Making Your Own CAT 5 Patch Cables
Making Your Own CAT 5 Patch Cables
Sometimes it can be quite handy to have a few extra CAT 5 patch cables around. This is especially true if you find yourself frequently rearranging components or with the need to hook up a new component. Pre-made bulk Ethernet cables can be expensive to buy, especially if you find yourself in frequent need of them. A more affordable option might be to make your own.
A common mistake that a lot of people make as they try to create CAT 5 patch cables of their own is attempting to use the wrong tools. For instance, some people try to use a crimping tool that's meant to be used for telephone modular connectors. This doesn't work well, because telephone connectors are sized differently from those on a CAT 5 wire.
Other people make the mistake of not buying enough wiring. Usually you can buy the wiring for CAT 5 patch cable in thousand-foot rolls. Even if you only need about 20 feet and 1000 feet seems excessive, just store the remainder in a safe place; your cable might go bad in the future, or you might find another use for it sometime. If nothing else, you could always pass on the extra to a friend.
Once you have the crimping tool and wiring, you'll also want to get a top-quality stripping tool. Don't make the mistake of trying to use something such as a pen knife for stripping the outer insulation from your patch cable. A stripping tool when used correctly, strips away the outside covering, and yet won't nick or cut the inside wires.
You also need to have an Ethernet cable tester on hand. This tester allows you to check your cable connections' integrity, before actually trying to use the cable with your computer or other equipment. It's common for people to struggle, attempting to determine what is wrong with their network connections, never knowing that the problem lies in a bad patch cord. This is something that would be caught with the cable tester.
Take a look inside the CAT 5 cable and you'll notice four pairs of small wires....actually two wires that have been twisted together. They are multi-colored: brown, white brown, white green, green, white blue, blue, orange, and white orange. Make sure you don't untwist the wires any more than you must. Just untwist them enough to expose sufficient wiring for attaching the connector. This is because each pair of wires has been specifically created and designed to work with each other, in order to decrease interference with the other sets of wires. Untwist the wires more than is needed, and your dampening effect will be lost. Consequently, the performance of the patch cable will deteriorate.
Also make sure that you handle your CAT 5 cable properly and carefully. Don't make the mistake, for instance, of stapling the cable to a baseboard or wall. This might crush or crimp the wires. Instead, use supplies specifically designed for holding cable in place.
One final precaution: Make sure you test your cable after your connectors are attached. You'll want to verify the integrity and quality of your connections prior to using the patch cord. If the tester shows that there's a problem, cut off the cable at one end and attach a brand new connector. Then test it once more. If your detector still shows a problem, flip the cable over and cut the other end, attaching a new connector there as well. Test it once more.
Once you get a green light from your tester, you can start making good use of your CAT 5 patch cables.
