Crimp Connectors on Monoprice Cat5 Cable

[TheBanker]

I am thinking about cutting all my cat5 cables that I bought from Monoprice to the exact length needed and to crimp on a connector.  Besides the typical difficulty in crimping that connector, does anyone see a problem with this?  Will the type of cable be okay?  Will the connectors fit? And so on............

[njKeever]

Yep, that'll work. I buy CAT5 1000' at a time and just make whatever size cables I need. Just cut your cord to length, slide on a boot and end, and crimp away! Just make sure you get the wires in the correct order according to the other end.

[kgustafson]

I am thinking about cutting all my cat5 cables that I bought from Monoprice to the exact length needed and to crimp on a connector.  Besides the typical difficulty in crimping that connector, does anyone see a problem with this?  Will the type of cable be okay?  Will the connectors fit? And so on............

No issues with doing this at all.  The key is have a RJ45 tester available so you can test each crimp of your RJ-45 cable.  As far as difficulty in crimping, shouldn't be that difficult with a decent crimper.  The hardest part is remembering your standard colors and making sure you are consistent with them on both ends of the cable (that is why I recommend the RJ45 tester).

As far as cable, Go no worse than cat5.  Avoid solid core (go stranded) as it does not like to be handled and tends to break when used for something other than going into a wall or a data center. 
Any connector will do and you can get them relatively cheaply at any electronic store or online store.  Make sure they are RJ-45 jacks and check to see they are compression crimp types (there are others types of crimping out there that you do not want to mess with.)

There is a slight art to crimping these cables, for example, make sure you do not strip the plenum too long as it will not provide any strain relief to your 4 pair wire.  The strain relief comes from the crimp where the crimp actually grabs the gray/black/white sheath around the wires so that when you plug it in, the strain is on the outside sheath and not the 4 pairs of wire.  Another is to make sure you have straight cut across the 8 wires so that they lay flush against the top of the jack (you should be able to look at the jack--assuming it is opaque-- and see the shiny copper dots on the end of the individual cables.  This means they are far enough inserted into the jack so that the vampire tap will get a good bind on the copper.)   Again, double check you color order and make sure the wires did not twist while you were inserting them into the jack.  They tend to do this and can make for a bad crimp.

Good luck!

Kurt

[chrisatpsu]

make sure you get crimp ends for stranded cable. they are a little different than normal crimp ends

also, if they're going to be outside, i'd inject some silicone, or rtv sealant into the cavity after the wire gets crimped, to help repel water.

[TheBanker]

ok, cool.  I watched a youtube video that was pretty good.  I am thinking that the Monoprice cables are stranded?  The premade cables.

[chrisatpsu]

ok, cool.  I watched a youtube video that was pretty good.  I am thinking that the Monoprice cables are stranded?  The premade cables.

almost all of patch cables are stranded.  I'm almost certain monoprice's would be stranded.
the only places i think you might get solid, would be, ebay, aliexpress, or some person that just bought a roll of cable, and decided to make patch cables.

[tbone321]

As Chris said, most "patch" cables are stranded so that they can better deal with moving around.  Unless you really need to do this, I would recomend NOT cutting them.  The crimp on connectors are not in any way water resistant unlike the factory connectors.  This is not much of an issue inside but it really can be where we are using them.  As it is often said, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". 

[Gary]

Whatever you do, make sure that you get the CAT6 plugs with the 2-piece design. It makes it FAR easier to get the stripped wires in the right order and length.

I used to HATE making network cables. Now, I can tolerate it.

Here's a sample on Ebay. There used to be a retailer with an animated GIF explaining it better, but you sort of get the idea:
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[TheBanker]

I have never seen the two piece cat 6 connectors.  T-Bone I have a small yard so all cables are run into the garge where the equipment is mounted on the wall.  So the connectors are inside.  I am trying to get rid of all the extra cable and I can use the cut off piece to make another cable.

[bajadahl]

Will,

I've got tons of extra cat 5, and a tester if you'd like some help getting this done..

Alan

[TheBanker]

Thanks Alan, I'll let you know.  I also have a box of cat 5 but still need to pick up connectors and a crimp tool.  I could use that tester, and more cable possibly.


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[bajadahl]

Sorry should have said, I have a crimper also.  I probably have 25 or so RJ45 connectors currently which are really the only thing I am running low on.  of course if you want to buy a crimper...by all means. Just thought I could help ya knock it out.

[dmaccole]

As Chris said, most "patch" cables are stranded so that they can better deal with moving around.  Unless you really need to do this, I would recomend NOT cutting them.  The crimp on connectors are not in any way water resistant unlike the factory connectors.  This is not much of an issue inside but it really can be where we are using them.  As it is often said, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

+1

\dmc

[shaunkad]

Whatever you do, make sure that you get the CAT6 plugs with the 2-piece design. It makes it FAR easier to get the stripped wires in the right order and length.
Here's a sample on Ebay. There used to be a retailer with an animated GIF explaining it better, but you sort of get the idea:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

I thought that CAT5 and CAT6 used the same connectors RJ45 the differance is in the cable

[dearvbguru]

 For my trees like where I have 15 strands together, I can put the hub at the base and use pre-made patch cables.

But for the hub to hub and longer runs I use color coded bulk stranded wire with color coded boots.  I do this so I know at a glance if a wire on the ground is a hub to string, hub to hub or hub to dongle, LOR network, DMX network, or an LOR to DMX (pixelent) conversion cable.  But, I have a local supplier that I can get 1000 feet of stranded CAT 5e wire and boots in a variety of colors so I dont have to pay for any shipping costs.

One of the things I have found to make my life easier is these things called EZ-RJ45.  Its a CAT6 compliant jack that allows you to easily insert the wires into the right positions and always have the absolute bare minimum of untwisted wire.  It allows you to strip off as much jacket as you need and untwist the wires and then straighten and feed through the holes in the end of the plug.  Once all the wires are through you pull them all and slide the plug all the way down to and over the new start of the jacket.  Then you use their crimping tool that has a special blade that cuts off any excess flush at the same time you crimp.  You end up with just the minimum amount of untwisted wire, you get them in the correct order the first time because you can insert one wire at a time and you ensure that the jacket get crimped with the strain relief.

I can then slide the boot back down over the connector.  Just before the boot goes over the jack you can inject a little silicone and then slide it over the rest the way.  This will squeeze the silicone into the tail of the jack.  A little Corrosion X over the end and the jack it plugs into and I am good to go.

For me I never have enough time and with a normal jack trying to get them straight in the right order and stay in the right order as they go in the jack is an issue with stranded wire.  Solid wire will retain its shape and position making it easier but I still have to look carefully inside the plug to make sure any wires did not swap positions as it was inserted before you crimp it.