Do you know that network cables, for which you pay hundreds of bucks, can be easily made at home?
Almost every IT technician knows how to make network cables. However, as a home user, you should also know how to save money, which you pay the professionals for this tiny job. Believe us, it’s absolutely easy and quick to make a cable if you have the right components.
So, let’s begin with the process.
Make network cables: What all you need
Bulk Ethernet cable:
Firstly, you will need an ethernet cable; depending on your network requirements, it can be Cat5, Cat6, Cat6a, or Cat7.
Ethernet cables are twisted pair cables with multiple wires (all individually insulated) twisted together. As a result of this twisting, you experience lesser interference and crosstalk from outer sources.
The Ethernet cable has eight wires (all in different colors). These eight wires from four pairs of two wires twisted together.
| Category | Maximum transfer speed | Maximum bandwidth | Shielding | Official standard |
| Cat1 | 1 Mb/s | 1 Megahertz | Unshielded | yes |
| Cat 2 | 4 Mb/s | 4 Megahertz | Unshielded | yes |
| Cat 3 | 10 Mb/s | 16 Megahertz | Unshielded | yes |
| Cat 4 | 26 Mb/s | 20 Megahertz | Unshielded | yes |
| Cat 5 | 100 Mb/s | 100 Megahertz | Unshielded | yes |
| Cat 5e | 1,000 Mb/s | 100 Megahertz | Unshielded and shielded | yes |
| Cat 6 | 1,000 Mb/s | 250 Megahertz | Unshielded and shielded | yes |
| Cat 6a | 10 Gb/s | 500 Megahertz | Unshielded and shielded | yes |
| Cat 7 | 10 Gb/s | 600 Megahertz | Shielded | No |
| Cat 8 | 40 Gb/s | 2 Gigahertz | Shielded | Yes |
RJ45 ethernet cable connectors:
Connectors are the modular plugs that you need to attach at the cable ends. The connectors that you need for Cat5e and Cat 6 cables are RJ45 connectors.
These connectors have 8 pins lying in a sequence. When looking at connectors from the top, the pin at the left is pin number 1.
The ethernet cables have two wiring standards, T568A and T568B, which differ in terms of pin configuration.
If you need to connect two dissimilar devices together, such as a PC to a switch, you will need a cable with similar standards at both ends. You can call such a cable a straight-through cable.
On the contrary, if you want to connect similar devices together, you need to take different standards at both cable ends. Such a cable is called a crossover cable.
Here are the tables describing the pin configuration with respect to the color wires in both standards.
T568A from left to right
| Pin number 1 | White/green |
| Pin number 2 | Green |
| Pin number 3 | White/orange |
| Pin number 4 | Blue |
| Pin number 5 | White/blue |
| Pin number 6 | Orange |
| Pin number 7 | White/brown |
| Pin number 8 | Brown |
T568B from left to right
| Pin number 1 | white/orange |
| Pin number 2 | orange |
| Pin number 3 | white/green |
| Pin number 4 | blue |
| Pin number 5 | white/blue |
| Pin number 6 | green |
| Pin number 7 | white/brown |
| Pin number 8 | brown |
Crimping tool:
You will need a crimping tool to crimp the connectors.
Wire cutter/scissors:
A wire cutter helps you cut the wire to the desired length.
Wire stripper:
With this, you can remove insulation safely without affecting the conductors.
Cable tester:
It’s not an essential tool, but if you have it, it’s good. This tool allows you to verify whether each wire connects properly and the cable functions effectively.
RJ45 crossover cable pin assignment in T568A and T568B connection type
Make network cables: Step-by-step guide.
Measure and cut the table:
Measure the length of the cable that you need. Add some more inches and make a neat cut with the help of scissors or wire cutters. The extra inches are important for the cable part to be stripped off and to avoid any potential mistakes.
Strip the insulation:
Now you have the desired length. Strip off an inch of the outer jacket from both ends to expose the conductors.
While stripping off, ensure you do not damage twisted wire pairs. After stripping off the jacket, you can clearly see the four twisted pairs we talked about earlier.
Untwist the wire pairs and arrange them:
Start untwisting the wire pairs and straightening all the wires as much as possible. While arranging wires, keep in mind the T568A and T568B wiring standards. As both standards give the same performance, it is better for you to maintain consistency in the cable standards.
Cut the wire into proper lengths:
After arranging all the wires in the correct order, hold them between your fingers and cut them about an inch from the cable end where they come from the cable jacket. This is done to make all the ends of the wires even.
Insert all the wires into the RJ45 connector:
Now, take all the wires and slide them into the connector while taking care of the wire order. Push them to the level that the cable jacket also enters slightly inside the connector.
Ensure that each wire goes into the individual groove of the connector. After inserting, check the color arrangement of the wires to be sure once again.
Crimp the connector:
This step involves crimping the connector. Insert the connector into the crimping slot of the crimping tool, ensuring that the connector seats completely into the tool.
Now, press the crimping tool Frimley. With this force, each connector pin will be forced to embed into its respective wire. The crimping force will also secure the sheath, ensuring a strong connection.
Add boots:
This is an optional step, but we recommend adding a boot (rubber sheath) to the RJ45 connector. The boot covers the connector to protect it and give it an appealing look.
However, if you need to add a boot to the connector, insert it into the cable before inserting wires into it. After crimping, you can pull the boot over onto the connector.
Test the cable:
Again, this is an optional step, but you should do it to ensure that you have made a functional cable. You need to do the test after the crimping cable ends. To test the cable, insert it into the tester. The lights will light up, but you need to make sure that all lights are in the right sequence.
An ethernet wire cable or yellow patch cord with a twisted pair
Conclusion:
We hope that the steps of making a network cable are clear to you and that you can build one whenever you need to. If you have any confusion and want more customized cable solutions, Cloom is here to help.
We are leading cable assemblies and wiring harness manufacturers, providing custom solutions for our clients.
