DIY network cable, what tools?

[Flibb]

Just stroleld past a skip at work and found a load of network cable, its from the contractors who are re-wiring the buildings. I could do with nocking together quiet a few custom length cables, whats a good option on a crimper to get for occasional use? Also need some crimps, possibly boots, do I need anything else? Have looked on ebay and theres plenty in the £15 price range, just wondered if anybody could vouch for a good one.

Cheers

Jon

[directhex]

any cheap rj45 crimp tool:



and a bag of crimps:

[peterb]

Make sure it is the correct cable - there are two types, one is the stuff installed in ducting and is used to connect wall plate/floor plate sockets back to a patch panel. The other sort used for patch cables is more flexible and is recommended for your application - ie connection to the RJ45 plugs. Both will work with a plug, but the results might not be as reliable if you use the wrong one.

[directhex]

Make sure it is the correct cable - there are two types, one is the stuff installed in ducting and is used to connect wall plate/floor plate sockets back to a patch panel. The other sort used for patch cables is more flexible and is recommended for your application - ie connection to the RJ45 plugs. Both will work with a plug, but the results might not be as reliable if you use the wrong one.

solid core and flex-core. solid is cheaper. it's actually fine for patch cables as well, as long as they stay pretty static & don't do many 180 degree bends

[badass]

solid core and flex-core. solid is cheaper. it's actually fine for patch cables as well, as long as they stay pretty static & don't do many 180 degree bends

Its not so much that as they need to not move the cables at all. The connection problems are always at the plugs where they dont make good contact.

[[GSV]Trig]

Box of Cable.
RJ45 tool
Ends
Boots
Tester

That way you can test the cables too just incase u make a boob, there cheap enuf for basic ones tbh and there worth having, boots make your cables look tidier.

As for there being plug problems badass there are 2 sorts of ends, one for solid one for stranded, I generally buy stranded.

[tfboy]

Solid cable has a higher integrity / less loss over distance so is better suited to longer runs, especially if running at gigabit speeds. Great foruse iin ducting where once installed, they don't move.

The downside of solid is that it's not quite as flexible and is prone to fatigue which you won't get with stranded.

So the plus points of stranded cable is it's more flexible so betterfor patch cables which are by definition shorter.

You also have the debate whether to have unshielded cable or shielded cable. Acronyms used are STP (shielded twisted pair) and UTP (unshielded twisted pair).

STP is better for longer runs as it will be a lot more immune to noise, and is generally used for installation in permanent trunking / ducts. However, shielded is only of use if you use shielded RJ45 connectors and your equiment is shielded at both ends. If it's not shielded at both ends, it's actually more dangerous using shielded because it can act as a massive capacitor causing static buildup which discharges when you plug it up to somehting, blowing up the NICs

UTP is used for patch cables as it's generally cheaper, more flexible and doesn't require shielding because you don't get multiple patch cables bunched together where noise would be an issue.

So in general, STP goes with solid cables goes with trunking / long runs.
UTP goes with stranded cables for patch using.

[Steve A]

*Cough*

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...roductID=41030

and

*Cough*

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...ProductID=1795

Regards