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This how-to is for all
of you that enjoy the DIY thing or have more time than money. It is far easier to
buy a ready made cable but not near as fulfilling. Plus, there are those times when
you need a cable now and can't get a ready made quick enough.
You will need a length of network cable (UTP-Cat5), preferably a factory assembled straight through cable that comfortably reaches
each computer. Be careful and measure accurately you would hate to find out that
following the baseboard of the wall you end up two feet short. On the other hand you
don't want to use a fifty foot cable to connect two computers ten feet apart.
Ethernet does not like coiled up excess cable. Consider making the cable with
enough slack to allow servicing the computer without needing to unplug the cable.
The hardest part for most people
will most likely be finding the RJ45 cable connectors. Check with your local
computer stores that do network installations, most techs will give you a couple if you
ask. Otherwise you will have to buy a five or ten pack. Make sure you get at
least two, three is better. That way if you mess up you can just cut off the bad end
and try again. Cut off the RJ45 connector from one end of the cable and prepare the
end for the new RJ45 connector. I don't use measurements for stripping the cable
end, I start by stripping at least 1 inch of the main cable insulation and then carefully
trim the eight internal wires using the factory assembled end as a guide to the proper
length. Just make sure that each wire is equal length and that the connector cable
lock pinches the main cable insulation.
You don't need any fancy crimping
tools to make one cable, just one normal size screw driver and one small screwdriver with
a blade the same thickness' of the brass conductors in the RJ45 connector. You may
need a second pair of hands to help hold the cable and RJ45 connector while you or your
helper secures the connector cable lock. It's a little tricky to get all the wires
into the proper holes but with a little patience anyone can do it. When it comes
time to securing the connector cable lock use the normal size screwdriver that fits into
the connector cable lock slot. It doesn't take a lot of pressure to seat the cable lock
just tap lightly until the cable is secure.
Note: Make sure ALL wires are pushed completely
into the connector before seating the connector cable lock.
Once the connector cable lock is
secure it's time to move on to seating the brass wire conductors. This is probably
the most tricky part, each wire has a separate brass conductor that needs to be seated to
make contact with the wire. Once again you will want a second pair of hands to hold
the RJ45 connector while you or your partner carefully seats each of the brass conductors.
Lightly tap each conductor down with the small thin screwdriver to just below the
plastic ridge, use the factory assembled end of the cable as a guide for how deep to seat
the brass conductors.
Note: A pliers can be used to press down all the
brass conductors at one time to the plastic ridges, then use the small thin blade
screwdriver to finish seating to the proper recessed level.
That's it, if everything went well you now have an Ethernet
UTP Category 5 crossover cable.
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