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How to make or repair your own
network cables
You need a network
cable and you you need it to be a size between what your local store
has. Now you can have extra cable wrapped up behind your desk or you can
cut it to length. Network cables can also have the end break and then it
wont stay in the network port. Maybe you accidentally tripped on the
cable and pulled the end out of it. Whatever the reason you can make or
repair your cable and its easy.
Now there are two common types of cables in use today. The most common
is in the 10/100 version. This would be a Cat or Category 5 cable. There
is a newer, faster version as well 10/100/1000 cable. It is a Cat or
Category 6 or Gigabit cable. Gigabit will also work with a Cat 5 cable
but it will not perform as well as the finer tuned cat 6 cable.
First you will need some ends and a crimper. I have purchased a
fairly inexpensive kit that included a plastic crimping tool and several
ends including phone ends. I purchased mine at a local hardware store
(True Value) if you can believe that.
Cut the cable to length.
Cut back the outer shielding about a half inch or a little less.
You will find that the wires inside are wrapped in pairs and then the
twisted pairs are wrapped around each other in a twist as well. Unwrap
the twists of the pairs just a little and then untwist the pairs
themselves just a little.
(don't untwist very far if you can or signal quality could be
deminished)
You want to try to keep the pairs matched as well as you can. Here's why.
You want to line up the wires in a certain order now.
The wires are color coded. Normally a color, and then white wire with
that same color as a tracer. Sometimes its a color with a lighter
version of that color.
Cat 5 and cat 6 wires should be put in this order:
Orange and white Orange Green and white Blue Blue and white Green Brown and white Brown
If you need to create a cable to make 2 computers talk without using a
router, hub, or switch then you need to make what is referred to as a
crossover or patch cable. In order to do this you need to swap the
orange with the green wires at one end. This will change the transmit
and receive signals to match at both ends so both computers will talk.
Pinch the wires flat making sure the wires stay in order and put the
replacement end on the cable.
Look to make sure that the wires are still in order. See pic for correct
direction of end on cable.
Standard cable is A on both ends.
Crossover is A on one end. B on the other end.
Carefully slide the end in the crimper and make sure to put a little
forward pressure on the shielding.
Now crimp the end on. If done correctly there is a tab in the end that
should crimp down on the outer shielding.
If your working with both ends of the cable, do the same with the other
end.
Now plug it in and test your new connection.
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