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The steps below are general Ethernet Category 5
(commonly known as Cat 5) cable construction
guidelines. For our example, we will be making a
Category 5e patch cable, but the same general
method will work for making any category of
network cables.
Unrol l the requi red l ength of network cabl e and add a l i ttl e extra
wi re, j ust i n case. If a boot is to be fitted, do so before stripping away
the sleeve and ensure the boot faces the correct way.
Careful l y remove the outer j acket of the cabl e. Be
careful when stripping the jacket as to not nick or cut
the internal wiring. One good way to do this is to cut
lengthwise with snips or a knife along the side of the
cable, away from yourself, about an inch toward the
open end. This reduces the risk of nicking the wires'
insulation. Locate the string inside with the wires, or if
no string is found, use the wires themselves to unzip
the sheath of the cable by holding the sheath in one
hand and pulling sideways with the string or wire. Cut
away the unzipped sheath and cut the twisted pairs
about 1 1/4" (30 mm). You will notice 8 wires twisted in 4 pairs. Each
pair will have one wire of a certain color and another wire that is white
with a colored stripe matching its partner (this wire is called a tracer).
Inspect the newl y reveal ed wi res for any cuts or
scrapes that expose the copper wi re i nsi de. If you
have breached the protective sheath of any wire, you
will need to cut the entire segment of wires off and start
over at step one. Exposed copper wire will lead to
cross-talk, poor performance or no connectivity at all. It
is important that the jacket for all network cables
remains intact.
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Steps
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Untwi st the pai rs so they wi l l l ay fl at between your
fi ngers. The white piece of thread can be cut off even
with the jacket and disposed (see Warnings). For easier
handling, cut the wires so that they are 3/4" (19 mm)
long from the base of the jacket and even in length.
Arrange the wi res based on the wi ri ng
speci fi cati ons you are fol l owi ng. There are two
methods set by the TIA, 568A and 568B. Which one
you use will depend on what is being connected. A
straight-through cable is used to connect two
different-layer devices (e.g. a hub and a PC). Two l i ke
devices normally require a cross-over cable. The
difference between the two is that a straight-through cable has both
ends wired identically with 568B, while a cross-over cable has one end
wired 568A and the other end wired 568B. For our demonstration in
the following steps, we will use 568B, but the instructions can easily be
adapted to 568A.
568B - Put the wires in the following order, from left to right:
white orange
orange
white green
blue
white blue
green
white brown
brown
568A - from left to right: white/green, green, white/orange, blue,
white/blue, orange, white/brown, brown. You can also use the
mnemonic 1-2-3-6/3-6-1-2 to remember which wires are switched.
Press al l the wi res fl at and paral l el between your thumb and
forefi nger. Verify the colors have remained in the correct order. Cut
the top of the wires even with one another so that they are 1/2" (12.5
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mm) long from the base of the jacket, as the jacket needs to go into
the 8P8C connector by about 1/8", meaning that you only have a 1/2"
of room for the individual cables. Leaving more than 1/2" untwisted can
jeopardize connectivity and quality. Ensure that the cut leaves the
wires even and clean; failure to do so may cause the wire not to make
contact inside the jack and could lead to wrongly guided cores inside
the plug.
Keep the wi res fl at and i n order as you push them
i nto the RJ-45 pl ug wi th the fl at surface of the pl ug
on top. The white/orange wire should be on the left if
you're looking down at the jack. You can tell if all the
wires made it into the jack and maintain their positions
by looking head-on at the plug. You should be able to
see a wire located in each hole, as seen at the bottom
right. You may have to use a little effort to push the
pairs firmly into the plug. The cabling jacket should also
enter the rear of the jack about 1/4" (6 mm) to help
secure the cable once the plug is crimped. You may
need to stretch the sleeve to the proper length. Verify
that the sequence is still correct before crimping.
Pl ace the wi red pl ug i nto the cri mpi ng tool . Give
the handle a firm squeeze. You should hear a ratcheting
noise as you continue. Once you have completed the
crimp, the handle will reset to the open position. To
ensure all pins are set, some prefer to double-crimp by
repeating this step.
Repeat al l of the above steps wi th the other end of the cabl e. The
way you wire the other end (568A or 568B) will depend on whether
you're making a straight-through, rollover, or cross-over cable (see
Tips).
Test the cabl e to ensure that i t wi l l functi on i n the
fi el d. Mis-wired and incomplete network cables could
lead to headaches down the road. In addition, with
power-over-Ethernet (PoE) making its way into the
market place, crossed wire pairs could lead to
physical damage of computers or phone system
equipment, making it even more crucial that the pairs
are in the correct order. A simple cable tester can
quickly verify that information for you. Should you not have a network
cable tester on hand, simply test connectivity pin to pin.
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A key point to remember in making Ethernet patch cords is that the
"twists" in the individual pairs should remain entwined as long as
possible until they reach the RJ-45 plug termination. The twisting of the
pairs in the network cable is what helps to ensure good connectivity and
keeps cross-talk interference to a minimum. Do not untwist the wires any
more than you need to.
CAT5 and CAT5e are very similar cables, however CAT5e offers better
quality especially on longer runs. If making a longer run, CAT5e is
recommended, however CAT5 is still an option for small patch cables.
A good idea on the long runs, especially those that you need to hang or
snake around, is to crimp and test the cable before you run the cable.
This is recommended especially to anyone who is first starting out
crimping their own cables, as it ensures you are crimping the correct pin
order now, rather than trying to trouble shoot later.
Always keep a box of Network Cable resting on one of the four 'end'
surfaces, never on one of its two sides. This prevents loops falling
across each other inside the box causing binding and knots.
The ripcords, if present, are usually quite strong, so do not attempt to
break them. Cut them.
Unless you need to do a large amount of cabling work, it may be less
frustrating and, due to the cost of tools, less expensive to purchase
ready-made cables.
Fire Codes require a special type of cover over the wires if the cabling is
to be installed in ceilings or other areas that are exposed to the building
ventilation system. This is usually referred to as plenum-grade cable or
simply "plenum cable", and does not release toxic fumes when burned.
Plenum cabling is more costly, perhaps double that of ordinary cable, so
only use where necessary. Riser cable is similar to plenum, but is for
use in walls or wiring closets to connect floors. Riser may not replace
plenum cable so be aware of what area you are laying your cable. If in
doubt, use plenum as it has the strictest and safest ratings.
A cat5 cable can not exceed 100 meters, or 328 feet. It probably
shouldn't go beyond 300 feet.
RJ-45 is the common term most individuals use for the connectors
present in CAT5 cabling. The correct name of the connector is simply
8P8C, where as RJ-45 is the name of a very similar looking defunct
connector used in telecommunication. Most people will understand
RJ-45 as 8P8C, but be careful when purchasing out of a catalog or
online where you can't visibly determine which you are purchasing.
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Tips
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Warnings
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Be aware of any shielding your cable may have. The most common type
of cable is UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair), but a number of
shielding/foiling options exist for added protection against EMI. Be aware
of what you are purchasing and what you need. In most environments,
UTP will be fine.
Crimper - This is the most essential tool and critical to the cable making
process. If you don't have a quality crimper, then your cable connections
will be bad. Inferior crimpers will make it difficult and/or nearly impossible
to achieve a tight connection between the wires. Many better quality
crimpers also have a ratcheting controlled closure for precise crimping.
Crimpers with a plastic body will be more likely to develop a sloppy hip
joint and give consistently poor cramps; a metal crimper is much
preferred, and very common.
Tester (Optional) - Although not necessary for making cables, having a
good cable tester can prevent and solve cable wiring configuration and
installation problems. Most testers consist of two boxes (transmitter and
receiver) you plug your patch cable into. The transmitter box tests the
cable by sending test pulses down each individual wire, lighting up LED
lights on the receiver box. Most testers will show you a result of the
pass. Why do you want to test cables? Even if they are slightly
damaged, network cables will work, but cause packet loss and data
corruption to your hardware.
RJ45 Connectors - Ensure your RJ45 connectors are designed for the
type of cable you are using (solid/stranded), as they have different types
of teeth for piercing between multiple strands or around a solid single
strand. Note: if you ask in an electrical trades store for RJ45 connectors,
you may be asked whether you want "solid", "stranded" or "flat". The
"flat" choice relates to the old flat "silver satin" cables used in 10Base-T,
and should not be used in new Ethernet deployments.
Bulk Cable - Bulk cable can be found at computer stores, electrical
stores, and home centers. You can obtain Category 5, Category 5e, and
Category 6 cable, depending on your needs. For lengths shorter than 50'
use a stranded/braided cable. For lengths greater than 50' use a solid
cable.
There are two types of wire (solid or stranded) and which one you
choose should be based on where and how the patch cable is to be
used. See warning above about PLENUM cable. Stranded wire is
best for a workstation patch as it can tolerate flexing without
cracking the conductors; however, the trade off is that they're more
susceptible to moisture penetration. Solid is best used in a wire
closet or for a patch that will be moved very infrequently, as the
conductor tends to crack if bent and/or flexed. Cracked conductor
leads to "reflections" which make for chatter on the LAN connection,
hampering speed and reliability.
Boots (optional but preferred). It saves the cable in the long run and
improves the looks. A boot is a molded piece of plastic that protects the
connector from snagging, if it is pulled through the wall or conduit. It also
provides strain relief on the cable, making it harder for the connector to
be pulled off.
Straight edge wire cutter. You may find serrated snips work very nicely.
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Things You' ll Need
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Use something that gives an easy square cut; avoid diagonal pliers for
this reason. You will find that many quality crimpers have a straight edge
cutter built in.
Fish Tape - Fish tape is either a metal or plastic spool of guide wire.
Strong enough not to buckle and bend while being pushed around, but
flexible enough to be pushed past corners and bends, fish tape is a vital
tool for some cable runs. Recommended conditions include: conduit,
within walls, along structural beams and girders, in ducting, plenums,
and dropped ceilings, or any situation where it's not physically possible
to drag the cable along with you.
How to Sleeve Computer Cables
How to Strip Coax Cable
How to Set up a Private Network
How to Fix Common Computer Network Issues
Guide to Making Cat 5 Cable - Written by Joe Hamilton of Comtrad
Cable and shared with permission.
http://www.lanshack.com/make-cat5E.aspx 1.
http://www.bluemax.com/techtips/networking/Wiring_Tips
/Wiring100TX/networkcableand_connectors.htm
2.
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Sources and Citations
Articl e Tool s
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