#124

A quick video to show how to install a new RJ45 connector on a CAT5/CAT5e Ethernet or network cable to make a new patch cord or repair a broken connector. All it takes is a little patience and a few tools. It pays to have the right tools to install the connector and test the cable afterwards. The cost of the tools can often be recovered after making or repairing just a few cables.

[@PratikTrivedi]

This is how the 'how to' videos should be. simple, straight. to the point and clear. Great Video. Thank you for the help mate.

[@mikesb113]

My only complaint is that he didnt leave links to the tools he used 😅 ill just watch a few times and try to find out

[@captainkeyes9913]

thank you for making this pain free and simple to follow

[@sammypunsamie4346]

Very informative. Thanks for a great instructional video. Now I can fix my CAT5E cables for my IP cameras.

[@RonaldTrump-rx3qk]

Be aware that depending on the cable type, the conductors can be solid or multistrand. There are RJ45 plugs made specifically for each type of conductor and cannot be used interchangeably. There are also some manufacturers that make a plug that will work with either type of cable. Bottom line, make sure you get the right connector type for the cable type.

[@reyanshsingh8812]

Matt K- the 1st connection is Tx+, 2nd is Tx-, 3rd is Rx+ and 6th is Rx-, so we can connect any pin one to one (for straight cable) but the length of the cable will be limited as we can see that the Tx pairs are 1st & 2nd and the Rx pair is 3rd & 6th, so as the solid and strip are in twisted pair, so the 1st & 2nd should be of the same color (solid& strip), and 3rd & 6th should be of the same color for the cable to be used for longer distance

[@JacGoudsmit]

Interesting... My tool doesn't have the notch that you use to strip the outer insulation; instead I used the other cutting part (near the end of the tool which you don't use in the video). It has two blades that leave a gap when the tool is closed all the way, and there is a bracket that helps you make the wires the exact right length. I use that to cut the outer insulation and then I rearrange the wires. Making the wires the right length from the get-go makes it slightly more difficult to straighten them out (and usually this is harder on one end of the cable than on the other end, because of the way the wire pairs are twisted inside the cable), but that way you don't have the extra step of cutting the wires to size after straightening them out. By the way, the process for CAT6 is the same, but CAT6 has tighter twists and you should use CAT6 connectors (which are also slightly different: the wires are staggered inside) to keep your cable fully compliant. Also worth mentioning: In a 568B crossover cable, you wire up one end as shown in the video, but on the other end you put the Orange pair where the Green would normally go, and you put the Brown pair where the Blue would normally go, and vice versa. So the order on the other end becomes green/white, green, orange/white, brown, brown/white, orange, blue/white, blue. To verify your wiring, keep in mind that on the connector, white+color is always followed by color. That means the center pair is connected with the color to the left and white+color to the right unlike the other pairs. In my experience, the 568B wiring method is much more common than 568A. Anyway, excellent video as always! Keep up the good work!

[@w2aew]

Excellent comments, Jac - thumbs up! Personally, I like working with the longer wires to do the straightening and ordering - much easier for me to do that and then trim them to the right length afterwards. I do the same thing with home wiring - it's easier to stuff 6-8" long wires into a junction box rather than 3-4" long wires. Odd, but true.

[@steveplowman4005]

Thanks for a very concise and easy to follow video. Cheers

[@frac]

One thing to stress is the (hopefully obvious) fact that the bottom tab should be firmly crimped onto the gray insulation, not the wires. If you cut the wires to the correct length, either by experienced eye or using the gauge, plenty of gray insulation will slide inside the connector and get trapped when you crimp. Your video shows this very well at the very start and at @6:00 on the replacement. I can't tell you how many "professionals" have handed me cables with a good 1/2 inch too much gray insulation stripped off so it doesn't even enter the connector. I'm always tempted to give them 50 lashes with their own cable.

[@tomaszwota1465]

True, true.

[@saxjonz]

I tried several times, and maybe I'm half asleep now, but you made it look so easy. I got one in correctly then the cat 5 I could not, so I watched your video. It didn't help. Will try again tomorrow. But, have to say, this is definitely the best, most concise and clearly explained video I have seen in ages. Thank you for that.

[@KirkFord]

Thanks for the video, exactly what I was looking for, and from a fellow hammer no less.

[@zaavaack]

This was my first attempt at this and it definitely requires both practice and patience. At work, we have a number of RJ-45 cables that have turned up sans retaining tab and I wanted to be able to fix those, as well as one I got from an aquaintance with the same problem. Here is my question. Some RJ-45 cables come with a plus-sign cross sectioned plasitc separator in the middle of the cable, holding the four pairs of wires in a circle (more or less) and, even when you cut that off where the outside insulation is trimmed back to expose the wires, because they are coming out of the remaining cable "three dimensionally" - as opposed to flat as with the cable in the video - positioning them so they can go into the new connector is one helluva bitch. I openned the cable with an x-acto knife an inch or two back from my original stripping of the insultion, cut the separator off then taped the insulation back together (I had merely slit the insulation then peeled it down till I was done). After that, I was somewhat more able to positon the wires so they would go into the new connector. I just finished so I have not had a chance to test the cable yet but I thought it unlikely I was the only one to have this problem. Is there a better way to deal with this stupid plastic separator or (?) is my type of solution - or something close - the best way to do so?

[@w2aew]

The best way to deal with the separator is to pull on it to stretch it out and carefully trim it flush with the outer jacket, taking care not to damage/nick the wires. Once you cut it while being stretched, it will retreat back into the wire enough to make it easy to assemble the connector.

[@Dr-wheel-barrow-opperator]

Thank you for making this video.

[@michaeljohnston1334]

Thinks good video really helpful.

[@train4905]

Superb thankyou

[@iitamar11]

NICE, thank you!!

[@billmoran3812]

I've always used the "B" wiring standard and it works fine. Never made any sense why there are two versions.

[@ambersarrasin3676]

Bill Moral.

[@jesperbern9615]

Thanks a lot, cheers

[@josephpinter6433]

Thank you for this. :)

[@scottgriffin449]

Hi can you please tell me the name of the tool used to do the job?

[@UberAlphaSirus]

Maybe these take me an age to do as I don't use solid core for patch cables I could never get a good cable made with that. I think I'm gonna buy me a reel of solid core. I noticed your cable doesn't have the X section in the centre, can that type be used?

[@w2aew]

Yes, it is harder to do with the flexible stranded wire because they're tougher to keep in line. If I recall correctly, the X section is for cat6 cable. There might be a slightly different connector for that, to accommodate the extra material in the cable.

[@RachelMant]

***** Cat6 uses the exact same connector, it's just a fair bit more fiddly to do and you can't usually get any insulation or very little insulation from the outside inside the stress relief part of the connector. That's just due to the extra reinforcement section though.

[@markfefer8393]

Unless you are making a LOT of patch cables, with stranded it's probably better to buy ready made ones, they are very cheap after all and you can buy a selection of colors very cheaply whereas to get the same no of colors would be a huge investment if you were making your own. INCIDENTALLY I test my ready made patch cable too since I didn't make them, don't assume they are tested.

[@EdithHazel-g9o]

Lewis Susan Moore Kenneth Perez Daniel

[@choppergirl]

It's not about having the right tools, it's about having the right fucking end connectors as I found out the hard way. There are two different connectors types for two different cable types. One for solid wire and a totally different one for stranded. Guess what, you use the wrong one on the wrong type cable, you have a world of fucking problems later on. You use solid wire to go into static instalations like through walls, underground, anywhere where it won't be bent much. You use stranded wire to connect small devices, patch cables, run under carpet and matts, do temporary connections, etc... as it can take a lot of bending and twisting and not break. I hate networking so god damn much. It never works, you have 8 strands any one of them can break over a 100m run... plus the connections at the end that are flakey... etc. Wifi raido repeaters and Ethernet over Powerline are even worse. People overjam the wifi network all over with their encrypted connections and there is so much noise nobody can use any of them.

[@jack8129]

Easiest to understand video on this topic. Straightforward and no filler. Thanks!

[@sidkanderi7820]

Yea agree 100%

[@hodlxgang]

thank you, saved me prob $100. the cable i fixed was like 34ft. 😎

[@lauradryer1962]

Thanks for this video, it was a huge help!!

[@mranalogman3525]

You make it look so easy. Getting the wires flat and in order is the hardest part lol!

[@timc_in_tn]

I had installed video security cameras around my house and had ran a CAT 5E cable and wasn't able to connect the RJ45. Then I ran across your video and it was easy as pie to connect. Thank you for a clear video and understanding on how to connect these two parts. You saved me from the insane asylum.

[@lorenzoroberts5367]

the

[@stanadams4923]

Wow! What a perfectly presented video. A very precise and simple process to follow; pleasant voice and well spoken, excellent enunciation. Great work, w2aew !

[@wengster]

I gotta say this video is a godsend. I bought a new construction condo unit and apparently the network guys who installed the wiring cut corners and never placed RJ45 jacks on the ends of the wires, they were just a bunch of loose cut ends going to the network box in the closet. I watched this video and bought some tools and got the wires working perfectly. Thanks!!

[@general5104]

THANK YOU. The job I had before I retired, entailed tool and test equipment design. I built a test box for qualifying 50 wire flat computer belt cables. It would test all LED's, then test every wire for continuity, then unplug one end and turn around and plug in and test again. If any LED's lit up, it meant a short. The box was an aluminum box 4" x4"x4" cube. It got a lot of use.

[@Elk]

I did this before I saw this video. And the internet is usually 500/500 on wifi, but I get 94/94 with an ethernet cable. I did brown/brownstripe,green/greenstripe,orange/orangestripe,blue/bluestripe. Is that why? Does it even matter? Or is it something else

[@w2aew]

I could be, since it is possible that you signal is not using a proper twisted pair.

[@Elk]

Thanks! I will out try out the method in your video and post the results

[@bitcoinbunker]

Thanks for doing this sir, just what I needed 👌

[@gotminegettingyours]

I moved to the boonies, I thought this would be much more complicated - I thought I would have to strip the ends of the wires. Self-piercing R45 - what a great idea! There is no one in the area other than licensed electricians to do it. I can do this! Thank you.

[@atdog98]

2 tips from a first timer: 1) Pay attention to 4:48 mark in video and make sure you orient both ends the same before crimping. I had orange left the tab down for one end and orange left and tab up for one end...wasn't thinking and obviously that doesn't work. :-) 2) Realize the plug will NOT fit in your device before it is crimped...so check that its the right type but don't expect it to actually fully insert until the pins are pushed down during crimping. Thanks for the video, turns out its a great and pretty easy DIY project with a little knowledge.

[@gluperdade7442]

Thank you for posting this. Cable repaired. Now to remove my Dachshunds teeth so it doesn't happen again.

[@brindlek9530]

Lol!

[@loueckert4970]

LOL

[@HomesByGlen]

After many yrs. of crimping RJ45s, I still get them screwed up! Try crimping in an attic with not much light and temps close to 100 F for IP security cams...LOL

[@felixcat4346]

Here´s a tip I've never seen before. A standard telephone plug will fit in the rj45 jack. Thus except perhaps for cost there would be no need to use telephone cable though out your home installation. An addition bonus is alot of excess wire to use for poe or other uses including a more or less standard internet connection.

[@andersandroid6637]

Yep, thanks mate! I screwed up 3 contact before I wattched your video. Good deed!

[@mradaChris]

I think my home has cat5 cable but instead of ethernet they did phone connections. This should be easy to convert over right? How can one make sure that I don't have cat3 cable or cat5 cable aside from cutting it off at the connector?

[@andydent3728]

This is a wonderfully clear video BUT there's one big gotcha. I managed to confuse the green-striped white with the blue-striped white. That still had everything connected straight through so passed the cable tester. It showed the PoE as connected but on a 20m run, my IP camera wouldn't show. Eventually worked out what I had done. Pins 3 and 6 need to be the same twisted pair to prevent interference. Fault is entirely mine as it's shown very clearly in the video. I just wanted to point out if you have an apparently correct cable, double-check this as the only evidence of this mistake is your cable won't work, even though it seems electrically correct.

[@GrizOnTheTrail]

Thanks Alan! I have to replace an end today that the tab broke. de your friend in the Poconos!

[@santiagodraco]

Great video. Gave me the confidence I needed to make my own cable... which is great since I'm running out some PoE cameras. Thanks!

[@ka2cqj]

Alan, very good video and straight forward and simple. I think I'll make a mic cable extension as my first project. 73

[@w2aew]

Good luck Drew. It can be tougher to do with the flexible stranded wires. Sometimes some tape can help keep the wires aligned.

I enjoyed the instructor's clear voice and well paced instructions. Excellent video. Thanks

[@haseebahmed6278]

Thanks for a clear instructional video. I was struggling to do this before I saw your video. Kudos to you!

[@bandman1967]

Thanks for this informative video. I needed this.

[@matthewgreige7268]

Great video. Made it very simple and explained things in detail.

[@redcatimaging]

Nice done :-) , a LAN video was a surprise, I like it. I had to connect all the LAN sockets, connectors, extensions and server rack stuff together with a workmate when we build our new company building, because the electricians didn't. She was really a help. We had two different type sockets made of metal and plastic parts, where you have to connect each single wire manually (there is a special tool for, but we had it only one day on loan). We did like 50 sockets or so :-), took us days :-).

[@Sercil00]

Is the testing tool really necessary if you just need to do this once? I'm thinking that if I plug it in and I made a mistake, that will become immediately obvious once I try to connect to the internet, and the worst thing that might happen is that I'm getting useless signals. Sure, I won't know which cables were wrong, but since I can't swap individual cables once they're inside, I have to start all over anyway.

[@w2aew]

Sure - quick operational test is sufficient. If it works, it works...

[@milosvidic1375]

Thank you

[@mandavaler]

See getting them to go into position is what i cant get done they miss the hole and just bend all over the place

[@markfefer8393]

OH DEAR FORGOT THE STRAIN RELIEF BOOT........AGAIN Oh well I always keep a few retro-fit ones available, because I forget too. He is correct 1/2" about 1- 1.5 CM tip of conductors to cable jacket.

[@rogeronslow1498]

The RJ45 connector is a terrible design. If you are trying to untangle a bunch of cables and pull the RJ 45 cable backwards the plastic clip catches on something and breaks off.

[@NickDe39]

Going back to the late 80's each kid had their own computer and I had my LAN system for my business. Ran that cable through the cold air returns through my two story home, hundreds of feet of it. Would tuck it between the baseboard and the carpet. Cable company won't do this, drilling holes all over the place, and expensive. WiFi with a router is so much easier, pulled all that ethernet cable out except one short one between the modem and the router.

[@radioboyable]

Great video, I have decided to come over and watch your video, don't want to cause any friction but you don't get fair air time in other places. Just sayin Ats it.

[@radioboyable]

Op amps good for transmitter for c.w. right.

[@compu85]

After making thousands of these connections I've developed a nice technique, specifically getting the cable's outer insulation nice and tight on the locking barb. I'll have to make a video showing how I do it.

[@w2aew]

Great! Please share your video in a comment on this video when you upload it!

[@Roy_Tellason]

I think that it takes more than "a little" patience. :-) I have a tool for that, although yours is nicer, and some connectors, but it's always seemed to me to be too fiddly to get things exactly right in there and have it the way it should be when you're done. So I've purchased patch cables instead, usually with boots on them so I can avoid that broken tab issue for the most part. No problem on my part punching down in-the-wall CAT5 into keystone jacks, though, and I've done a fair bit of that with no issues whatsoever. One thing I did a little differently was not trim the wires but push them _through_ the connector and then after crimping trim them. At least that worked with the connectors I have on hand here...

[@reuvenaviton5688]

hey does anyone have good inexpensive connector cutter/ press, and cable tester pls, for cat 6, pls? not sure what too look for in amazon

[@w2aew]

Good and inexpensive don't always go together. If you need a *good* tool that will perform flawlessly over thousands of connections, then go with a name brand such as Klein (www.amazon.com/Ratcheting-Stripper-Klein-Tools-VDV226-107/dp/B00F6K5SY2/). If you just want a decent tool to do a reasonable job on a few dozen connections a year, then you can shop more on price - and check the reviews (especially the middle of the road and bad reviews) to see what users say.

[@RemyDMarquis]

in college they made me and my friends do entire labs cables for a networking class but now for some reason every time I make a cable it just doesn't work. I think the connectors I bought are the problem but still it's freaking annoying. I'm trying to run CAT6 cables around the house and connect them to a switch and each cable I test is faulty =_=" been looking around if I did something wrong but everything I did was completely correct and every video and tutorial out there is showig the same. Just sharing my thoughts :P Great tutorial by the way :D

[@kd1s]

You know I've never crimped ends on patch cable. They're pretty cheap to begin with. I have however punched down a ton of T-568B on patch panels. That's a different story altogether.

[@rebelrebel5545]

Can I connect a CAT 5 cable to a RJ45 connector and crimp without any tools i.e means by hands only?

[@w2aew]

In theory it would be possible to use a very thin blade screwdriver to engage each of the 8 insulation displacement contacts, but it would be difficult to get a consistent depth and contact.

[@tpobrienjr]

Thanks for the demo. I have to replace the RJ45 connector on an Icom hand microphone, so the colors and wire placement are different, but I kept the cutoff connector. My connector came with a boot, which I put on the cable before installing the connector. Thanks!

[@jimfinvegas]

why do the green have to be separatred by the blue? wouldn't the same thing be accomplished if each color and white were side by side on both ends??

[@w2aew]

+Jim Falcone I did a little research on this - it goes back to how the original RJ plugs were wired. The first pair used the center pins, and the next pair used the next set of pins on either side of the first pair. That's where the split came from. However, for the 8 pin connectors used for Ethernet, continuing this practice would have spread the wires too far apart to maintain good signal integrity. Thus, the last two pairs are wired on the adjacent pins on each edge of the connector.

[@MajorTendonitis]

Great illustration. I dislike music blaring,and I like commentary. Although I already know how to do it, I like the refresher course

[@KettlePitmasterBBQ]

Just wanted to say thank you very much for taking the time to put this vid together. Needed to run about 100 feet of Cat6 cable to an upstairs back bedroom and could not find a 100’ cable with the ends on them. Didn’t have a clue how to attach the ends but because your vid was so detailed it made it easy. - Thanks again.

[@crocellian2972]

Practice, practice, practice. Use some old Cat X wire and put on 10-20 ends and you will be doing it with a beer in one hand.

[@keystage3-5designtechnolog99]

Was concerned about trying this (after a colleague said it was difficult) but, followed your video and done it first time! Thank you very much.

[@eklok5000]

so in opposite to the cable, the rj-45 slot is always the same? How much does this "universal tool", that you use in the video to push those contacts in, cost?

[@batsandbells]

Thank you for this video. So easy to follow and understand. Took a few cables that had been damaged and was able to make them work again using this video. Again, thank you!

[@w2aew]

I'm happy to hear that this video helped you.

[@Ampecks016]

Very Helpful Tutorial. I can use things I've Learned here in my Computer Class. BTW I'm a Highschool Student. Thank You so Much for this Tutorial this is very Helpful.

[@KSMike1]

Can you recommend a specific crimp tool? This is the one crimp-related tool I don’t have in my arsenal.

[@Marantez2]

You must have the connectors in this particular order, if you use a different order, and even if they are the same at both ends, you get reduced speed, the reason for this is that the cable is twisted in a certain way.

[@MrMarcusIndia]

Thank you. Great, concise video. I've got terrible dexterity and hate doing jobs like this but I got through it successfully, quickly and with a minimum of swearing due to your excellent instructions.

[@fliprabbit]

Is there a way to finish the final step by pushing the connectors in and sealing in the cable without using that tool you used? Or is there no way out?

[@w2aew]

fliprabbit It's a bit like asking if you can use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail. Yes, you can, but it is difficult, and your results might not be very good.

[@fliprabbit]

***** ah that's tough , but i will probably find something similar to seal it around.. If not i guess i can get that tool. Thanks for the fast reply , appreciate it! :)

[@loueckert4970]

Thanksfor another great video, very helpful and clear, much appreciated. 73 de KT1R Lou in Maine

[@JonBoeckenstedt]

Thank you. I watched a few of these, and this was the only one that really helped. I appreciate your time spent teaching me.

[@dcw1467]

That was one of the BEST !!! how to videos ive seen A1 :-)

Many thanks for the video, I screwed up a few connectors before watching this video. I did your technique, worked flawlessly, many thanks for the instructional video!

[@agkinares]

Hello, just wanted to say thanks for this nice video and clear helpful instructions. Take care.

[@kenwright6647]

Explained perfectly, thank you!!

[@ellisc.foleyjr9778]

Nicely done! straight forward instructions. no babbling of useless info. good visual aids also Thanks for doing it and sharing

[@mariushmedias]

You should make a point about getting the proper connectors. For stranded wire cable, you want connector with straight blade contacts like you have there, for solid core wires you want connector that has each blade in a sort of reverse V catching the copper between the two peaks. Also a note, technically one should try to minimize the amount of untwisted cable so he/she should not unwind all pairs so much, the un winded distance should be less than 1cm if I remember correctly. The tool is also kind of bad, but it works. The problem is that the teeth are at a slight angle. This kind of tool puts more pressure on one side of the connector, potentially pressing the blades uneven or even stretching the plastic channels in which the copper blades are. There are tools that have teeth which press directly vertical, with even pressure on each blade, but they're slightly more expensive.

[@w2aew]

Great comments! Thanks.

[@scottboerstra5776]

Great Job.. It answered the questions I had. Now I have a working patch cable.

[@dimitrikoechlin9796]

très bien expliqué même pour des ignorants de français

[@FZeffarelli]

Super video - clear explanations, logical sequence, good camera work. Thank you very much

[@jimtNCUSA]

Awesome video. What's that stripping tool you're using?

[@sidconnor8040]

Nice crimping tool. Where can I get one exactly like this one?

[@w2aew]

I got it many years ago on Amazon I think - there are a LOT of choice, most of which would work very well.

[@metallitech]

The cable I bought is full of grease, haha.

[@loueckert4970]

Great video--thanks! Your videos are excellent in clarity and content. 73 de KT1R

[@palwashaleghari7524]

amazing video i just learn more than studying a book....thanks!!!!!!

[@GordonMarkWebber]

Thank you so much, I have a cable that is run behind walls so it was impossible to remove and replace. I thought I was a dummy in relation to DIY stuff but your video is just simply simple and fantastic, thank you.

[@TheMissingtime]

Still wondering how you don't need to strip the inner wires like really

[@alanwolke6253]

The contacts are called “insulation displacement” contacts, which is a fancy way of saying that the contacts are designed to pierce, or cut through, the insulation of the wire and dig into the copper wire.

[@vipelectricianbrisbane4259]

You are really good at explaining the process without giving excessive info. Loved it.?

[@Butcher19]

Did this for the first time. Simple thanks to your tutorial. Works perfect.

[@vellaichamym]

Perfect explain with good example ... thank you teacher..

[@blackmd1]

I had almost given up hope of being able to do this until I saw this video. It has much more useful information than any other video I saw. Thanks a bunch!

[@ZiLoXCY]

Thank you sir. This helped me.

[@TheLazyGuyWay]

You always find the extra that the other video guy didn't show Good job

[@nuketownforgenz]

Videos like these made the internet what it is today thanks mate

[@wellingboroughnorthants2228]

Many thanks. Was a big help.

[@TravellerHD]

What type/brand of connector do you use? The ones in this video seem to have little channels/guides to help funnel the wires into the proper slots, but my connectors don't have those. Creating a cable is a nightmare without them.

[@w2aew]

Not sure of the brand - it was just a box I picked up at the local electronics shop or home center.