Use Cat6 plug on Cat5e cable?

[mxnerd]

Can I use Cat6 plug on Cat5e cable?

I'm running out Cat5/5e RJ45 plugs. i'm planning buying some cat6 cables and some cat6 plugs. I still have existing cat5e cables, however.

If I only buy Cat6 plugs, can I use it on existing 5e cables? Will I be able to crimp the cat6 plug properly on cat5e cable?

Thanks.

 

[imagoon]

Well... do you mean the keystone? My opinion is you never crimp your own patch cords and that they tend to be the source of a lot if not all physical layer issues.

As for the keystones it would be out of spec. It "might work." The wire gauges might be different.

 

[mxnerd]

Well... do you mean the keystone? My opinion is you never crimp your own patch cords and that they tend to be the source of a lot if not all physical layer issues.

As for the keystones it would be out of spec. It "might work." The wire gauges might be different.

I crimp all the cables myself since I already have the tool (Paladin,I guess this is the one I have http://www.paladin-tools.com/view_tool.php?id=549&parent_id=77).

Like what you said, i'm afraid that if the cat6 gauge is different, I might not be able to crimp properly, I just don't know if it's the case.

I plan to buy stuff from Monoprice. And yes, I might use keystones, but haven't decided yet. If it's so difficult to crimp cat6 cable to plugs, or very hard to wire to keystones, I might just connect to the switch directly or use inline coupler.

 

[imagoon]

I crimp all the cables myself since I already have the tool (Paladin,I guess this is the one I have http://www.paladin-tools.com/view_tool.php?id=549&parent_id=77).

Like what you said, i'm afraid that if the cat6 gauge is different, I might not be able to crimp properly, I just don't know if it's the case.

I plan to buy stuff from Monoprice. And yes, I might use keystones, but haven't decided yet. If it's so difficult to crimp cat6 cable to plugs, or very hard to wire to keystones, I might just connect to the switch directly or use inline coupler.

Properly crimping cables is far more difficult than using a keystone. From the sounds of it you are crimping ends on solid core which is a big "no no." Cat6 is even more of a problem because if you untwist the cable to far when crimping the cable it will be out of spec. Technically you only have about 10MM of straight cable to work with, any more than that and your out of spec. Again mileage will vary. I highly recommend reading the sticky. You will likely make your life more complicated trying to use couplers etc.

 

[mxnerd]

Hi imagoon, why would it be out of spec and what spec? I'm sorry I'm not familiar with cat6 spec.

I'm just planning using the cat6 cable thinking it has better quality than cat5e. I have no plan running 10G network if that's what you meant out of spec.

Yes, the cable I'm planning to buy I think would be solid core, not stranded, but it seems that your opinion is that stranded is better suited for cat6, is the sole reason is that it's easier to crimp? All the cable length in the house will be less than 100ft, I think that might be OK for crimping the cable on my own?

And what do you 10MM of straight cable to work with? Is it 10mm or 10 meters? I'm really confused.

And if cat6 cabling is so hard to make it work, I might just forget it all and stick with cat5e.

 

[imagoon]

Hi imagoon, why would it be out of spec and what spec? I'm sorry I'm not familiar with cat6 spec.

I'm just planning using the cat6 cable thinking it has better quality than cat5e. I have no plan running 10G network if that's what you meant out of spec.

Yes, the cable I'm planning to buy I think would be solid core, not stranded, but it seems that your opinion is that stranded is better suited for cat6, is the sole reason is that it's easier to crimp? All the cable length in the house will be less than 100ft, I think that might be OK for crimping the cable on my own?

And what do you 10MM of straight cable to work with? Is it 10mm or 10 meters? I'm really confused.

And if cat6 cabling is so hard to make it work, I might just forget it all and stick with cat5e.

Not trying to avoid the issue but please read my sticky, I spent many hours typing it and submitting it here for review by my peers here.

In Cat-anything there is a maximum "untwist" length when you are terminating the cable. You have to straighten the cable to terminate a keystone (good) or the RJ45 end (bad). If you use couplers you add several centimeters of straightened cable and typically a 3 to 6 DB loss in the cable. This can push it far enough out of spec to generate errors @ 1 gig.

Again DO NOT CRIMP RJ45 the ends on to cable. A real cable installer has no use for a RJ45 termination tool. It should but punched with a 110 punch to a patch panel and keystone. All patch cords should be purchased. You can buy the pre-made cables for less than the cost of the cable ends, let alone the tool. I work with this stuff daily. I have had a handful RJ45 ends in my desk. I started with 15 and I still have 6 in there 5 years later. Most of them being used for T1 termination, T1 diagnostic loop backs, or making T1 wraps for my test environment. IE I don't use them. I would rather buy the $0.45 cable than build one for $0.70.

 

[hawk82]

Solid core is best used between ports, wall jacks, and patch panels. You use Stranded core wire for patch cables, like between patch panel and the switch, or computer to switch, or computer to wall plate. Reason for that is that stranded has less of a tendency to kink up, which can interfere or break the wiring inside the cable, as solid core can do that over time.

Best to check the packaging on the 8p8c connectors you plan to use to see if they can be used with both stranded and solid core wire. Leviton 8p8c connectors that you find at Home Depot can be used on both.

As for using CAT6 rated 8p8c connectors on CAT5e, personally I wouldn't do it. CAT6 is most of the time 22-23AWG vs 24AWG in most CAT5e. From my experience that is. So you could theoretically miss a pin when crimping smaller gauge wire in a larger connector.

As for patch cables, I used to crimp my own. However it is just cheaper to buy pre-made factory cables when you know the pre-made cables test properly and use the proper connectors and wire. Plus you can get them in any color you want. I prefer to buy my cables from Deep Surplus after having my credit card stolen at Monoprice last year.

 

[bobdole369]

All patch cords should be purchased.

This. OMG this.

Read teh sticky. I can't tell you how often I was called out to the call center floor because of a bad, or intermittent crimp on the end of an rj45. I worked at a call center with 1500+ workstations, we did a major upgrade at one point and as these things go - we did a whoooole lot of solid core RJ45 crimped patches and man did we ever pay for it. I personally replaced over 3 hundred over the next year with pre-made cables. The big trouble is that solid core is inflexible, and while ideally you have a nice cable management setup, it will still move in the rj-45 end. Its not worth it to me to ever crimp my own cables.

 

[Rifter]

This. OMG this.

This X 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

 

[mxnerd]

Thanks to imagoon & whoever commented above.

I think I know better now.

Regards,

 

[kevnich2]

This X 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

Second this. Plus, it's not worth it time wise to crimp on ends considering how inexpensive patch cables are nowadays. I just keep a whole slew of different lengths (each size has it's own color) and use what I need. I hope I don't ever have to crimp on another end again.

 

[ScottMac]

The above answers have it covered pretty well. But, in the past, it used to be network-macho to say you made your own cables (even though many netd00ds didn't make them according to spec, had L1 problems, and wouldn't admit it); now it's almost a symbol of newbie ignorance. "I make all my own cables" equates to "I am painfully ignorant of the value of an optimally functioning network."

You might as well be talking about the value of a dip-switch configured NIC ...