How-to: Do it yourself Ethernet Crossover Cable

by: Larry Mingus Published: October 4, 1998

This how-to is for all of you that enoy the !"# thing or ha$e %ore ti%e than %oney& "t is far
easier to buy a ready %ade cable but not near as fulfilling& Plus, there are those ti%es when
you need a cable now and can't get a ready %ade (uic) enough&
#ou will need a length of networ) cable *UTP-Cat5+, ,referably a factory asse%bled
straight through cable that co%fortably reaches each co%,uter& -e careful and %easure
accurately you would hate to find out that following the baseboard of the wall you end u,
two feet short& On the other hand you don't want to use a fifty foot cable to connect two
co%,uters ten feet a,art& .thernet does not li)e coiled u, e/cess cable& 0onsider %a)ing
the cable with enough slac) to allow ser$icing the co%,uter without needing to un,lug the
cable&
The hardest ,art for %ost ,eo,le will %ost li)ely be finding the RJ45 cable connectors&
0hec) with your local co%,uter stores that do networ) installations, %ost techs will gi$e
you a cou,le if you as)& Otherwise you will ha$e to buy a fi$e or ten ,ac)& Ma)e sure you
get at least two, three is better& That way if you %ess u, you can ust cut off the bad end
and try again& 0ut off the RJ45 connector fro% one end of the cable and ,re,are the end
for the new RJ45 connector& " don't use %easure%ents for stri,,ing the cable end, " start
by stri,,ing at least 1 inch of the %ain cable insulation and then carefully tri% the eight
internal wires using the factory asse%bled end as a guide to the ,ro,er length& 1ust %a)e
sure that each wire is e(ual length and that the connector cable loc) ,inches the %ain cable
insulation&
#ou don't need any fancy cri%,ing tools to %a)e one cable, ust one nor%al si2e screw
dri$er and one s%all screwdri$er with a blade the sa%e thic)ness' of the brass conductors
in the RJ45 connector& #ou %ay need a second ,air of hands to hel, hold the cable and
RJ45 connector while you or your hel,er secures the connector cable loc)& "t's a little tric)y
to get all the wires into the ,ro,er holes but with a little ,atience anyone can do it& 3hen it
co%es ti%e to securing the connector cable loc) use the nor%al si2e screwdri$er that fits
into the connector cable loc) slot& "t doesn't ta)e a lot of ,ressure to seat the cable loc) ust
ta, lightly until the cable is secure&
Note: Make sure ALL wires are pushed completely into the connector before
seating the connector cable lock.
Once the connector cable loc) is secure it's ti%e to %o$e on to seating the brass wire
conductors& This is ,robably the %ost tric)y ,art, each wire has a se,arate brass conductor
that needs to be seated to %a)e contact with the wire& Once again you will want a second
,air of hands to hold the RJ45 connector while you or your ,artner carefully seats each of
the brass conductors& Lightly ta, each conductor down with the s%all thin screwdri$er to
ust below the ,lastic ridge, use the factory asse%bled end of the cable as a guide for how
dee, to seat the brass conductors&
Note: A pliers can be used to press down all the brass conductors at one time to
the plastic ridges, then use the small thin blade screwdriver to finish seating to
the proper recessed level.
That's it, if e$erything went well you now ha$e an Ethernet UTP Category 5 crossover
cable&

Crossover
Cable
Straight Through
Cable
RJ-45
PIN
RJ-45
PIN
RJ-45
PIN
RJ-45
PIN
1 4/5 6 T/5 1 T/5 1 4c5
7 4c- 8 T/- 7 T/- 7 4c-
6 T/5 1 4c5 6 4c5 6 T/5
8 T/- 7 4c- 8 4c- 8 T/-
Note: The standard connector view shown is colorcoded for a straight thru
cable

!ategory " wiring standards:
EIATIA 5!"A5!"# and AT$T %5"A define the wiring standards and allow for two
different wiring color codes&
Pin & Signal EIATIA 5!"A
AT$T %5"A' or EIATIA
5!"#
Ethernet
()#ASE-T
())#ASE-T
1 Trans%it5 3hite9:reen 3hite9Orange ;
7 Trans%it-
:reen93hite
or :reen
Orange93hite
or Orange
;
6 4ecei$e5 3hite9Orange 3hite9:reen ;
4 <9=
-lue93hite
or -lue
-lue93hite
or -lue
<ot used >
? <9= 3hite9-lue 3hite9-lue <ot used >
8 4ecei$e-
Orange93hite
or Orange
:reen93hite
or :reen
;
@ <9= 3hite9-rown 3hite9-rown <ot used >
8 <9=
-rown93hite
or -rown
-rown93hite
or -rown
<ot used >
Pairs %ay be solid colors and not ha$e the stri,e&
0ategory ? cable %ust use 0ategory ? rated connectors&
Only two ,airs of wires in the eight-,in 41-4? connector are used to carry .thernet
signals& -oth ()#ASE-T and ())#ASE-T use the sa%e ,ins, a crossover cable %ade
for one will also wor) with the other&
#Note: $ven though pins %,",&, and ' are not used, it is mandatory that they be
present in the cable.
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-oards