I've got a Monoprice kit with a crimper and some other device -- have no idea what it is. Have a bunch of network cables run in my house, but they need connectors. Figured it would be cost effective to do them myself.
How hard is it to make your own Cat 6 cables?
- Thread starter chris
- Start date
It's really easy to do. I make up Cat 5 cables daily for sorting out connectivity problems in work (some a couple of metres and others 30+ metres).
If you were local I could send you packs of 50 RJ-45 connectors.
If you were local I could send you packs of 50 RJ-45 connectors.
Got a hundred of them in my new handy, dandy networking kit. I really need one for my TiVo. If I can get that working, I'll be thrilled.It's really easy to do. I make up Cat 5 cables daily for sorting out connectivity problems in work (some a couple of metres and others 30+ metres).
If you were local I could send you packs of 50 RJ-45 connectors.
I have a test meter that I find invaluable whenever I'm making up cat5 / 6 cables. Will show if any wires are mismatched etc...
I have no problem mailing it out to you if you want to use it. Makes the job so much easier. Save yourself the time & effort and feel free to use it.
Info linkhttp://www.idealindustries.com/prodDetail.do?prodId=33-856&div=2
Can someone tell me what the blue tool is for?
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10509&cs_id=1050905&p_id=7056&seq=1&format=1#largeimage
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=105&cp_id=10509&cs_id=1050905&p_id=7056&seq=1&format=1#largeimage
Punchdown tool. Pushing the wires into the RJ-45 connector & for terminating connections.
I have a bluetooth Cat5/6 tester. I only use it on cables that have already been run. They are handy. I mainly use my eyes, 9/10 times when a cable doesn't work it's because one of the cores hasn't been pushed down all the way and the pins haven't caught it.
That's an RJ-45 & RJ-11 crimping tool (I think that's got an RJ-11 port on it...)I thought this was the punchdown tool?
This is a punchdown tool: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_down_tool
Very true. I've been known to cross a wire every so often too & it would drive me nuts until I realized it. Lol
I don't make cables nearly as often as you do, I imagine, so my tester comes in handy for me.
I hate doing it, it's so boring after you've made maybe four or five jumper cables between network switches. It's when you accidentally make a cross-over cable without even thinking and then you're trying to work out why you can't get a connection!
Yeah, it's not the most exciting thing sitting there striping off ends, untwisting, line them up... Make sure you didn't cut one of the lone wires when you are striping off the outer sheath, etc..etc.. But it sure is cheaper if you can do it yourself!
Always tickled my how they sell drums in 305 metres? Why not 300?
You can buy the accessories really cheap, so if you want to do it you'll definitely save money.
You can buy the accessories really cheap, so if you want to do it you'll definitely save money.
Thanks for all the help with this stuff. I surprisingly was able to put ends on a number of cables, all of which worked. The cable guy didn't wire my TiVo, which means I needed a network connection to download the guide. After 20 minutes or so, I put ends on the Cat6 cable which I had run and I was in businesss.
When I made them, I stripped the cable and then straightened out all the wires. I then cut a straight line. Finally, I slowly inserted them as a group into the connector. When I felt they were in, I crimped the cable.
Is that typically the method? I wasn't sure if you were supposed to feed them into the connector all at once. When they worked, I was pleasantly surprised.
When I made them, I stripped the cable and then straightened out all the wires. I then cut a straight line. Finally, I slowly inserted them as a group into the connector. When I felt they were in, I crimped the cable.
Is that typically the method? I wasn't sure if you were supposed to feed them into the connector all at once. When they worked, I was pleasantly surprised.
Biggest hurdle is patience. It was a good 15, maybe even 20 minutes per connector. I suppose I'll get faster with each cable. I didn't mind taking the time, because I wanted it to work. I should say that my cables aren't great looking. There is too much wire between the connector and the shielding. These are in a basement and plugged into a TiVo, so I didn't care.
The Monoprice kit was $4o or so. I think the punchdown tool is only used with a keystone (wallplate).
If, for some reason, you start having issues with the cables, you should really try to get the shielding inside the connector just a tad bit. Helps protect the wiring. And I should have mentioned this earlier, but don't run the cable next to the electrical wiring! Big time interference, at least with Cat 5 it is. Maybe John can chime in on this to make sure.
Congrats on a job well done, once again.
Edit: yes the punch down tool is used for connecting to keystone jacks.
