School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science (SETAS)

Information and Communication Technology (ICET)

CNET124
Network Technologies

Lab #1: Building a Network Cable

Version 1 January 2012

Lab Overview
In this lab you will build and test three common types of UTP network cables:
1. Straight through
2. Crossover
3. Rollover (console)
These cables will be used for subsequent labs in this course.

Pre-lab Preparation
Before starting this lab please read
ad it in its entirety and then review the following online resources.
resources
Read:

DUX Computer Digest http://duxcw.com/digest/Howto/network/cable/cable1.htm

p://duxcw.com/digest/Howto/network/cable/cable1.htm
(read the entire article)

Watch:

How to terminate Cat5e Cable - Heads, Keystones, Crossover, etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4B4Sep3Qpg&feature=related

Introduction
One of the more common tasks that a network technician/technologist may be involved with is the
running of a new network cable to a device or the repair of one that has been damaged. Although there
are a variety of different cable types and connectors, this task normally involves terminating unshielded
twisted pair (UTP) cable (Figure 1) at either an RJ45 plug (Figure 2) or a Keystone jack (Figure 3).

Figure 1: UTP Cable

Figure 2: RJ45 Plug

Figure 3: Keystone Jack

Properly terminated Keystone jacks (Figure 4) are used at patch panels and wall outlets (Figure 5) to
simplify the task of connecting network devices. UTP patch cables (Figure 6) are used to connect these
network devices to the jack.

Figure 4: Keystone jack with UTP

Figure 5: Wall Outlet

Figure 6: UTP patch cable

Network cables must be carefully constructed to allow reliable communication to occur between
devices. An improperly constructed cable can exhibit such things as impedance mismatch, high
attenuation and crosstalk, all of which can lead to a reduced data ca
carrying
rrying capacity. When new cabling
infrastructures are installed they are certified to conform to industry standards to ensure optimum
performance. This requires expensive cable certification equipment and knowledgeable operators.
Patch cables and cable repairs
airs such as re
re-terminations
terminations are very seldom subjected to the same scrutiny.
In these cases a simple continuity check and wire map to ensure that the correct connections have been
made suffices.
In order to understand why specific cable types are required it is important to learn a bit about Ethernet
interfaces. Two types of Ethernet interfaces exist MDI and MDIX. An MDI (medium dependent
interface) is a type of Ethernet interface that makes use of twisted pair cabling. It is the part of the
media attachment
ment unit (MAU) that provides the physical and electrical connection to the cable. In order
for communication to occur across an Ethernet link the transmit pins on one interface must be
connected to the receive pins on the other interface. To simplify thi
this,
s, a second type of interface was
developed which crossed the transmit and receive pins on the interface. This second type of interface is
known as an MDIX (medium dependent interface crossover) port. An MDI port can be connected to an
MDIX port using a straight-through
through Ethernet cable.
The standard type of interface found on a network device depends on its location within the network.
End devices such as PCs and printers normally connect to a hub or switch which in turn connects to a
router. To facilitate
ate this, hubs and switches have MDIX ports and hosts (eg: printers, servers and PCs)
along with the Ethernet interfaces found on routers are MDI interfaces. This allows the use of straightstraight
through cables in most areas of the network.

The following is a graphical representation of the pin-outs in a straight-through cable:

End 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

End 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

There are two standards in common use for the construction of a straight
straight-through
through cables -- T568A and
T568B (Figure 7, Table 1). The choice of standard is irre
irrelevant
levant and should be determined based on what
is in use at the organization. The only difference between the standards is which pairs of wires are used
to carry which signal. Both ends of a straight
straight-through
through cable must be wired to the same standard.

Figure 7: T568A and T568B Wiring schemes

If two devices with like interfaces are to be connected together it is necessary for a specialized cable to
be constructed that crosses the transmit and receive functionality. This cable is known as a crossover
cable.
le. The wiring configuration for a crossover cable is dependent upon the Ethernet standard that it
must support. Both the 10BASE-TT and 100BASE
100BASE-TX
TX standards use one pair of wires for transmitting in
each direction. To create a crossover cable for these stan
standards
dards it is merely a matter of crossing the
receive and transmit pairs of wires. This means that the wire pair connected to pins 1 and 2 on one end
must be connected to pins 3 and 6 on the other end of the cable. In 4 pair UTP this is accomplished by
cabling
ing one end according to the T568A standard and the other end using the T568B standard (Table 1).

The following is a graphical representation of the pin

pin-outs
outs in a crossover cable designed to work with
the10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX
TX Ethernet standards:
End 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

End 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

T568A (Connection 1)

T568B (Connection 2)

Pin

Signal

Pair

Colour

Signal

Pair

Colour

BI_DA+

green/white

BI_DB+

orange/white

BI_DA-

green

BI_DB-

orange

BI_DB+

BI_DA+

orange/white

green/white

blue

blue

blue/white

blue/white

orange

green

brown/white

brown/white

brown

brown

BI_DB-

BI_DA-

Table 1: 10BASE-T / 100BASE-TX

TX Crossover Cable

When the FastEthernet (100BASE-T4)

T4) and Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE
(1000BASE-T)
T) standards were developed all
four pairs of wires were used. To construct a crossover cable to work with these standards requires that
all four pairs of wires are crossed. Tables 2 and 3 show the pin configuration of a T568A and T568B
crossover cable constructed to work with a Gigabit Ethernet connection. Please note that a crossover
cable built to work on a Gigabit network will also work on slower networks and should now be used
whenever possible.

Connection 1
Pair

Connection 2

Pin

Signal

Colour

Signal

Pair

Colour

BI_DA+

BI_DA-

green/white

BI_DB+

orange/white

green

BI_DB-

orange

BI_DB+

orange/white

BI_DA+

green/white

BI_DC+

blue

BI_DD+

brown/white

BI_DC-

blue/white

BI_DD-

brown

BI_DB-

orange

BI_DA-

green

BI_DD+

brown/white

BI_DC+

blue

BI_DD-

brown

BI_DC-

blue/white

Table 2: Gigabit T568A Crossover Cable

Connection 1
Pair

Connection 2

Pin

Signal

Colour

Signal

Pair

Colour

BI_DA+

orange/white

BI_DB+

green/white

BI_DA-

orange

BI_DB-

green

BI_DB+

green/white

BI_DA+

orange/white

BI_DC+

blue

BI_DD+

brown/white

BI_DC-

blue/white

BI_DD-

brown

BI_DB-

green

BI_DA-

orange

BI_DD+

brown/white

BI_DC+

blue

BI_DD-

brown

BI_DC-

blue/white

Table 3: Gigabit T568B Crossover Cable

To simplify the task of connecting network devices HP developed the auto-MDIX interface. This type of
interface can determine what type of cable is connected and configure itself accordingly. Although this
type of interface is now extremely common on switches and end devices it is still a good idea to use the
correct type of cable when interconnecting network devices to eliminate any uncertainty in interface
type or functionality.
A third type of cable is known as a rollover or console cable. This cable is used to connect the serial port
of a computer to the console port of a network device such as a switch or router. Please note that this is
a serial connection and not an Ethernet connection. To construct a rollover (console) cable one end is
wired to either the T568A or T568B standard and then the other end is reversed so that pin1 on one end
of the cable connects to pin 8 on the other, 2 to 7, 3 to 6, etc.. The easiest way to accomplish this is to
flip the second connector before crimping.

The following is a graphical representation of the pin-outs used in a rollover cable:

End 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

End 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

General rule of thumb for selection of cable type

1. For connecting two similar devices, use a crossover cable
2. For connecting two dissimilar devices, use a straight-through cable

Test Your Understanding:

What type of cable should be used to connect each of the following pairs of network devices assuming that
the auto-MDIX capability is not available?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

desktop computer to a switch

desktop computer to laptop computer
desktop computer to switch console port
desktop computer to a router
printer to a switch
router to another router
switch to a hub

Procedure: How to Terminate a UTP Network Cable with an R45 Connector

Please note that the same procedure is used for the construction of all three types of cables. The only
difference is the order in which the wires are crimped into the connector. Use the following procedure
to create the following three cables:
1. Straight-through
2. Gigabit crossover
3. Rollover (console)
Your instructor will specify the length of cable you should make and which standard should be used.
Step 1: Measure out the correct amount of cable
Unshielded twisted pair cable is commonly sold in spools of 500 or 1000 feet. The first step is to unwind
the amount of cable that you require for the task at hand. You should unwind slightly more cable then
you require in case you have to re-terminate the cable.
Step 2: Remove the outer jacket of the cable
Use a knife or cable stripping tool to remove the outer jacket of the network cable. Be extremely careful
not to nick or cut the internal wires. If you damage the internal wires during this process cut off the
damaged part and start over. Remove about 1 (30 mm) of cable jacket to expose 8 wires twisted into
4 pairs. Each pair will have one wire of a certain colour and another wire that is white with a coloured
stripe that matches its partner. If the cable also contains a string, trim it back to the edge of the cable
jacket.
Step 3: Untwist and arrange wires
The twists in the wires are designed to minimize crosstalk in the cable. It is important not to untwist
more wire than necessary. As you untwist the wires, arrange them in order according to the standard
you are using (see tables above). Flatten them carefully between your thumb and forefinger.

Step 4: Trim wires

Once all of the wires have been arranged in order and flattened, trim them to about 1/2 (12.5 mm)
measured from the base of the jacket. It is important that all wires are the same length and the cut
edge is straight.

Step 5: Insert into Connector

Once the wires have been arranged, flattened and trimmed, it is time to insert them into the RJ45
connector. Slide the wires into the connector making sure that that the wires enter in the correct order.
Examine the connector carefully to ensure that each wire made it into the correct hole. The cable jacket
should enter the back
ack of the connector by about (6 mm).

Step 6: Crimp the connector

Place the wired connector into the crimping tool and firmly squeeze the handle. Some crimpers are
ratchet driven and will release once the connector is properly crimped. Some are not ratchet driven and
require the technician to determine when the connector is properly crimped. If the rear crimp does not
connect to the cable jacket then you have not trimmed the wires to the correct length. This is necessary
to provide strain relief for the cable.

Step 7: Repeat
Repeat the above steps on the other end of the cable.

Step 8:
Test the cable to ensure that you have end-to-end continuity and that the cable map shows that the
wires have been connected in the correct order. Your instructor will demonstrate the proper use of the
test meters available.