan of 10G copper. They never really solved the power problems, the ports never got cheap the way 1G ports did, and it’s very sensitive to cable quality. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/31 "2024-04-24T01:44:30Z")
_sigh_ I’ve only been out of the datacenter game for like 5 yrs. But it seems like only yesterday I was cabling up 40gb. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/32 "2024-04-24T13:39:48Z")
Yeah, I agree. 300 feet is within the max length of a 10 gb CAT 6 run, so coil it up and forget about it. Chopping 90 feet off and re-terminating it is just asking for more problems, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/33 "2024-04-24T13:44:25Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > You can get the tool for it at Lowe’s, and YouTuve can walk you through it. I’ve needed this done before as well, but am also hesitant at my skill to do so. If you do-it-yourself, you need to buy a cable tester to make sure the job was done correctly, and that will cost you more money. Also, if you haven’t done it before, it’s very easy to screw up. Also, there is a specific order that the wires are supposed to be in when inserted into the connectors. WhiteOrange, Orange, WhiteGreen, Blue, WhiteBlue, Green, WhiteBrown, Brown. I honestly think you should get someone to do it. Do you have any kids or grandkids in school? If there is a technician there, and there should be these days, he’d probably do it for you for free. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/34 "2024-04-24T14:52:11Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I’m pretty much sold on the idea of using the cable I’ve got, uncut, with the unused length of it coiled in the room where the router sits. Yeah, that’s what I did when I ran cable from the router up to my son’s room. I looped the extra and used a twist tie to hold it together. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/35 "2024-04-24T15:31:21Z")
You could watch a Youtube video and then buy the ends and a cheap crimper from Home Depot to do this yourself on the cheap. The problem is you don’t have a cable tester, and most people don’t make flawless connections the first time they try this. Cheap cable testers are maybe $30? Do you have a acquaintance/friend/extended family member who works in IT? I’d try going down that path first. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/36 "2024-04-24T15:51:41Z")
Think of it this way, it’s a cool skill to have, the equipment to do it is relatively inexpensive, YouTube University will cover the how-to, and you have about 85ft of cable to get it right. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/37 "2024-04-24T15:58:31Z")
I hate to suggest this, but there is one other solution. Chop 90’ out of the middle of the cable and then very carefully splice all eight individual wires. You can line up the wires by color so there’s no worry about mismatching the connections. Of course, you’ll need the skills of a neurosurgeon to splice wires that delicate and you’ll have a large bulge in the middle from the splices and rewrapping the cable, but you can always hide that segment behind a baseboard or something. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/38 "2024-04-24T16:00:09Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > This house I ran all cat-7 or better, and unlike my last house, I did no crimping. I’m already at a Gig, and in another 6 years will probably be thankful I already support much higher. Slight hijack: when we upgraded our home internet last year, to a gigabit plan, the feed into the house had previously been using the coaxial feed (for cable TV) that was installed when the house was built 25 years ago. The router was attached to a coax outlet. When we had the upgrade done, that would no longer work. We didn’t have the house rewired or anything; presumably if we’d run Cat 7 or whatever, that would have worked. They had to install the new router near an outside wall, then they put an extender in a room near the other end of the house. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/39 "2024-04-24T16:40:29Z")
Splicing the cable in the middle has a big (negative) impact on data bandwidth. Data cable is twisted properly and uniformly for a reason. I do not recommend this approach. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2024, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666/40 "2024-04-24T16:41:34Z")
This is correct. Don’t do this for anything you want high speed for. Every connection degrades throughput is how I learned it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-get-a-cat-6-cable-split-and-connectors-put-on-the-cut-ends/1000666.md?page=3)