The steps below are a general guide to making a Category 5 Ethernet cable (also known as Cat 5). In our example, we will be making a Category 5 patch cord, but the same approach applies to any other category of network cables.
Steps
Step 1. Unwind the network cable to the required length, just in case with a small margin
If protective caps are planned on the cable, put them on before stripping the cable and make sure that the caps are oriented correctly.
Step 2. Carefully remove the outer jacket of the cable
Be careful not to cut or cut the inner wires when cutting the sheath. This can be achieved, for example, by cutting the casing lengthwise with scissors or a knife about 3 cm away from you. This will reduce the risk of cutting the wire insulation. Using a nylon thread, or in its absence, by the wires themselves, separate the sheath by holding it with one hand and pulling the thread or wires out of it with the other. Cut the separated sheath and shorten the wires to about 30 mm. There will be 8 conductors in front of you, woven into 4 pairs. Each pair consists of one colored wire and one white wire with a longitudinal stripe of the same color.
Step 3. Check the wires for cuts that expose copper strands
If you break the insulation of any wire, you need to cut that part of the cable completely and start from the first step. Bare copper contributes to hum, degraded transmission speed, or no connection at all. It is very important that the insulation of all network cables remains intact.
Step 4. Untwist the pairs and line up the wires between your fingers
Cut the white nylon thread and discard (see Warnings). To keep things simple, cut the wires to about 2 cm from the edge of the outer sheath.
Step 5. Lay out the wires according to the specification of your choice
There are two layout methods for T568A and T568B. The use of a particular layout is determined by what will connect the cable. A "straight" cable is used to connect devices of different levels (for example, a computer and a switch). Two identical devices require a crossover cable with one end crimped with 568A and the other with 568B. In our example, we are using the 568B layout, but it is not difficult to adapt this instruction to an alternate layout.
- 568B - Arrange 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
Step 6. You can use mnemonic 1236-3612 to remember which pairs should be swapped
Step 7. Clamp the wires with your index and thumb so that they are in the same plane
Check that the selected color sequence is preserved and that the wires are not tangled. Cut the wires up to 13 mm from the edge of the outer sheath; it should fit into the 8P8C connector by 6 mm, which means that only 13 mm is left in the connector for the wires. Leaving more than 13 mm of untwisted conductors runs the risk of degrading the quality of the cable. Make sure that after trimming, the edges of the wires are lined up and cut cleanly, otherwise there may be situations where either there will be no contact in the connector, or the wires will be messed up inside the connector during insertion.
Step 8. Maintain the order and flatness of the wires when you insert them into the RJ-45 connector with the flat side up
The orange-white wire should be on the left when looking at the connector from above. You can verify that all wires are in place by looking at the connector from the front. You should be able to see each wire as shown in the bottom right photo. It may take a little effort to get the wires securely in place. The outer sheath of the cable should also fit into the connector to a depth of about 6 mm, helping to securely fix the cable in the connector after crimping. The cable jacket can be stretched to the desired length. Check that the wires are not tangled when inserting into the connector and that they are correctly routed.
Step 9. Place the prepared connector into the crimping pliers
Squeeze the tool handles firmly. You should hear a crackling sound. When you have finished crimping the cable, the jaw handles will return to their original position. You can repeat the crimp for reliability.
Step 10. Repeat the previous steps with the other end of the cable
The choice of layout (568A or 568B) will depend on whether you are making a straight-through or crossover cable.
Step 11. Test the cable to make sure it works under real-world conditions
Incorrectly laid cables or poor connections can be a headache when handling them. In addition, with the increasingly marketable power-over-network (PoE) cabling, entangled cables can cause physical damage to computers or telephone equipment, making it even more critical to properly wire the wires. A simple cable tester can quickly provide information on the correct crimp. If you don't have a tester handy, just check the connection between the corresponding pins.
Advice
- It is good practice for long cables, especially those suspended or routed in tight spaces, to test the cable after crimping but before laying. This is especially necessary for those who are just starting to crimp their first cables, allowing you to make sure that the layout is correct now, instead of solving problems later.
- Always position the cable box so that the cable exits from the side of the box, not from the top. This will prevent the cable loops from becoming entangled inside the box, leading to tangles and entanglements.
- When making network patch cords from twisted pair, it must be remembered that the twist of each pair should remain intact for as long as possible up to the connector itself. The intertwining of pairs in a network cable is what ensures good communication and keeps crosstalk to a minimum. Do not unweave more pairs than necessary.
- CAT5 and CAT5e are very similar, but CAT5e provides better quality, especially over long stretches. If longer length is required, CAT5e is recommended. For short patch cords, CAT5 can be used.
Warnings
- RJ-45 is the common name for connectors used for CAT5. However, the correct name is 8P8C, RJ-45 is the name of a very similar externally connector used in telecommunications. Most people will understand the name RJ-45 as 8P8C, but be careful when ordering from catalogs or online if you cannot visually identify what you are ordering.
- If you do not need a lot of cable work, it can be less costly and labor intensive to buy ready-made cables.
- Category 5 cable (cat5) should not be longer than 100 meters.
- Pay attention to the shield that your cable may have. The most commonly used cable type is UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair), but shielded / foil options are also available to improve EMI shielding. Pay attention to what you are buying and what you really need. In most cases, an unshielded cable is sufficient.
- The nylon thread, if any, is usually quite strong, do not try to break it, it needs to be cut.
- Fire safety requires special wire coatings if cables are to be routed over false ceilings or inside a ventilation system. Typically, these cables are categorized as plenum or simply "plenum cables" and do not emit toxic gases when burned. These cables are the most expensive, about twice the price of conventional cables, so use them only where necessary. Riser cables are similar to plenum but are used for routing in walls or cable shafts that connect floors. A riser cannot be used instead of a plenum, so pay attention to where the cable route will go. When in doubt, use the plenum as it meets the most stringent security requirements.