When carrying out a local network in apartments and private houses, the problem of crimping the network cable often arises. Sometimes, even with all the necessary tools, this operation cannot be performed correctly. And all because RJ-45 has its own characteristics, which must be taken into account when carrying out such work.
And today we will look at how to properly crimp an Internet cable with our own hands. To do this, you will need to prepare certain tools and carefully read the instructions provided.
Features of network elements
Most often, RJ-45, which is used when connecting a computer to a local network, is called a twisted pair cable. This cable consists of 4 or 8 small wires, twisted together in pairs. Each of them has its own dense shell. Why exactly Everything is very simple - a similar structure of the cable allows you to reduce interference with the passage of electrical signals. By the way, if this is an Internet connection with a speed of up to 100 Mbit per second, it is enough to use only two twisted pairs, that is, four wires, to conduct electrical signals. However, to build faster gigabit networks, you have to use 4-pair cables. Experts say that the use of such conductors will become more common in the future. But so far, most homes with wired internet use RJ-45 with four wires.
Crimping methods
In total, there are two methods of crimping the network wire:
- Straight.
- Cross.
You can see the schemes for both in the photo below.
As we can see, with the straight version, both ends of the cable have the same arrangement of conductors in the connector. The crossover method involves crimping the pair on different sides of the cable. In this case, a different order of connecting the conductors is used.
What method should you use to connect your home network? Everything is very simple - the direct method is used in cases where one computer is connected to the Internet. The cross is used only when there is a need for each other. That is, having one laptop or PC at home, it is better to use a direct cable connection method.
How to crimp an internet cable at home? Cooking tools
In fact, you can cope with a twisted pair with your own hands, even if you do not have a lot of knowledge about local networks. As for the tools, they can be bought at any computer store in the city, and for a small price. So, what we need to purchase:
- 1.5-2 meters of RJ-45 cable.
- Special connectors.
- Caps.
- Scalpel or side cutters.
- LAN tester.
- Well, and most importantly - a tool that will allow you to crimp a twisted pair cable in a few seconds. It's called a crimper. It can be purchased at a price of 500 to 2 thousand rubles, depending on the modification, as well as the number of functions performed. With its help, we will be able to fix the connectors and crimp the cable. Outwardly, this device is a pliers-type mechanism.
How to crimp a 4-core internet cable? Getting Started
Having prepared all the necessary materials and tools, you can get to work. Before crimping the Internet cable, you must first remove the layer of external insulation from it. As for the length, to connect it is enough to remove 2.5-3 centimeters of wire insulation. You can remove the thick plastic shell either with a knife or with the crimper itself. Almost all crimping tools now have a blade for stripping excess insulation from twisted pair cables. After that, a thin nylon thread will be visible near the wires - it can be safely cut off.
By the way, when stripping the cable, the length of the untwisted twisted pair should not be higher than 1.25 centimeters. To make it more convenient, it is advisable to use special "pliers" that have knives with a limiter.
How to crimp internet cable now? We unravel two twisted pairs of conductors and align them for the following operations. After preparation, you can proceed to the crimping procedure. It is done strictly according to the scheme.
Please note that before crimping the twisted pair, it should be as flat as possible, and the wires should be parallel to each other. If necessary, you can shorten the conductor positioned in order by half. This is done with a blade on a crimper.
Working with a crimper
Next comes the most important part of the work. So, we put on the connector and carefully crimp it with a crimper. To do this, we insert the conductors into the RJ-45 network cable connector. It is important to remember that all colors must match each other, that is, white is connected strictly to white, blue to blue, and so on.
But one small point should be noted here. Before crimping the Internet cable, keep in mind that the network will work even if different shades of wires were connected to the connector. True, this applies only to a few types of elements. For example, instead of blue, you can connect white-blue, instead of orange - orange-blue, etc.
Also, make sure that the conductor fits exactly into the designated hole on the connector. Otherwise, the transfer of data, and, accordingly, the work of the Internet on the PC will be impossible. After making sure that the colors and the location of the conductors are correct, we take a crimper and crimp the network cable. This is done like this: the cable and connector are inserted into the device and the handles are compressed on the latter. Please note that this element has several holes for different types of wires (4P2C, RJ-12 and many others), namely three. Specifically for an RJ-45 cable, this hole is in the middle.
Checking the results of work
But on this the question of how to squeeze a 4-core with your own hands has not yet been fully resolved. Next, we have to check the correctness of the work done. This is not done "by typing", but with the help of a special device - a LAN tester. How to use this tool? First you need to insert the cable connectors into the tester. Then the device is connected to power supply. If the tester does not find any errors, all indicators on it will light up in turn, one after another. If you notice that the tool “missed” one of the conductors (one indicator did not light up), then there is a loose contact of the contacts in the socket. In this case, the network cable is re-crimped and tested again.
What if re-crimping does not solve the problem?
In this case, the problem may be hidden in the connector. It so happens that at the entrance, the conductors can twist in it, and then it is simply impossible to guarantee the tightness of the connection of the contacts. Try replacing the connector with a different one. In most cases, this helps when connecting a local network.
Conclusion
That's it, at this stage our cable is ready for use. Similar to the above case, we process the second end of the wire. After that, you can safely bring it to your computer. The main thing here is not to forget the order of connecting the conductors.
So, we figured out how to crimp an Internet cable with our own hands. As you can see, the whole procedure is very simple and straightforward, and it only takes a few minutes in time.
How to crimp a cable for a router connected with one connector to the PC, and the other to the LAN port? If you read this review, you will understand how simple it really is. According to the standard, there are two options for crimping the cable, but now only one (the simplest) is used. And for networks operating according to the "100Mbit / s" (100Base-T) standard, it is generally possible to crimp not 8 wires, but 4. Examples are presented in the pictures, and there should be no problems with understanding.
It has been said that there are two different standards, that is, two methods for crimping power cords. Now one of them is relevant, which is called "direct". A cable that meets this standard is called a "patch cord" (there is also a "crossover", but we are not considering this option). The name speaks for itself, straight is "simple" or "normal", where the right and left plugs are crimped in the same way:
Direct crimp, patch cord
Note that the color of the insulation does not matter - it is enough that the sequence on the first and second plug does not differ.
Typical mistakes made by installers
Let's see how a properly crimped LAN cable looks close up:
Pinout of the "patch cord" cable connector
Here, all the wires are divided into pairs (the first - the fourth), and the mating plug will look the same. What color will result in the wires of the first pair, the second, and so on - this does not matter if we are talking about a separate cable. The main thing is that all pairs on two plugs go in the same order. You can not change the sequence and within each of the pairs.
Any patch cord includes three parts: the power cord, the first and second plug. When buying plastic connectors, that is, RJ-45 plugs, choose a part with eight tracks (sometimes there are 6 tracks):
RJ-45 connector and "telephone"
The RJ-45 standard provides for the presence of eight wires and contacts, and 6 contacts contains another connector (telephone). Outwardly, these connectors are very similar.
Divide the number of wires in half
Everything discussed above is related to the "1 Gb / s" (1000Base-T) standard. If you need a 100 Mbps local area network, you can safely crimp 4 wires instead of eight. The first and second pair are used:
Pinout of the "100 Mbit / s" connector
Both plugs should look the same when viewed from below - as shown. Actually, we only excluded 4 "extra" conductors, but nothing changes more than the "1 Gbps" patch cord.
Live RJ-45 connector looks like this:
RJ-45 plug with contacts
If the connector is placed with the upper side towards you (and the lower side towards the table), and then the contacts are directed upwards, then the numbering of the wires will go from left to right. Summarizing all the information, we can say that the plugs of a 100 megabit patch cord should look like this:
See how simple it is?
Now let's talk about what is better to use as a cable. We forgot to say that, in fact, connectors are shielded and without a shield, so the first ones must be used in conjunction with a shielded cable:
RJ-45 + shield, no shield
The classification of twisted pairs looks like this:
- UTP-2 - 4 conductors twisted into 2 pairs
- UTP-4 - 8 conductors (4 pairs)
- FTP-4 - 8 conductors (4 pairs) + common foil shield
- STP-4 - 8 conductors (4 pairs, each in a separate screen).
Everything else is not suitable for our purposes, but if you nevertheless decide to use a shielded cord, take care of purchasing suitable plugs. The "shield" usually has to be soldered, and patch cords, even with an FTP cable, are rarely found in practice. Everything looks logical here: if the distance does not exceed twenty meters, you do not need any "screen" in principle.
We crimp the RJ-45 plug ourselves
The essence of the concept of "crimping" is very simple - we forcefully drive the insulated conductor into the connector, and then we clamp this conductor with the contact teeth:
How to crimp an RJ-45 connector
When preparing the cable, consider the following requirements:
- In the first step, the length of the conductors protruding from the general insulation should be 25-30 mm.
- Having placed all the wires on the same plane, they are shortened using side cutters (the length of the protruding part should be equal to 13-14 mm).
- The insulating tube must be placed under the flat clamp so that the protruding part of the wires does not need to be made too long.
We hope, following the advice given here, you will be able to compress the connector the first time. In fact, professionals use a special tool (crimper), but if it is not there, they get by with a knife and a screwdriver.
The most difficult part of the operation discussed here is to remove the outer insulating layer without touching the conductors themselves.
Interestingly, most of the so-called "crimpers" do not provide anything for working with external insulation. So, nobody canceled the requirement of "straightness of hands". Well, the "crimper" is needed so that after pressing the contacts, they remain at the same level. This requirement can be fulfilled using a flat screwdriver (especially if you need to crimp 4 conductors). The proof of this claim is presented in the video.
We considered Ethernet standards, which imply the use of 4 or 8 cores in the cable. There is another standard, referred to as 10Base-2, which deals with the connection of a coaxial cable with one center conductor. 10 Mbit / s is not enough, but you can screw a special connector onto the coaxial cable (or twist it) with the help of some pliers. Probably, nowadays few people remember about 10Base-2 Ethernet. Since all routers have RJ-45 sockets, it means that you have to keep up with the times and learn how to crimp an 8-wire patch cord. Happy routing!
Crimping all the veins with a screwdriver
Hello ladies and gentlemen. Glad to see you at site! This article will teach everyone to how to crimp a network cable... This skill can be needed anywhere and anytime, so I advise you to carefully refer to the material below, especially since the process itself is not complicated.
Crimping a network cable is nothing more than connecting the wires of a network cable to the pins of an RJ-45 connector in a specific sequence.
RJ-45 connectors (or, as they are affectionately called, "mushrooms" - in the first letters) are a very cheap thing, so buying them in any computer store will not be a problem (approximate price - 3-5 rubles)
To crimp 1 cable, you will need 2 "saffron milk caps", but this is ideally, sometimes a fastening stop or something else breaks off the connector, in this case it is better to stock up on an additional copy.
In addition to connectors for crimping the network cable, you need a special tool (press pliers):
(click to enlarge)
however, you can easily do without a thin flat screwdriver and a small hammer.
If you act carefully, then no one will notice any differences in crimping.
What the new RJ-45 connector looks like can be seen in the figure above (there are 2 of them next to each other), exactly the same we will use to crimp this network cable
I'll make a reservation right away that in the example, crimping is carried out using a simple screwdriver. If you later often have to work with network cables, then it is more expedient to buy special press tongs (or "crimping" in simple terms), their price can vary from 300 to 3,000 rubles.
So, we have decided on the available tools and consumables, it's time to choose the option network cable crimps... There may be several options, more precisely 3.
1) Computer<-->Hub / Switch
This option is suitable if the computer is connected to the network through the network card of your computer and the Hub / Switch. Consider the sequence of actions:
a) we cut the insulation of the network cable using a knife (special or ordinary kitchen). The ideal length of stripped wires should be 1.2-1.5 cm. Then this will allow the connector to stick to the insulation of the network cable, and not hang out on too long wires. Proceed very carefully, you cannot damage the internal wiring, it is better to take the cable for a break in the place of the intended cut of the insulation and lightly draw it with a knife at the bend. Next, we get rid of the insulation around the entire circumference of the cable in a similar way. You should end up with something like this:
b) untwist, align the internal wires, then "bite off" them so that they are all strictly the same length. Here such a problem may arise - by cutting off the ends, you can still get wiring of different lengths, so that this does not happen, first straighten the entire piece of network cable (about 30 centimeters from the beginning), only then align the internal wires. For clarity, again, the top figure will do.
c) we place the wires for crimping the cable. Difficulties may arise at this stage, since the wires are short and not always obedient. It will help to "warm up" the network cable, directly next to the protruding wires, that is, you can crumple the cable with your fingers, after which the wires can be positioned a little differently and in a more suitable way for you. But if the cable insulation is too stiff, then don't be afraid to intertwine the wires to arrange them in the correct sequence. The main thing for us is that they fall under the knives of the connector (metal clamps) in the right order.
Now we insert the wires into the connector channels in the strict order, which is shown below the figure.
(click to enlarge)
The serial numbers of the wire colors correspond to the channel numbers in the figure:
1 WHITE-ORANGE
2 ORANGE
3 WHITE-GREEN
4 BLUE
5 WHITE-BLUE
6 GREEN
7 WHITE-BROWN
8 BROWN
Let me remind you again - this is the order for creating a Computer - Hub connection. In this order, place the wires at both ends of the network cable.
2) Computer<-->Computer (crossover crimp)
This option involves connecting computers to a local network directly through the network card of one to the network card of the second. The word crossover implies a crossover sequence of wires at different ends of the cable. After reviewing the color order, I think the situation will clear up a little for you. This type of crimp has 2 variations:
2.1 Network speed up to 100 Mbps
First side of the cable:
1 WHITE-ORANGE
2 ORANGE
3 WHITE-GREEN
4 BLUE
5 WHITE-BLUE
6 GREEN
7 WHITE-BROWN
8 BROWN
Second side of the cable:
1 WHITE-GREEN
2 GREEN
3 WHITE-ORANGE
4 BLUE
5 WHITE-BLUE
6 ORANGE
7 WHITE-BROWN
8 BROWN
2.2 Network speed above 100 Mbps
First side:
1 WHITE-ORANGE
2 ORANGE
3 WHITE-GREEN
4 BLUE
5 WHITE-BLUE
6 GREEN
7 WHITE-BROWN
8 BROWN
Second side:
1 WHITE-GREEN
2 GREEN
3 WHITE-ORANGE
4 WHITE-BROWN
5 BROWN
6 ORANGE
7 BLUE
8 WHITE-BLUE
The options for crimping the network cable that I described have been personally tested and work perfectly. Note! If you used a flat-bladed screwdriver to "cut" the connector pins into the wires, be sure to attach the rj45 connector itself to the power cable. To do this, press in the clip, which is near the bottom of the connector, so that it snaps into place (it can take quite a lot of force). Be careful, otherwise you can damage the connector itself and the fastening stop located just opposite the cable clamp, if this happens, the network cable will fall out of the equipment connector.
As a result of our work, we will get such a perfectly working nice patch - a cord crimped for work "Computer<->Computer "or crossover - type. Although a patch cord is called a factory crimped cable, I still use this term, because the quality is no worse than the factory
Content:During the installation of low-current computer networks, a twisted pair crimping scheme of 8 wires is most often used. This operation is performed in accordance with the rules and may well be performed independently. The most important thing is to know the procedure and be able to use the crimper.
TIA / EIA-568 crimp standard
This type of crimping is used on a global scale when installing cable local area networks (LAN). This technique allows crimping eight-core wires in two main ways.
The first is straight, in which all the conductors at each end of the patch cord are in the same sequence. Both connectors are crimped in the same way. Cross-crimping of a twisted pair of 8 cores allows some of the wires to cross, therefore, the symmetry of the connectors is broken.
Crimping twisted pair of 8 cores in a direct way can be performed in two versions: type B (T586B) or type A (568A). They differ in the location of the green and orange conductors. Everything else, including the area of application, is the same for them. For those who first encountered crimping, it is recommended to study one method more carefully so that there is no confusion.
Preparing for crimping
Of the materials, first of all, you will need a piece of cable, the length of which is no more than 100 meters, as well as RJ45 connectors, at the rate of 2 pcs. one segment. It is necessary to prepare a crimper - crimping pliers, as well as a knife for stripping the insulation. In further work, you will need a cable tester. After preparing everything you need, you can start directly crimping the eight-core cable.
How to crimp a twisted pair cable 8 cores
Twisted pair crimping is carried out in a specific sequence. You need to step back about 3-5 cm from the end of the cable, then the outer insulation is cut in a circle with a knife. During the operation, damage to the conductors must not be allowed. The cut insulation must be removed from the cable, after which the wires are unwoven and distributed in the correct order according to the tables.
The released transactions are then cleared. It is necessary to retreat from the edge of the insulation by no more than 1.2-1.4 cm so that the wires are completely located inside the connector. Making them longer will affect the strength of the joint. All excess wires are cut off with a crimper. It is imperative that strict perpendicularity between the cut line and the cable axis must be observed, otherwise the shortest cores may not be crimped.
The prepared end of the cable is inserted all the way into the connector, with the contacts facing towards you. The first orange or green wire should be on top. After that, the cable is crimped. For this purpose, the connector fits into the crimper socket, marked as 8P. Then the crimper is compressed until it clicks. After that, the finished patch cord is checked for rupture by stretching the cable and connector in different directions.
The twisted pair crimping circuit for 8 wires, together with reliable crimping, allows you to withstand even significant loads. The second connector is connected in the same way, after which the patch cord is checked for suitability for further use.
This operation is carried out using a cable tester. Connectors are connected to it, after which the device must be turned on. It is necessary to observe the behavior of the indicators, which should glow symmetrically on both modules. An extinguished indicator means an open or weak compression of the core, and a red light indicates a short circuit or crossover of the wire.
Crimping a twisted pair cable 8 and 4 cores
According to the EIA / TIA-568 specification, there are several color schemes for crimping a twisted-pair network cable (patch cord) into an RJ-45 connector to connect a computer to a router, hub, switch, or connect two computers together.
The network plug is usually called RJ-45, although its correct name is 8P8C. And RJ (Registered Jack) is the name of the standard that describes the design of the plug-and-socket connection.
All the photos below show one stripped utp cable, intended for use in LAN (Local Area Network) and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) networks, with twisted pairs crimped at its ends into RJ-45 plugs.
Color scheme of crimping RJ-45 computer - hub for the Internet
option B, the most common option.
Color-coded crimp lan cable twisted pair according to option A.
As you can see in the photo, in both versions, the ends of the lan cable are crimped according to the same electrical scheme, only two twisted pairs are swapped in places. In place of the orange twisted pair, a green one is compressed, and in place of the green twisted pair - an orange one.
Twisted-pair utp cable, crimped as option A and option B interchangeable... So you can compress it according to any color scheme you like, it will not affect the performance of the lan network.
Color scheme for crimping RJ-45 two-pair twisted-pair cable
Currently, a twisted pair network cable has appeared on the market, in which instead of the traditional four there are only two twisted pairs. And this is economically justified, since 90% of cable lines for the Internet use only two twisted pairs.
As you can see, the electrical diagram for connecting the RJ-45 pins has not changed, only a blue one is crimped instead of a green pair.
Such a twisted pair cable according to option B is crimped according to the scheme shown above in the photo. When crimping in Option A, the pairs are simply swapped. Instead of an orange pair, a blue one is crimped, and instead of a blue one - an orange one.
RJ-45 crimp color scheme computer - computer
If you need to create a local lan network of two or more computers without using additional active equipment (hub, switch or router), for example, for collective games, then for this case the EIA / TIA specification provides for the following cutting of the twisted pair network cable. To create a network of two computers, it is enough to insert one such twisted pair cable into their network ports.
Please note that the opposite ends of the lan cable of twisted pairs computer-computer are crimped according to different color schemes.
Crimping RJ-45 twisted pairs is done with a tool called a crimping pliers. If there are no tongs at hand, then you can use the technology of crimping twisted pairs without tongs.
All of the above color schemes for the utp twisted-pair cable pinouts are currently losing their relevance. Modern network cards, switches, hubs and routers, thanks to the support of Auto-MDIX technology, automatically determine the option of crimping the twisted pair cable and perform internal adjustment. So a modern computer, when creating a network, can be connected even to a hub, or to another computer without thinking about the color scheme of the twisted pair cable pinout.
RJ-45 crimp color scheme
PoE IEEE 802.3af and IEEE 802.3at
The PoE IEEE 802.3af standard provides for the possibility of transmitting an information signal and supplying a supply voltage to the device via one twisted pair cable, crimped with an RJ-45 connector. This eliminates the need for an additional wire for supplying the supply voltage.
Regardless of the RJ-45 crimp options, from the positive terminal of the power supply, the voltage is simultaneously applied to pins 4 and 5 (blue pair), and negative to 7 and 8 (brown pair).
As a rule, the pinout of a twisted-pair cable according to the PoE IEEE 802.3af standard is used to create video surveillance systems that use a switch, for example, the ROKA R-KM-POE0801 9-port PoE switch, in which for each of the ports it is possible to feed through RJ-45 constant voltage 12 V with power up to 30 W.
Crimp color scheme RJ-45 4 wires for Internet
When connecting a computer to the Internet or creating a local network, rarely does anyone fully use the capabilities of a twisted-pair lan cable. This is usually due to a lack of information.
When transmitting a signal over twisted pairs of CAT5 cable (speed up to 100 Mbit / s), only two pairs of wires are involved out of the four available in the cable. One pair is for receiving a signal, the second for transmitting, which is clearly demonstrated by the given electrical diagram of connecting a computer network card with a twisted pair cable with an RJ-45 connector to a switch hub or router.
As you can see from the diagram, each of the two pairs of lan cable is connected to a computer and a switch hub or router according to a transformer symmetrical circuit. The advantage of the transformer circuit is in suppressing pickups and interference and providing a high degree of protection against short circuits and errors when installing twisted pairs in the cable.
If it becomes necessary to lay an additional line or if the pairs in the twisted-pair network cable are partially damaged, it is possible to double the number of lines without degrading the data transfer rate or to repair the twisted-pair cable by crimping the RJ-45 plugs into previously unused twisted pairs.
The following color schemes for crimping the RJ-45 twisted pair cable do not differ from the above, but they only show the lan conductors of the twisted pair cable, which are used to transfer information. Twisted pairs that do not fit close to the RJ45 plug are usually crimped, but they do not transmit a signal and can be used to transfer additional information.
Crimp color scheme RJ-45 4 wires computer - hub
Twisted pair crimping, option B. The signal is transmitted only on orange and green pairs.
Twisted pair crimping, option A. The signal is also transmitted only over green and orange pairs, but the twisted pairs are crimped in the RJ-45 plug to other contacts.
Crimp color scheme RJ-45 4 wires computer - computer
Compression of a twisted pair computer-computer. The signal is transmitted only on green and orange pairs.
Color scheme of crimping RJ-45 computer - hub during repair
What is the difference between a patch cord and twisted pair cable
A patch cord, or as it is also called a patch cord, is designed to interconnect electronic devices, for example, a computer with a hub, a switch, or two computers together in case the devices need to be moved relative to each other during operation.
For the manufacture of a patch cord, a twisted pair cable is taken, the cores of which are made of stranded wire so that they do not break with frequent bends. To crimp such a cable, special RJ-45 connectors are used. According to the ANSI EIA TIA 568B.1 standard, the patch cord length should not exceed five meters. Connecting devices using a patch cord is economically feasible if they often move relative to each other during operation.
