How to Make a Cat 5E Network Cable
Cat 5E is a type of network cable used for connecting computers to modems or other network equipment. Although it requires a small upfront investment, knowing how to make your own cable can save you money if you use a lot of it. Commercially available cables may also be too long or too short, whereas if you make your own you can match its length to your exact requirements.
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Things You'll Need
- Cat 5E cable roll
- Tape measure
- Wire cutters
- Wire stripper
- RJ-45 connectors
- RJ-45 crimping tool
- Cable tester
Instructions
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1
Measure the length of cable required with the tape measure, adding 6 inches to allow for any mistakes you might make, and cut it with the wire cutters.
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2
Remove a 1-inch section of the cable jacket, using the wire stripper to cut through it. Pull off the cut portion of the jacket.
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3
Separate the four twisted wire pairs, then untwist them and arrange them in the following order according to their color: white-orange, orange, white-green, blue, white-blue, green, white-brown, brown.
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4
Straighten and flatten the wires, being careful to keep them in order, and trim them to a half-inch length with the wire cutters.
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5
Hold the RJ-45 connector with the clip facing away from you and push it firmly onto the wires. Inspect the connector to ensure all the wires are pushing up against the end of it and are still in the correct order, with the white-orange wire as the leftmost and the brown wire as the rightmost.
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6
Insert the RJ-45 connector into the crimping tool and squeeze the handle of the crimping tool firmly. This will permanently attach the connector to the cable.
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7
Remove the connector from the crimping tool and inspect it. If the golden metal contacts are uneven or the wires are not in the correct order and pushing up against the end of the connector, cut the connector off the cable with the wire cutters and repeat the process. Once the first end of the cable is satisfactory, repeat the process for the other end.
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8
Insert both ends of the cable into the cable tester and turn it on to check that the cable is working correctly. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for the cable tester for more information on how to do this.
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Tips & Warnings
Inspect the cable before purchasing it to make sure the colors on the small wires are easy to tell apart.
When stripping the cable jacket, be careful not to nick any of the wires. Damage to the wires will make your cable work poorly or not at all.
References
- Photo Credit network cable image by Radoslav Lazarov from Fotolia.com
