Making cat 5 cables

[Pocster]

Hey all 

 

so ! I need to wire my house for cat 5

rather than buy pre made cables of undoubtedly the wrong length - how do I make my own ?

its not like the old push wire in between 2 bits of metal like old phone wiring it it ? ( hated that )

so a good quick reliable method to stick rj45 plugs on the end of everything. What’s the current method ???

 

cheers 

Edited October 29, 2017 by pocster

[Jeremy Harris]

To wire the house you fit Cat 5e/Cat 6 sockets in the walls wherever you think you may need an Ethernet connection in future, plus a few extras for good measure (as it's relatively cheap).  The cable has to be solid copper core Cat 5e or Cat 6, avoid the copper coated stuff as it's a pain, and doesn't save anything worthwhile.  All the cables need to be led back to wherever you are going to fit your main router/switch.

 

To terminate the individual wires to the sockets, use a punch-down tool.  Not expensive and pretty quick and easy to do, as you don't need to strip the wires, the terminals are all IDC.  There are some videos around showing how to do this, like this one:

 

 

[Pocster]

Thanks js that’s really helpful 

but I’ve got around 30 cables coming back to a bridge . Surely I don’t do 30 face plates ? . What’s the solution for lots of cat 5 ?

 

cheers 

Edited October 29, 2017 by pocster

[dogman]

You need a patch panel at the hub end. All the cables terminate in the panel.They are normally punch down as JSH pointed out. You use pre-made patch cables to link each port  to your switch

[Guest Alphonsox]

We used something like this

https://www.comms-express.com/products/ce-24-port-cat6-patch-panel-1u-rj45-utp/

[Pocster]

Oh no ! Punch down tool !

though the professional one looked good unlike the crappy plastic push things ....

[Jeremy Harris]

Just now, pocster said:

Oh no ! Punch down tool !

though the professional one looked good unlike the crappy plastic push things ....

 

Dead easy to use, and not very expensive.  I have this one:  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Network-BT-Telephone-Socket-Insertion-Multi-Punch-Down-IDC-Faceplate-Krone-Tool/251360544028?hash=item3a8641851c:g:AJYAAOSw0e9U1IDh which has been fine for wiring up all the sockets in our house. 

 

When you get into it, there's more work in fixing all the back boxes than there is in terminating the cables.  I also agree with the comments above about fitting a patch panel at the router/switch end, it makes life a lot easier.

 

Final tip, as you run each cable, label where it runs to (room, position or whatever) at the patch panel end.  I didn't, as cabling up all the network stuff was  last-minute decision, and I ended up making up a pair of widgets to enable me to trace which cable went where, and then labelled the patch panel.

 

Worth thinking about things like network printers (I have runs across the same room, from one side to the other, just to give me locations for printers).  Also, have a think about network CCTV, and if you think you might want it, run some external Ethernet cables for them, ideally with PoE capability, so they can be powered over the same cable.  This is another thing I regretted not doing - WiFi cameras don't work well through thick walls.

[Pocster]

17 minutes ago, Alphonsox said:

We used something like this

https://www.comms-express.com/products/ce-24-port-cat6-patch-panel-1u-rj45-utp/

How do the cat 5/6 connect to the patch box ??

[Jeremy Harris]

Just now, pocster said:

How do the cat 5/6 connect to the patch box ??

 The same way as they connect to the wall sockets, usually.

[ProDave]

You can terminate directly into RJ45 plugs if you prefer to avoid sockets and a patch panel. Somewhat more fiddly but doable.

 

https://www.cableorganizer.com/learning-center/how-to/how-to-terminate-RJ45.htm

[Pocster]

11 minutes ago, ProDave said:

You can terminate directly into RJ45 plugs if you prefer to avoid sockets and a patch panel. Somewhat more fiddly but doable.

 

https://www.cableorganizer.com/learning-center/how-to/how-to-terminate-RJ45.htm

Thanks pro Dave 

both options sound like work ?

[Jeremy Harris]

20 minutes ago, pocster said:

Thanks pro Dave 

both options sound like work ?

 

My experience is that terminating sockets is dead easy.  Terminating plugs needs a lot more work, and ready made patch leads are dirt cheap, so it's only worth making custom plug-terminated leads when you really have to.  I've made a few custom patch leads where I've had no choice,, like the PoE injection lead for our modem,  but would rather just buy them as needed.

 

So, my advice is to terminate all your fixed wiring at fixed sockets, be they on the walls in rooms, or on a patch panel, and then just buy a few patch leads.  There might be a very small cost penalty in buying patch leads, but offset against the added cost of a plug crimp tool, plus the time it takes to make patch leads, it's really not worth the hassle.

Edited October 29, 2017 by JSHarris

[PeterW]

I can wire a 24 port IDC rail with cable management and everything labelled in less than an hour - very therapeutic and easy to do. 

 

Metal krone tool is your friend, and a cable cutter to take the last 25mm of sheathing off. Split the wires, lay them in the clips and punch down. Small cable tie as strain relief and then on to the next one. 

 

Then buy some cheap patch cables from Amazon at about 30cm long and you can connect whatever you need. 

 

I’ve got a 24 port PoE switch, all patch panel, NAS,  Routers and UPS etc all going in a cabinet under the stairs. Most expensive bit was the cabinet as the rest is ex-company stuff ..!