Wiring Your Room with Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet Cable

10 Questions

What is the purpose of a crossover cable in Ethernet connections?

A crossover cable is used to connect two Ethernet devices without a hub or for connecting two hubs.

Explain the significance of the odd and even numbered pins in an RJ-45 connector.

Odd numbered pins are always striped, even numbered pins are always solid colored.

Why are the wires in pins 4, 5, 7, and 8 not used in 100BASE-TX Ethernet standard?

These wires are not required for 100BASE-TX, but are included for ease of making connections with all wires grouped together.

Describe the optimal cable preparation technique to avoid crosstalk in Ethernet cables.

No more than 1/2" of the Ethernet cable should be untwisted, otherwise it will be susceptible to crosstalk.

What is the significance of the Brown wire pair in an RJ-45 connector when looking at it with the clip facing away?

Looking at the RJ-45 with the clip facing away from you, Brown is always on the right.

What are the 5 initial considerations and planning steps that need to be addressed when wiring a room with Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable?

Which room(s) do I want wired? 2. How many ports do I want in each location? 3. What is a good location for distribution? 4. What path should the cables take? 5. What network speed do I need?

What is the recommended maximum length of untwisted wire between the end of the cable jacket and the channels on the RJ-45 jack?

1.27 cm (one half inch)

Which tool is used to push the conductors into the channels of the RJ-45 jack?

Punch tool

What is the purpose of tilting the handle of the punch tool a little to the outside when punching down the data jack?

So that the cutting side of the punch tool faces the outside of the jack, to ensure it cuts the wire properly.

What is the recommended procedure for removing any wire that remains attached after using the punch tool?

Twist the ends of the wire gently to remove them.

Study Notes

Ethernet Cable Types

A crossover cable has different ends for connecting two Ethernet devices without a hub or for connecting two hubs.
A straight-thru cable is used as a patch cord in Ethernet connections.

Crossover Cable Characteristics

A crossover cable has one end with the Orange set of wires switched with the Green set.
Odd numbered pins are always striped, even numbered pins are always solid colored.

Cable Orientation

Looking at the RJ-45 with the clip facing away from you, Brown is always on the right, and pin 1 is on the left.

Cable Handling

No more than 1/2″ of the Ethernet cable should be untwisted otherwise it will be susceptible to crosstalk.
Do not deform, do not bend, do not stretch, do not staple, do not run parallel with power cables, and do not run Ethernet cables near noise inducing components.

Cable Wiring

In a T-568A UTP Ethernet straight-thru cable and an Ethernet crossover cable with a T-568B end, the TX (transmitter) pins are connected to the corresponding RX (receiver) pins, plus to plus and minus to minus.

Unused Pins

Pins 4, 5, 7, and 8 are not used in 100BASE-TX and in both the T-568A and T-568B standards.

Home Networking

Having a wired network at home allows for a private, high-speed network for internet access, file sharing, media streaming, online gaming, IP security cameras, and more.

Wiring a Room with Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet Cable

Step 1: Initial Considerations and Planning

Determine which rooms to wire, the number of ports needed, a good location for distribution, the cable path, and the required network speed.

Step 2: Required Tools, Equipments and Materials

Tools: Crimping Tool, Electric Hand Drill, Wire Stripper
Equipments: Patch panel, Network Switch/Hub, Wireless Router, Wireless Access point, Managed Switch
Materials: Cat5e or Cat6 UTP, Cat5e or Cat6 UTP Cable Crimp (Straight-through & Crossover), Raceways, Modular Box, Label maker (optional)

Step 3: Measure and Run the Cables

Measure the cable length and run the cables according to plan.

Step 4: Connect the Wires to the Patch Panel

Strip the sheath 2.54 cm (1 inch) from the end of the cable.
Position wires in the proper channels on the RJ-45 jack, maintaining the twists as close to the jack as possible.
Punch down the data jack using a punch tool, and attach the clips on the jack.