Networking (Termination of Ethernet Cables)

Termination of an ethernet cable also referred to as CAT5/CAT6 is an easy and crucial skill especially for people having a knack in the networking field. Learning how to terminate cables saves one the cost and dependency on others in cable termination. -Materials to use: • Wire Strippers – I recommend the IDEAL Telecomm/Datacom Wire Strippers • Wire Cutters (Side Cutters will work) • RJ45 Crimping Tool • 2 - RJ45 Modular Data Plug (Ends) • Bulk CAT6 Network Cable -Measuring the cable to use: Using the coil of wire, pull the necessary amount of wire for the connection you need to make. Be sure to include an extra 2 inches on either end of the wire for the data plug. Network cables have a maximum length, depending on which type is being used. Although maximum length varies by manufacturer, a common rule of thumb is 650 feet for a CAT6 cable and 250 feet for a CAT5e cable. If the length of the wire between two powered network devices exceeds this length, signal degradation and data loss may occur. Do your best to run the wire along the path it will follow between the two devices. Do not pull the cable tight between two points and be sure the cable is not kinked or tightly pulled around corners. The cable should have a little wiggle room. If the location of the wire allows, consider including an extra length in the cable. This prevents having to make another cable if one device needs to move a short distance after the cable is made. One way of adding a short length to the cable is to wrap it around a closed fist 2 or 3 times. -Strip the Cable Measure out 1.5 inches from one end of the wire and place the wire in the wire strippers at that location. The cable should be snug in the strippers, but not tight. For the recommended strippers, the second notch inward is appropriate. Prepare the Wires Separate the wires of the twisted pairs. When the wires are separated, they should not cross over each other. Assemble the wires into a fan shape and organize for the data plug. There are two common ways to organize the wires for the data plug. Regardless of which one you use, both ends of the cable MUST use the same configuration otherwise the cable will not work. I use the following configuration moving left to right (Clockwise from the 9 o'clock position) • Orange-White • Orange • Green-White • Blue • Blue-White • Green • Brown-White • Brown Straighten the wires. The wires do not have to be even, just straighten them as best you can. Using the wire cutters, trim the tips of the wires so all of the wires are even. Make sure the cut is perpendicular to the wires. Insert Wires and Crimp Ensure the wires are still in the same configuration as the last step. Insert the wires in data plug. The tab on the data plug should be on the bottom of the plug and the Orange-White wire should be the leftmost wire in the plug. When inserted, the sheathing should be just inside the end of the data plug. If the wires are too long, remove the data plug, cut a very small length of wire from the end, and reinsert the cable into the data plug. -Terminate the other end of the Cable After finishing terminating the one end, proceed to the other end and apply the same procedure. Wiring up the Ethernet Socket It is always like wiring up an Ethernet cable. The order of wiring up is the same, though it depends on the socket. Wiring up a socket is dependent on the configurations of either the cat5 or cat6. We then choose either to use type A or type B, both accommodating eight cables but in different orders. Upon the decision of which order to use, then that same order is the one you use on the cable and the socket and to make the work even easier, the sockets have markers with pin number and so you just follow the order in your chosen layout.