Making Cat 5 Cables

[wbottomley]

I figure I would post this here for those considering making your own cat 5 cables.

With the tab at the top, put those eight wires in this order for a straight-thru cable:

From left to right... brown, brown w/stripe, green, blue w/stripe, blue, green w/stripe, orange, orange w/stripe.

[Jack Stevens]

Ethernet standard, huh? Same as I use.

I bought an RJ45/Cat 5 cable tester from Home Depot; it's reguarly about $24,, I got it on sale for $20. It's already paid for itself in frustration prevention. I can test my crimps without trying to do it in a production (read that outside) environment, and it showed me very quickly why a controller stopped working during Halloween.

I don't make enough cables often enough to get the crimping right on the first couple of crimps. I've been checking my local Habitat for Humanity Re-Use store for cat 5; managed to get a partial roll, with about 300 of the original 500 feet left, for $10. I'm making up for that savings buying the RJ-45 crimp-on's (not really) - took me about 10 to get two good cables before I relearn the idiosyncracies of my crimper.

[wbottomley]

The best ends I've found has been Easy RJ-45.

You can push the wires through the end and the crimper will cut off the excess.

[melwelch]

The best ends I've found has been Easy RJ-45.

You can push the wires through the end and the crimper will cut off the excess.

I was at Connect It on Milbrook Rd yesterday and saw these... If you want really easy Cat5 connectors get these....

http://cableorganizer.com/ez-rj45-network-plugs/

The link is for the picture only do not know how their prices are...

[mschell]

I figure I would post this here for those considering making your own cat 5 cables.

With the tab at the top, put those eight wires in this order for a straight-thru cable:

From left to right... brown, brown w/stripe, green, blue w/stripe, blue, green w/stripe, orange, orange w/stripe.

Just so you guys know, there are TWO standards for CAT-5 wiring. The one William mentions is 568B, there is a 568A which is slightly different. But in the end, it really doesn't matter which one you use - just that you are consistent on both ends.

Jack, I've been looking for a cable tester that doesn't break the bank. I may have to look @ HD the next time I'm there - which isn't that often. I've got a Lowe's 5 minutes away, but the HD is 20 miles farther.

[John]

I have two cable testers,

one is a two piece unit but it only checks pairs 1&2, 4&5, 7&8. I think that is standard ethernet wiring. It does not check pairs 3&6. I paid approx $39 for it about 7 years ago. BUT, LOR does use pairs 3&6 if I'm not mistaken.

Last fall I purchased another one from a company in California, called Meritline. A one piece unit on sale for $ 5 and it does check all 8 wires. (The $5 included free shipping drop shiped from China, took about two weeks to get it)

Meritline throws this item on sale several times each year, and I'll watch the daily sale emails I get from them for the next time this item comes up, and post a link here.

Most of the time, I just buy my cables . MPJA sells 100 ft for $9.95, 50 ft for $5.49, 25 ft for $ 2.99 etc all the way down to a 12 inch cable for 49 cents. Monoprice also has similar prices. Unless I need something longer then 100 ft, I just buy them.

EDIT: Just noticed MPJA has a one piece network cable tester for 9.95

http://www.mpja.com/prodinfo.asp?number=16731+TL

I usually get 2nd day delivery from MPJA with their standard shipping

[Jack Stevens]

Here's the unit I have:
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053
The Paladin Tools RJ-45 Network Cable Tester model #70025

It doesn't look like Lowe's carries anything similar.

Amazon has it, for a slightly higher price than Home Depot:
http://www.amazon.com/Paladin-Tools-.../dp/B000KMHL8M

As long as I don't forget it, I'll bring mine to the TASL meeting Feb 20th.

Mark - I also have a Lowe's within 2 miles of me, and the closest Home Depot is 20 miles away.

[John]

Last fall I purchased another one from a company in California, called Meritline. A one piece unit on sale for $ 5 and it does check all 8 wires. (The $5 included free shipping drop shiped from China, took about two weeks to get it)

Meritline throws this item on sale several times each year, and I'll watch the daily sale emails I get from them for the next time this item comes up, and post a link here.

Mertiline has one on sale now for $ 5.99


.
http://www.meritline.com/network-cab...q_v=0f4e4c2197

[scottmcl]

Just so you guys know, there are TWO standards for CAT-5 wiring. The one William mentions is 568B, there is a 568A which is slightly different. But in the end, it really doesn't matter which one you use - just that you are consistent on both ends.

I'm not an expert, but I think you also need to make sure that what you're using it with matches the A or B standards. I've wasted lots of crimped ends doing one format and then switched to the other format, and the cable worked fine. Not sure how you find out which standard your equipment is using, though...

[mschell]

I'm not an expert, but I think you also need to make sure that what you're using it with matches the A or B standards. I've wasted lots of crimped ends doing one format and then switched to the other format, and the cable worked fine. Not sure how you find out which standard your equipment is using, though...

It's a color convention, so that if someone replaces an end on a cable or in a wall jack, that they don't have to find the other end and check it to see what wire goes into what pin. The bottom line is that you use the SAME convention on the SAME cable.

And I'm not an expert either - I just look up this stuff when I need to...I happened across the A vs B standard when I went to wire up my house with Cat-5. That is a pain when it's retrofiting an existing house and have to crawl in small places to run wires...

[John]

As Mark mentioned, I really don't think it makes any difference for our purposes as long as both ends are the same.

Just in case anyone is interested (or cares) the two wiring conventions are:

586A

1 - White / Green
2 - Green
3 - White / Orange
4 - Blue
5 - White / Blue
6 - Orange
7 - White / Brown
8 - Brown

586B

1 - White / Orange
2 - Orange
3 - White / Green
4 - Blue
5 - White / Blue
6 - Green
7 - White / Brown
8- Brown

[jnealand]

As a mostly retired computer tech I can tell you that I and everyone I know in the business uses the B standard. But as long as each end of any single cable uses the same standard you are good to go.

[John]

As a mostly retired computer tech I can tell you that I and everyone I know in the business uses the B standard. .

Jim,

I'm too lazy to do any research. Off the top of your head, do you remember where the A standard is used? Since you never used it? lol

[jnealand]

Finally had some nice sunny dry days and no other obligations so I am started cleaning up and organizing all the Christmas display stuff. So I'm too tired to do your research John and no I do not know why they even have two standards.

[Al in Raleigh]

B only.