any good guides on how to cut, strip, crimp and test DIY Ethernet cables?

[bustedknuckles@lemmy.world]

It's just a special type of connector plug that lets the wires slide through if you want to see the wires come out the front. I just used clear connectors to check the color ordering

[compactflax@discuss.tchncs.de]

Practice makes progress. Unless you’re doing a lot, just buy one made to your needs. It’ll be more reliable. I usually just spool mine up unless it’s egregiously long.

I’ve heard that the pass through terminations are suboptimal for PoE applications and outdoor use, but they’re certainly easier to use.

You really should buy outdoor cable if you’re using it outdoors, and don’t be an idiot like me and buy a spool of direct burial unshielded cable and then use it up towers. (So far so good, but it irks me that it’s the “wrong” cable and I worry about lightning).

You need to get the right connectors for the cable you’re using - cat6 connectors are not the same as cat5.

When you can’t get it to sync faster than 100mbps then it’s your bad termination.

[muttmutt@lemmy.world]

Crimping cables is pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

I don't use our advocate pass-through ends for 2 reasons. One is they cost more. Two they allow easier moisture ingress which can cause signal issues.

Use a tool to strip about 2 inches of the outer jacket away. Separate the conductors into individual wires and remove anything else, if the cable has a plastic separator pull it while holding the cable jacket, I usually try to pull out till it stretches to around 6 inches, then squeeze the jacket and clip it off as close to the wires as possible. When you release the pressure the plastic separator will pull back into the jacket. You may have to fold the wires out of the way.

Check the color code on the opposite end. It will be either TIA/EIA A or B

Untwist the pairs and then grab the jacket with one hand and the wires with the other using your thumb and the side of your index finger and pull the wires through while rocking your hand back a few inches. After a couple passes the wires will straighten out. Make your wires lay out according to the color code and given them another pull or two to get them straight. The whole time you should be keeping pressure on the jacket so the wires don't move or shift.

Make sure you have your crimper and end handy. Move your grip about an inch from the end of the jacket. Get everything laid out and adjusted. Grab the rj45 and set it at the end of the jacket where the end of the wires land is where you will want to cut the wires off. Once the wires are cut slip the connector on and check that a wire didn't shift. All the wires should press against the end of the connector on the issue. Once they are set and you are happy with the connection crimp the end on.

A couple tips.

You can compress or stretch the jacket, not the wires.

You truthfully want the jacket to slip into the base of the RJ45 so that when you crimp the little plastic clip bites on to it.

Pulling the wires to straighten them can be a pain, just work it. Sometimes a side to side movement while pulling can help.

If your finger starts to hurt you can try a pencil or a piece of plastic as a guard. After 10 or 15 ends it probably will be sore.

[akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone]

Thanks! This was really easy to understand! I'll give it a go sometime this week. 😊

[muttmutt@lemmy.world]

No problem. I've done a few hundred of them.

[kboos1@lemmy.world]

Pretty much everything you need

[cannedtuna@lemmy.world]

So, I did record something real quick before lunch, but now I got no clue where to upload it other than YouTube. Don’t really want to put myself out there like that lol. It’s just a quick recording and I’m not used to doing that kinda thing

[akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone]

No worries at all! 😊 I appreciate the intention!!!

[blaster_m@lemmy.world]

Passthru lets you push the wires all the way through the plug. With a compatible crimp tool, it will lock in the wires and trim off the excess in one go. This lets you push the jacket as far into the plug as possible, so it has a good, secure grip on the cable when crimped.

If you don't have a compatible tool, just a normal rj45 crimper, you can push the wires all the way through, cut the excess as far back as it allows, then carefully pullback until the wires are flush with the end and not sticking out - it's important they don't stick out or you could short things in some cases. You also have to be more careful to make sure the wires are correctly at the end of the plug and not too far in or out when you put it in the crimper - it will inevitably over or undershoot with a passthru if you don't have the right tool.

Some say the traditional rj45 is better, some say the passthru is better.

Also, never crimp with the other end plugged into anything.

[maskednybbles@piefed.social]

Since you've already received plenty of helpful advice, I'll just add that I find it helpful to untwist the pairs from the middle out, putting them into place, starting with blue and white/blue (I do not do this professionally, but have done this a little bit). Maybe someone else has a differing opinion.

EDIT: I should mention that I tend to arrange each pair roughly where they need to go before untwisting them.