/ Blog / 0 views

How to make your own Ethernet cable

  What you’ll need:

  Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) patch cable

  Modular connector (8P8C plug, aka RJ45)

  Crimping tool

  Cable tester (optional, but recommended)

  There are four pairs of wires in an Ethernet cable, and an Ethernet connector (8P8C) has eight pin slots. Each pin is identified by a number, starting from left to right, with the clip facing away from you.

  8P8C connector pins

  The two standards for wiring Ethernet cables are T568A and T568B. T568B is the most common and is what we’ll be using for our straight Ethernet cable. The tables below show the proper orientation of the colored wires to the pins.

  T568A Standard

  Pin 1

  White/Green

  Pin 2

  Green

  Pin 3

  White/Orange

  Pin 4

  Blue

  Pin 5

  White/Blue

  Pin 6

  Orange

  Pin 7

  White/Brown

  Pin 8

  Brown

  T568B Standard

  Pin 1

  White/Orange

  Pin 2

  Orange

  Pin 3

  White/Green

  Pin 4

  Blue

  Pin 5

  White/Blue

  Pin 6

  Green

  Pin 7

  White/Brown

  Pin 8

  Brown

  Step 1: Strip the cable jacket about 1.5 inch down from the end.

  Strip the cable jacket

  Step 2: Spread the four pairs of twisted wire apart. For Cat 5e, you can use the pull string to strip the jacket farther down if you need to, then cut the pull string. Cat 6 cables have a spine that will also need to be cut.

  4 twisted pair wires

  Step 3: Untwist the wire pairs and neatly align them in the T568B orientation. Be sure not to untwist them any farther down the cable than where the jacket begins; we want to leave as much of the cable twisted as possible.

  T586B aligned

  Step 4: Cut the wires as straight as possible, about 0.5 inch above the end of the jacket.

  Step 5: Carefully insert the wires all the way into the modular connector, making sure that each wire passes through the appropriate guides inside the connector.

  Insert wires

  Step 6: Push the connector inside the crimping tool and squeeze the crimper all the way down.

  Crimp connector

  Step 7: Repeat steps 1-6 for the other end of the cable.

  Step 8: To make sure you’ve successfully terminated each end of the cable, use a cable tester to test each pin.

  Test cable termination

  When you’re all done, the connectors should look like this:

  Crimped connector

  That’s it. For crossover cables, simply make one end of the cable a T568A and the other end a T568B. Now you can make Ethernet cables of any length, fix broken connectors, or make yourself a crossover cable. Happy crimping!

What is IPTV? How does IPTV work?
What is IPTV? How does IPTV work?
The Ultimate Guide to Coaxial Cables: Everything You Need to Know
The Ultimate Guide to Coaxial Cables: Everything You Need to Know
Mastering SATA Cables: The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Connections
Mastering SATA Cables: The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Connections
The Ultimate Guide to Satellite Dish Installation: From Cables to Signal
The Ultimate Guide to Satellite Dish Installation: From Cables to Signal
Unlocking the Secrets of Cat8 Ethernet Cables: Speed, Performance, and Applications Revealed
Unlocking the Secrets of Cat8 Ethernet Cables: Speed, Performance, and Applications Revealed
How To Terminate The Coaxial Cable?
How To Terminate The Coaxial Cable?