Wiring up Cat 5 vs Cat 6 cable. The same?

[Madhattan]

I am going to be running some Cat 6 cable and will be required to
put jacks on one end, and plugs on the other.
Can I follow a guide for RJ-45 cabling?

Can I use RJ-45 jacks and plugs? Because on I believe that Cat 6 uses 8P8C
plugs and jacks.

They have jacks on monoprice that say RJ-45 for Cat 6 cable. Can I use these?

Thanks

 

[spidey07]

It is not recommended to put RJ45 ends on category rated cabling by crimping. Just use category 6 rated jacks (female punch down) and then store bought patch cables.

 

[Madhattan]

Can I use this jack?

Text

 

[ch33zw1z]

How long are the runs you're planning?

 

[bruceb]

That jack should be ok for the wall end. If you need to put CAT 6 plugs on
then follow this link:

http://www.vpi.us/installation/assemble-cat6.html

Biggest change from CAT 5 is now the wires go thru a loading bar, which keeps
them aligned as they go into the plug. And if you do crimp them yourself, it is best
to use a professional grade, ratcheting full cycle crimper. These come preset and
are designed Not to Open until the crimp has reached the correct pressure. You
can, however, open it manually to remove a bad connector or you didn't line it up correct. Also a CAT6 or CAT 5 plug will fit either jack .. size is the same for both.

 

[NickOlsen8390]

Originally posted by: bruceb
That jack should be ok for the wall end. If you need to put CAT 6 plugs on
then follow this link:

http://www.vpi.us/installation/assemble-cat6.html

Biggest change from CAT 5 is now the wires go thru a loading bar, which keeps
them aligned as they go into the plug. And if you do crimp them yourself, it is best
to use a professional grade, ratcheting full cycle crimper. These come preset and
are designed Not to Open until the crimp has reached the correct pressure. You
can, however, open it manually to remove a bad connector or you didn't line it up correct. Also a CAT6 or CAT 5 plug will fit either jack .. size is the same for both.

that link shows a good way to put on the end, but i think there putting the wires in the wrong way, This is what i use all the time (t-568B) with the brown being at pin 8, i have also never used a connector that makes you stack them like that. I could be wrong, But i have put about million cables together, literally.

 

[ScottMac]

For Cat6 you should punch-down both ends and use (commercial, store-bought) jumpers. You will not get Cat6 performance on hand-terminated jumpers.

For the 110 punchdowns, just make sure you follow the legend for 568a or 568b the same at both ends.

Yes, you probably will get traffic through if you hand-terminate, but chances are it will not by operating at full-spec performance levels. Without a certification scanner, there's no way you'd ever know. For the couple of dollars it'd cost you, it's not worth the potential problems and frustrations.

Good Luck

Scott

 

[bruceb]

The colors may be 568A standard instead of 568B but either will work.
The primary point was to show how long to make the strip & the fact that
CAT 6 now uses the Loading Bar which CAT 5 does not.

Here is a better link at Lanshack about CAT 6 color codes

http://www.lanshack.com/make_cat_6_cable.aspx

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Madhattan
Can I use this jack?

Text

Yap, this tooless keystone is the best solution for Novice cabler.

Use solid core cable between the Keystones.

And as said few times above, for the rest use commercially made straight patches.

 

[NickOlsen8390]

That load bar makes it look like it is a lot easier to use. Might have to have my boss get some. And in the first link you gave that is neither standard, i think the problem was that the it was reversed, IE(pin 1 wire in pin 8 spot)

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: ScottMac
Yes, you probably will get traffic through if you hand-terminate, but chances are it will not by operating at full-spec performance levels. Without a certification scanner, there's no way you'd ever know. For the couple of dollars it'd cost you, it's not worth the potential problems and frustrations.

Agreed. Yeah, you'll get traffic, until one day when you don't get reliable traffic anymore because something's come lose. Faulty home-made patch cables can be a real bummer to diagnose.

Additionally, unless somebody is working for free, the time to build and test the home-made cables exceeds the cost of just buying commercial patch cables.

 

[ScottMac]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: ScottMac
Yes, you probably will get traffic through if you hand-terminate, but chances are it will not by operating at full-spec performance levels. Without a certification scanner, there's no way you'd ever know. For the couple of dollars it'd cost you, it's not worth the potential problems and frustrations.

Agreed. Yeah, you'll get traffic, until one day when you don't get reliable traffic anymore because something's come lose. Faulty home-made patch cables can be a real bummer to diagnose.

Additionally, unless somebody is working for free, the time to build and test the home-made cables exceeds the cost of just buying commercial patch cables.

Oh yeah! I absolutely agree. It's a stupid thing ... that doesn't mean they won't do it anyway... I was just pointing out that it can be hand-crimped, and some traffic may pass ... but there'd be a good chance of it being sub-optimal and eventually flake out.

"We" used to explain about how putting unprotected UTP (i.e., no entrance protection) via outside path was a hazard to people's health and safety ... without fail, there's a chorus of "But I did it and it's OK" and the poster decides to go ahead anyway ... so, personally, I gave up; let Darwin have his due.

In the same vein, if people want to spend the time and money to create a poor performing link just for the thrill of having crimped it themselves, then who am I to argue?

For home users, who cares, what does it matter? If people are doing this for money, then I have issues (not that I could do anything about it anyway).

"Illegitimi non carborundum!"

Good Luck

Scott

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: JackMDS

Originally posted by: Madhattan
Can I use this jack?

Text

Yap, this tooless keystone is the best solution for Novice cabler.

Use solid core cable between the Keystones.

And as said few times above, for the rest use commercially made straight patches.

:thumbsup:
patch cables are so cheap to buy, there is no excuse for not using them and building a proper cable plant.
OP, you can use those keystone jacks in a wallplate or surface mount box as shown on that website, depending on conditions.

 

[mooseracing]

Originally posted by: bruceb
Also a CAT6 or CAT 5 plug will fit either jack .. size is the same for both.

Yea it's the same size, but it sure sucks doing cat6 over cat 5. The larger diameter wire makes it alot harder to put in the ends compared to cat 5. That divider gets annoying after awhile to, but I can't complain about the speeds.

 

[Madhattan]

Thank to everyone for all of the great help.
I ended up running all of the cable, and then hiring a professional to do all of the
connectors and patch panels, which saved a lot of time.

 

[ScottMac]

That was very smart. You did a Very Good Thing. :beer: