*PICS* *EDITED* I bought Keystones and figured out how they work; but can I do better with regular ones?

[MichaelD]

*EDIT*
Soybomb figured it out *hands him :beer: * But are these as good as the regular ones you punchdown w/the proper tool?


Well, you get what you pay for, I guess. I've been trying for more than an hour to figure this out with zero luck.

I bought a bunch of Keystones. Some white, some blue. (all 5e). The white ones are the "normal" keystones, where the wire lays in the middle and you punch down left and right. The blue ones, I can't figure out for the life of me how to use. Aside from the Keystone itself, it comes with two other pieces...one looks like a fork, the other...I have no idea what it's for.

Help if you can, please.


I took some pics. <--I can't believe I can't figure this out.

Here's the package it comes in. No directions...just lousy illustrations.

Here's what it looks like. The cover swings up.

The cover up; I can see the contacts, but they don't look right...

Cover removed.

Front view.

 

[Soybomb]

I've never used that style so this is just a guess. The cover illustrates the color order for 568a and b. Pick one, lay the wires out in that order, use the fork as a punchdown tool, snap the cover shut, throw the "fork" away

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Soybomb
I've never used that style so this is just a guess. The cover illustrates the color order for 568a and b. Pick one, lay the wires out in that order, use the fork as a punchdown tool, snap the cover shut, throw the "fork" away

I do believe you're correct! The fork actually hinges into the keystone, like the lid. It does indeed snap down onto the contacts.

However, is this method as good as using regular keystones w/a punchdown tool?

Hey, I also figured out what the white thing does. It slots down behind the lift up cover and prevents it from lifting up! How neat.

My bolded question above still stands, though.


Thanks, Soybomb; I appreciate your help

 

[Soybomb]

If it will fit you could probably use your regular punchdown tool although looking at it I'm not sure it will. I bought some individually wrapped jacks at home depot a few weeks ago when I needed them in a hurry and them came with a crappy little plastic punch down tool. I tried it just for the heck of it and it worked okay but didn't cut the wire so I just whipped out mine and did the rest. An optional tool if you're an underequiped consumer perhaps

edit: I would guess its as good as a real punch down as long as it goes all the way to the bottom and the insulation gets cut but I'll leave that to the wiring experts to answer

 

[MichaelD]

Thanks man. I'd try it and see, but I don't want to waste a $2.80 jack...are they reusable? (Never done this before...can you tell?)

I did buy a punchdown tool though; Harris 814 with a 110 blade; will be using it on the patch panel.

 

[Lord Evermore]

As long as the wires get cut into by the metal contacts, it doesn't matter what tool you use. A punchdown tool just makes it easier when you're doing a whole lot of them.

As long as the wires end up connecting to the pins in the RJ45 jack, it also doesn't matter what sort of design they use for the backside of the jack.

We found some neat jacks at Home Depot when we did our house. Highly over-packaged, but not too expensive. Each one came with a little punchdown tool made to punch in a single wire at a time. Lots of wasted little tools when we were done of course.

Too hard to make out the exact shapes inside the jack and the contacts, and the way the "fork" looks to really say how it goes together. I'd assume that you just slip the wires in, and the fork is made to punch in 4 at a time.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
As long as the wires get cut into by the metal contacts, it doesn't matter what tool you use. A punchdown tool just makes it easier when you're doing a whole lot of them.

As long as the wires end up connecting to the pins in the RJ45 jack, it also doesn't matter what sort of design they use for the backside of the jack.

We found some neat jacks at Home Depot when we did our house. Highly over-packaged, but not too expensive. Each one came with a little punchdown tool made to punch in a single wire at a time. Lots of wasted little tools when we were done of course.

Too hard to make out the exact shapes inside the jack and the contacts, and the way the "fork" looks to really say how it goes together. I'd assume that you just slip the wires in, and the fork is made to punch in 4 at a time.

Yes, that is the way it works. The contacts inside are "staggered one up, one down" as in they are not right next to each other like | | | | | | | |


More like


| | | |
| | | |

Hopefully, my crude Illustration comes out...

Thanks, LE.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Crude illustrations never come out when formatted with HTML, because we can't use monospaced fonts on these forums, and HTML ignores extra spaces unless you code it properly.

Those jacks don't seem to have any sort of grip on the cable sheath possible, like the usual ones. I don't expect the usual jacks really do much to grip the sheath either, but at least it isn't the bare 8 wires hanging out of the jack.

 

[MichaelD]

Yes, I noticed that too. When stuffing four pieces of solid core cable back up into the wall as you put the wallplate on, it's probably a good idea to have some grip on the jacket.

I guess I need to see what their return policy is. It'll cost me about $5 to return it, I'd imagine, and if they have a restocking fee....damn, how come Murphy always follows my dumb @ss?

 

[Lord Evermore]

Where the hell are you buying this stuff that would charge a restocking fee? I'd rather pay a few cents extra to start with than have to deal with a "return policy" for unopened items. Of course, I assume you didn't open every last one of them.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
Where the hell are you buying this stuff that would charge a restocking fee? I'd rather pay a few cents extra to start with than have to deal with a "return policy" for unopened items. Of course, I assume you didn't open every last one of them.

Cablewholesale.com. They ship in bulk. So, the individually bagged keystones were placed into a bigger ziplock type bag. The blue ones I pictured above, I only opened one of them. I put all the pieces back in the bag and stapled it closed. It's still resellable.

I emailed them explaining my situation and requested an RMA number. There were other items in the order that I'm pleased with and will be keeping.

I am assuming they will be charging a 20% restocking fee as per the "restocking charge" paragraph here.

*shrug* This is my first time buying this kind of stuff; who knew that not ALL keystones have the strain-relief cover things? (apparently most people, except me :disgust: )

 

[Lord Evermore]

Well, I'd have just looked at what I was buying first.

You know, I am considering creating an ad... BAG O' VIDEO CARDS! TOP OF THE LINE! ULTRA FAST! WITH VIDEO MEMORY! SELLING OUT QUICK!

Interested?

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
Well, I'd have just looked at what I was buying first.

You know, I am considering creating an ad... BAG O' VIDEO CARDS! TOP OF THE LINE! ULTRA FAST! WITH VIDEO MEMORY! SELLING OUT QUICK!

Interested?

They didn't have pics of the connector part, just the front of the jack.

I'm emailing w/them back and forth trying to work something out. 20% is usurious. :disgust: