The Internet has very quickly and extremely firmly entered into life. modern man. It is now difficult to even imagine housing that is not equipped with a connection line worldwide network, wired or optical. However, as a rule, the provider’s area of responsibility ends with the modem or router. That is, if the owners’ plans are not limited to installing one computer, but involve creating an entire home local network, including connecting IP television, then you will either have to deal with these issues yourself, or invite specialists for a separate fee.
When improving home network Almost never goes without laying LAN cables. Purchasing a twisted-pair cable itself is not a problem - it comes in a wide variety, and its price is quite affordable. But turning it into a patch cord or a full-fledged line means mounting (more often they say, crimping) special contact tips and connectors at the ends. This is, in principle, the whole difficulty. But the complexity is not so great that mandatory it was necessary to give money to the invited master for this. That is, this operation can be carried out on your own. And even using the simplest tools.
So, let's learn how to crimp an Internet cable yourself. Sooner or later such a skill will be in demand.
There are many cases when it is necessary to resort to the use of such a compound. And with the increasing saturation of family life, modern technology is becoming more and more common.
- The number of computers in the house has increased. A Wi-Fi connection is certainly convenient, but it has its vulnerabilities and disadvantages. It is more reliable and better to carry out switching using a LAN cable.
- All more people switches to IP-TV (SMART-TV). And again, to ensure a guaranteed stable signal supply, you can’t think of anything better than twisted pair.
- Network connections are sometimes required by other modern Appliances, equipped with remote control functions.
- Even in one room there may be several devices that require such a connection. This means that a router or switch is installed, to which connecting patch cords are connected in the required quantity.
- Even a high-quality LAN cable can fail due to accidental damage or simple wear of the connector contact group. Another common reason is a broken lock on the connector body. It’s a small thing, and because of it, the connector doesn’t hold well in the socket of the router, network card, etc. This means it is better to replace it with a new one.
There may be other situations - you can’t foresee everything. In any case, the ability to crimp a network cable will definitely come in handy.
And in order to do everything correctly, with an understanding of the issue, you must first understand at least a little about the structure of the LAN cable.
First of all, about the cable itself. It is called twisted pair for a reason. Under the outer insulating sheath there are actually several pairs of spirally twisted wires that are color-coded. The number of pairs may vary. In the cases discussed in the article, a cable with four pairs is most often used. Often you can get by with two.
Such cables are divided into several standards according to the level of external interference protection.
- The UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) standard is the most inexpensive, since it does not provide any shielding. Just pairs of wires covered with an outer insulating and protective sheath. An example is shown in the figure above.
In terms of their transmission characteristics, such cables are no worse than others. But if they fall into an area of electromagnetic interference, the quality of signal transmission decreases sharply. That is, even closely located 220 volt wiring can cause problems.
- FTP (Foiled Twisted Pair) standard. Under the shell there is a continuous foil screen, which becomes a reliable protection against possible interference. The price is, of course, higher, but often you can’t do without it.
Such LAN cables can already be laid in close proximity to power cables, for example, in the cable channel of baseboards or in a common stub. Such proximity will not affect the quality of signal transmission.
- Finally, the STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) standard. Everything is “serious” here. That is, in addition to the external common screen, each twisted pair is also enclosed in an individual foil braid.
Such cables are most often used in large data centers, communication centers, industrial equipment, etc. Using them for the conditions of a house or apartment is a completely unnecessary precaution and an unnecessary waste of money.
Cat 5– operate with frequencies up to 100 MHz, allowing data transfer rates of up to 100 megabits per second.
Cat 5e– frequencies up to 125 MHz, speed up to 1 gigabit.
More high categories(6, 6a, 7 and 7a) are distinguished by even higher speeds. But for a home network, where not all providers provide 100 megabits yet, the fifth category is quite sufficient. Of course, if you think about the future, it’s still better cat 5e.
Thus, the best option for stationary installation it seems FTP Withat 5e(so as not to worry about the tip). For patch cords that will not be adjacent to power cables, you can also use UTP withat 5e.
The basic data of a cable can always be found out by reading its markings, applied at regular intervals on the outer insulating sheath.
Cables may have other differences. For example, some have a steel string placed inside them - it enhances self-supporting capabilities, which can be important for outdoor areas and, even more so, for air laying. But this does not particularly affect the crimping technology.
How the connector works
It is clear that the cable itself does not solve the problem of connecting devices. A switching element, called a connector or Ethernet plug, must be correctly installed at its end. A common designation (somewhat incorrect, but well-established and therefore widely used) is RJ-45, or the more correct 8P8C (8 Position & 8 Contact). All this, in fact, is the same detail, and further on in the course of the presentation the term “connector” will simply be used.
Most connectors used in domestic conditions have a similar design.
As a rule, the connector has a transparent plastic case (item 1), which allows you to visually control the installation process. On the side opposite the contact group there is a latch (pos. 2) - for securely fixing the connector in the socket (port) of a network card, router, etc. As already mentioned, it is the failure of this latch that often becomes the motivating reason for repairs.
On the rear side there is an opening for the factory-prepared cable (item 3). Higher up on the body there is a slightly protruding fixing bar (item 4) in a rectangular window. During the crimping process, it will move down and tightly clamp the outer insulation of the installed cable. This ensures a reliable connection - it is almost impossible to pull the connector out of the cable after such fixation.
The internal cavity in the front part of the connector diverges into eight narrow cylindrical channels (item 5) - exactly the diameter of the twisted pair wires. That is, no matter how much you want to cram two wires under one contact, it won’t work. These channels continue all the way to the front end wall of the connector. And exactly coaxially with them, eight bronze or brass contacts were located on top (item 6). Each of them is placed in its own guide groove, that is, they are isolated from each other. Their initial position is raised up, that is, they do not yet interfere with the installation of cable wires through the channels until they stop at the front wall. Each of these contacts has two or three sharp knife protrusions at the bottom (item 7).
When crimping the connector, these contacts will move down, and the knife protrusions will pierce the insulation of the wires. This ensures the necessary electrical contact with the conductor. The metal contacts themselves are recessed flush with the plastic surface of the tip and, in fact, turn into contact pads, which is what is required for switching in the port (socket) of connected devices.
The yellow wide arrow shows the direction of contact numbering, from 1 to 8.
All connection mechanics are very simple and clear.
There are also slightly different connector models that include an additional insert. Such a detail, according to the plan, should facilitate the correct insertion of conductors into the required positions under the blade contacts.
I can’t judge for everyone how much this makes the work easier. Personally, I find it more convenient to work with standard connectors, without any additional operations.
When purchasing connectors, you can immediately purchase insulating caps. This element is not considered mandatory, but the difference in price is a pittance. And the cap well protects the LAN cable from dangerous bending in this rather vulnerable place, the latch from accidental breakage, and the connector itself and the connected port from dust. And the cable or patch cord looks much neater. In addition, the use of caps different color can simplify (make more visual) switching in complex network branch nodes.
What crimping schemes can be used
There are two main schemes for crimping an Internet cable. Their use depends on which devices communicate with each other.
Direct connection (Straight)
The most commonly used option in LAN (Local Area Network) or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) networks. Allows you to switch different devices and devices in different combinations.
For example:
- PC – Router (computer – router);
- PC – Switch (computer – switch);
- Router – Switch (router – switch);
- Router – SMART TV (router – TV)
and other similar options.
A characteristic feature of this type of connection is the completely identical arrangement of wires in the contacts of both connectors.
The following color scheme for the arrangement of conductors has been adopted:
It is worth making one important note. By and large, at data transfer rates of up to 100 megabits per second, only four conductors are used - 1, 2, 3 and 6. The rest are not used. So, to reduce the overall cost of a local network, a cable with only two twisted pairs is often used. The connector, of course, remains the same, but only four conductors are inserted into it.
Knowing this nuance sometimes allows you to get by with “little loss” when it is necessary to repair a line. For example, a cable failed, and its test ring showed that there was a break in the orange-white-orange pair. It's OK. It is quite possible to change it, for example, to an unused pair “brown - white-brown”. But, of course, it’s the same on both ends of the cable. And the line's functionality will be restored.
Cross-Over
Such a connection sometimes has to be used to connect devices of the same type. For example, a computer with a computer, a router with a router, etc.
The difference is this. One end of the cable uses the same color "pinout" scheme as shown above. But on the opposite side, changes are being made. In principle, they only consist in the fact that the pairs “orange - white-orange” and “green - white-green” are swapped.
The remaining wires do not change their positions.
This somewhat complicated scheme, by the way, is gradually falling out of use. The fact is that more and more modern digital devices are equipped with an Auto MDI-X interface. The point is that the system itself automatically determines the type of connection and switches to the optimal switching mode. That is, all that remains is to crimp the Internet cables in a straight line, and not fool yourself. But it’s still often necessary...
So, we can say that the theory is finished. We can proceed to review practical guide– how to crimp an Internet cable.
Internet cable crimping
Correct crimping of the Internet cable is done using a special tool. It is called a press tongs, a crimper, or, in common parlance, a crimper. If crimping work needs to be carried out urgently, there is no crimper and there is no opportunity to rent one from friends or rent from a store - you can get by with a simpler tool - a screwdriver. Let's consider both options.
How to do it correctly - using press pliers (crimper)
What you need for work
So, special pliers are needed for the job. It is clear that not everyone has them. But nowadays there doesn’t seem to be any particular problem getting them for rent - many stores offer similar services. And if, for example, in a large apartment or private house the local network is quite extensive, it wouldn’t hurt to have such a tool in your “arsenal”.
How does the crimper work and what is its operating principle?
The illustration below shows perhaps its simplest model:
As befits any pliers, there are two lever handles (item 1) through which force is transmitted.
Actually, the pressing of the connector contacts itself is carried out in a special socket (item 2). Its configuration is such that the connector, when inserted all the way, fits “like a glove”, and it is almost impossible to make a mistake with its position. Most crimpers have two or even three sockets for different connectors. For example, you can crimp a cable for wired telephone line(item 3).
The main working “organ” is a special metal comb (item 4). Its protrusions, after placing the connector in the socket, will be located exactly above the blade contacts. That is, when the handles are compressed, the protrusions of the comb will each press on its own contact, pushing them down until the insulation of the conductors is pierced.
Most press pliers are also equipped with special knives (item 5), which allow you to bite off the cable, remove the top insulating braid, evenly trim the edges of wires prepared for insertion into the connector, etc. The illustration shows the simplest “cutting section”, but it can also be more functional, including several different blades of different configurations and purposes.
As mentioned, the crimper shown is far from perfect. Professionals prefer to work with a tool in which the crimp sockets are placed at the top, perpendicular to the axis of the pliers. An example is shown in the illustration below.
The fact is that with this arrangement, the pressing force of the comb is strictly progressive, upward. This makes crimping more reliable, the contacts settle uniformly, and the comb itself wears out less. So if you plan to purchase a crimper, keep this in mind. But, in general, the choice of such a tool is a topic for a separate discussion, since it also has its own nuances.
However, the sequence of work does not change depending on the features of the tool.
In addition to crimping, for work you will need the cable itself of the required length, at least two connectors. It is advisable to have a couple more in stock - at first, due to inexperience, it is quite possible to make a mistake. And reusing a crimped connector is impossible.
Need to prepare workplace with good lighting - some operations require a certain amount of eye strain.
If a faulty Internet cable is being repaired, then the connector with small area The cable is bitten off. At the same time, there is no need to rush to immediately throw it in the trash bin - it will become a good “visual aid” for the location of wires. So you definitely can’t go wrong with the connection option.
Well, the work itself is not so difficult:
| Illustration | Brief description of the operation performed |
|---|---|
 | For example, a short patch cord will be produced. A section of UTP cat 5e LAN cable is being prepared for it. Again, for example, slightly different connectors will be crimped on both sides of the cable. One is normal, and the second has a guide insert. For crimping, it is supposed to use a crimper equipped with all the knives necessary for cutting and removing the outer insulation. That is, no other tools are required. |
 | If the end of the cable is “frayed”, then it would be better to trim it carefully. For this purpose, the crimper has a special knife that perfectly replaces wire cutters. The same knife can be used to cut off the connector that has come out and is inoperative if the Internet cable is being repaired and the connector is being replaced. |
 | The end of the cable is brought under the knife perpendicular to it. A little effort is... |
 | ... and you get a smooth cut edge. At this stage, you can immediately insert the protective cap of the connector onto the cable if you plan to use it. |
 | Now you need to clean the end of the cable - carefully remove a section of the upper braid from it. There is also a crimper for this purpose special device. On one side there is a round groove into which the cable will be inserted, on the opposite side there is a knife blade. In a high-quality, well-adjusted tool, when squeezing the handles, the knife will cut only the layer of the upper braid without affecting the insulation themselves twisted pairs. |
 | The outer braid is removed in an area of approximately 30 mm. It is not recommended to do less - it will be inconvenient to straighten the twisted pair conductors and fold them into a “package” according to the color scheme. The excess, one way or another, will have to be cut off as work progresses. The cable is inserted into a round groove, the crimping handles are brought together... |
 | ...and then the tool is rotated around the cable axis in a circle. The knife will cut the insulation around the entire circumference... |
 | ...and then it can be easily removed with a neat cylinder. |
 | Under the braid, in addition to twisted pairs, there is usually also a strong nylon thread. It is either cut off immediately, or some craftsmen prefer to simply take it to the side. This is not important. But if the cable has a metal string or a plastic core in the center, it must all be cut flush with the edge of the braid. |
 | The next task is to carefully unravel the twisted pairs with your fingers and try to align the wires as much as possible. |
 | It should look something like what is shown in the photo. |
 | Now it makes sense to put in front of you a printed color diagram of the location of the wires in the connector (or a cut connector taken as a sample). The formation of a “package” begins in accordance with the diagram - the wires are laid and held with fingers in the required sequence, from the first to the eighth. |
 | With such a distribution, you should immediately monitor so that the wires once again did not intersect with each other at the exit from the braid. This is not difficult to achieve. This is what happened - the wires are laid out in strict sequence in accordance with the switching diagram. But they are still lying like a fan, and now we need to form the most dense flat “package” out of them. |
 | The wiring is compacted and further aligned to the maximum. |
 | The next step is to shorten this “package” - trim the edge. This is done in such a way that when inserted, the wires reach the edge of the connector and rest against its front wall, and at the same time, the cable braid also enters the connector by approximately 8 ÷ 10 mm. Experienced installers cut by eye, but you can also do a “fit-on” by attaching a connector. Typically, for most connectors, it is enough to leave the length of the “package” of wires at 15 mm. |
 | Trimming is done with a crimping knife. It is very important to position the package in this “guillotine” so that the cut is perpendicular to the cable axis. That is, when inserted into the connector, the cut ends of all wires will be in one line. |
 | After trimming, the “package” is no longer released from the fingers - it’s time to insert it into the connector. |
 | The wires are carefully inserted through the entrance opening of the connector. Please note that it is taken so that the contact group is at the top and the protruding latch is at the bottom. |
 | The internal configuration of the connector is such that after the flat “package” of wires is installed, it is unlikely to come apart or begin to bulge. The cable is carefully pushed forward. No haste or excessive effort is required, otherwise the wire may get stuck and begin to bend - you will have to repeat the operation. |
 | Separate channels for each wire begin approximately from the middle of the connector. Once the wires have entered them correctly, they will not go anywhere. |
 | The cable is pushed forward until it stops. |
 | Through the front transparent wall of the connector, the end sections of the wires resting against it are usually very clearly visible. That's it, the connector is on - you can proceed directly to crimping. |
 | Carefully, so as not to pull out the cable by accidental careless movement, the connector is placed in the crimp socket of the crimper. It's difficult to make a mistake here - the shape of the socket itself will prevent you from placing the connector incorrectly. |
 | And now all that remains is to apply a smooth, but quite strong compressive force on the crimping handles. |
 | The teeth of the comb will move the metal contacts down, and they will pierce the insulation with their knife-like protrusions and cut each into its own wire. |
 | That's it, the connector is crimped. |
 | Notice how deep the cable braid goes into the connector. And how, after crimping, the fixing bar moved - its protrusion tightly rested against the cable. |
 | Now, even if a fairly significant pulling force is applied, the connector will still remain motionless and the contacts will not be broken. After this, you can put on the protective cap that was previously inserted onto the cable - and the task is completed. |
 | At the other end of the cable, a connector with a guide insert will be used as an example. But all the preliminary operations for stripping the braid, straightening the wires and forming a “package” do not have any special features. |
 | And only after the “package” is assembled is it inserted into the insert holes. |
 | After all the wires have entered their holes, the insert is pushed as deep as possible towards the cable. |
 | All that remains is to trim the edge of the “package” to the required length. It’s convenient that you don’t have to worry about its integrity - the wires won’t move anywhere. |
 | After this, the cable with the insert on is inserted into the connector... |
 | ...push forward all the way. The insert should snap into place and lock there. The wires should be distributed along their channels and rest against the front wall of the connector. |
 | All that remains is to crimp the connector in the crimper. |
 | The patch cord is ready and can be used for its intended purpose. |
There may be other designs of crimp connectors with inserts. But the sequence of operations is approximately the same, and the assembly principle also does not change much.
As possible in case of emergency - using a screwdriver
But what to do if there is no special crimping tool, but you need to install the connector urgently, as they say, “here and now”? In this case, you can use the “folk” technology using a screwdriver.
| Illustration | Brief description of the operations performed |
|---|---|
 | So, there is no crimper. A flat blade screwdriver is available. It is desirable that the tip be thin, no more than 3-4 mm wide, but at the same time the screwdriver is powerful enough. Since there is no special insulation stripper either, you have to use a regular sharp knife. Some care should be taken to avoid accidentally damaging the insulation of the twisted pairs. |
 | All operations for unraveling and straightening wires, for assembling the “package” in accordance with the diagram are unchanged. Trimming the wires to the required length before inserting them into the connector can be done with ordinary side cutters. Do not forget about the obligatory smooth cut edge perpendicular to the cable axis. |
 | The wires are inserted into the connector - everything is as usual. |
 | You can proceed to crimping. And it is recommended to start with the fixing bar at the connector shank. If you fix it right away, you won’t have to worry that during the work an accidental movement will pull the cable out of the connector, and you’ll have to redo everything. |
 | The connector rests against a hard surface. Then the tip of the screwdriver is placed on this fixing bar and force is applied. By the way, both this operation and subsequent ones require good support of the connector on a rigid base. This is quite seriously hampered by the spring-loaded plastic latch located below. And sometimes it even breaks under great force. To avoid this and make the work more comfortable, you can come up with some kind of base on which there is a hole or groove (groove), where the latch will hide without experiencing any load. For example, when using this practice, the author of these lines performed crimping with the connector resting on a kitchen board, along the edge of which there was a recess along the perimeter. It turned out very convenient. |
 | Under the force of a screwdriver, the bar moves down and is fixed in the lower position. |
 | It is clearly visible that the latch has moved down and rested against the cable braid, denting it somewhat. Now you don’t have to worry about the cable accidentally falling out of the connector. |
 | You can proceed to crimping the contacts. The connector rests again on a secure base. Then they begin to sequentially push the contacts downwards using a screwdriver. The task is to move the metal contact down all the way so that it pierces the wire insulation with its knives and slightly cuts into it. There is no need to rush - everything should be done extremely carefully. First, you need to make sure that the tip of the screwdriver hits the contact and does not jump between them. Secondly, the force required is quite large, and if the tip of the screwdriver slips, you can easily puncture your finger. Sometimes it is advisable to wear glasses or use a magnifying glass to avoid mistakes. |
 | Having “drowned” one contact, they move on to the next. We must try to subtly feel that the contact actually fell into place and provided an electrical connection to the wire. |
 | This continues until all eight contacts are pushed down. |
 | After crimping the last contact, it is advisable to arm yourself with a magnifying glass and carefully examine the result of the work. It is unacceptable for any of the contacts (even those not involved in data transmission) to protrude upward - they all must be pushed all the way down and placed at the same level. If shortcomings are identified, they should be eliminated immediately, that is, the resulting contact pad should be made even. |
 | The connector on the opposite side of the patch cord is crimped in a similar way. After this, you can try it out at work. |
The method, of course, is more complex to implement. In addition, at first it may well turn out to be a marriage. Therefore, it is better to have several additional connectors in stock so that you can redo them if necessary, taking into account the mistakes made.
Using special self-crimping connectors
Yes, today you can find connectors on sale that require virtually no tools at all to connect to an Internet cable. Except, of course, for those needed to remove the top braid and trim the wires.
For example, this is what a professional-grade connector produced by NICOMAX looks like
The example may not be entirely indicative, since such NICOMAX connectors really belong to professional equipment. And the cost of each of them is estimated at several hundred rubles.
But there are more affordable solutions that work on the same principle. An example is self-crimping (or, as they are also called, tool-less) connectors produced by the Russian company SUPR LLC.
The connector body consists of two hinge-opening halves (item 1). On the back side of these covers there are special matrix projections (item 2), which will guide the laid wires onto the contacts. In the center there is a switching module (item 3) with special channels-grooves for laying the wires of the crimped cable. Each side of the module is designed to accommodate four wires. To make the task easier for the master, there is also a color “cheat sheet” for the placement of conductors - it’s hard to make a mistake. Finally, each of the flaps has an integrated half of the protective cap (item 4), and when assembled, the area where the cable enters the connector immediately receives excellent protection against fracture.
As you can see, the principle of crimping here is exactly the opposite. The contact blades are located motionless in the slots of the switching module. And the matrices on the covers will insert wires onto these knives to ensure insulation cutting and reliable electrical switching.
The procedure for assembling such a connector is simple.
- The cable is stripped of its braid.
- The twisted pairs are unraveled, the wires are straightened.
- Further, there is no need to create a “package”. The connector covers open (pos. 1a). The wires are not pushed through, but are inserted from above into their grooves in the switching unit, according to the available “cheat sheet”. Moreover, special clamps in each of these sockets will no longer allow the wire to jump back out on its own.
- After laying the wires, all that remains is to close both halves of the case and press them against each other until the latch is activated. The matrices will push the wires onto the fixed contact blades. And that’s it – the connector is ready for use.
Of course - very convenient. True, the price of such a connector, compared to a regular one, is also high - about 75 rubles. But on the other hand, no tools are required, and the likelihood of making a poor-quality connection is negligible. In addition, such a connector can be used repeatedly if necessary.
How to check the quality of an Internet cable crimp?
So, the connectors on the LAN cable are installed. How can you now verify the reliability of the connection being created?
There are several ways.
- The simplest one is to connect the LAN cable directly to its destination. That is, if after switching the devices everything began to work normally, then you can congratulate the technician on the successful completion of the installation.
- Professionals evaluate the quality of crimping and the condition of laid communication lines using special devices - LAN testers.
These devices usually consist of two blocks, that is, you can check a cable whose opposite connectors are located in different rooms. It’s even easier, of course, to check the patch cord with it.
Both the main unit and the additional remote unit have ports for connecting connectors. After connecting the cable, the power is turned on and the device begins to scan each wire, which is indicated by numbered light indicators. If there is a break in the line, then it is immediately noticeable which of the wires is faulty. Or, in our case, which contact of the connector is crimped poorly.
- A LAN tester is the privilege of professionals, but at home you can try using a regular multimeter. It is set to ringing (with sound indication) or to a minimum resistance, for example, 200 Ohms. And then they check each wire of the same color on two adjacent Internet cable connectors.
Such an audit will not take much time. True, the tester probes must be thin in order to accurately fall on specific connector contacts of the same name. This can be solved either by sharpening them, or by temporarily installing thin wire tips.
If some wire does not ring (among those that are significant for a particular connection), then you will have to redo it.
- How to test an Internet cable with a multimeter if the connectors are located far away from each other (for example, in different rooms). Nothing too complicated either.
If you look at the circuit diagram of the ports of switching devices, you will see an induction coil connecting the wires of one pair (for example, green - white-green). That is, there must be conductivity between them.
This means that you can insert one connector into the port of any of the devices (it is better to do this with the device turned off), and then check the line conductivity on the second connector. Typically, for home lines (up to 100 megabits), it is enough to test only two pairs. Check the resistance between orange and white-orange, green and white-green.
Of course, there will be resistance (calculated in units of Ohms), and it depends largely on the length of the cable. But what’s important is that it should be approximately the same for both couples. If the difference is large, or the resistance is very large, and even more so if the line does not ring at all, you should look for defects in the work performed and redo it again.
This verification is described in more detail in the video below:
Video: How to check an Internet cable using a tester
Hello dear readers of the blog site. Today I want to talk about how to extend the Internet cable in an apartment yourself. Very often, this type of service is provided by a provider, but naturally he will charge a separate fee for it (depending on the length, the price can vary from 500 rubles to infinity)
Typically, this need arises if you decide to move the equipment (computer,) further from its original location, and when laying the wire, the provider did not leave additional footage in reserve.
There are two ways to lengthen yourself:
- Increasing the cable length using wire connectors (tape locks) and repeated crimping;
- Using a splitter.
Let's look at both options in more detail.
Extension using wire connectors (Scotchlocks) and repeated crimping
Now everything is in order. Before extending the Internet cable, you need to first understand how you will lay it (under the baseboard, above the suspended ceiling, or simply along the wall or floor). Having decided on the laying option, calculate how many meters are needed. When buying a wire, do not forget to buy it with a margin of a couple of meters. Also purchase RJ45 connectors and wire connectors (tape locks) at the store. Whatever you buy yourself will, in any case, be cheaper than hiring a specialist to carry out this work.
And so, having brought all this home, we begin to carry out the work. First you need to cut the existing connector on your cable and remove the outer protective insulation.
Note - do not throw away the cut connector until the end of the work, it may still be useful to us.
The same actions must be performed with the purchased cable (the side you start with is absolutely not important). I will not describe this process here, since more full information you can read in the article If you did everything correctly, then at this stage there should be a spliced wire in front of you without a connector at the end.
The next stage of work will be crimping the Internet cable using an RJ45 tip. To do this, we need to remove the outer insulation a couple of centimeters long, untangle the twisted wires, and picking up the cut and new connectors, understand by the colors which wires should be placed in the connector in what order. You can read more about all stages of crimping in the article.
Now, having received the finished extended twisted pair, we check its operation. Insert it into the connector on your computer and check whether you have a network and, accordingly, the Internet. If you have installed the wire correctly, the network will appear immediately and all you have to do is wrap the connection with electrical tape to additional protection from physical influences. It may happen that the network does not appear, then check the connections more carefully and eliminate all shortcomings.
This extension option is more labor-intensive than using a splitter.
Extending the Internet cable using a splitter
Everything is much simpler here. You need to purchase in the store a patch cord of the required length with already crimped ends (the only thing is that it may cost more than if you crimped it yourself), as well as the splitter itself.
The dimensions of such a box are not large, but unlike the first option, you will not be able to remove it behind the baseboard or under the floor. It will be necessary to choose a place so that it does not interfere or spoil the aesthetic appearance.
First, you need to disconnect the wire from your device and insert the connector into any of the two sockets of the splitter, then insert a ready-made cable purchased or made yourself into the free socket, and, accordingly, insert the remaining free end into the socket of your device (laptop, computer, etc.) .).
If you extend the Internet cable in this way, then virtually no problems should arise; the only thing that could be is that the cable was crimped incorrectly or you got a defective box.
If you are going to do renovations in your apartment, then I advise you to think in advance about the placement of computer outlets in your house, and you can read about how to connect them in a separate section.
Hope you read this article, and that is why I advise you, just in case, to familiarize yourself with useful material about.
If after reading you still have questions about how to extend the Internet cable, ask them in the comments and you can always get help either from me or from blog readers.
Task: Wires are needed to connect computers into a network. The network cord (ethernet cable) is freely sold and is called a “patch cord”. If you need a longer patch cord or, vice versa, a shorter one, you can make it yourself.
Tools: For production we need:
1. Twisted pair cable, which is also called UTP ( Unshielded Twisted Pair - unprotected twisted pair). The cost is usually about a quarter of a dollar per meter. Also sold in coils of 305 meters. It's naturally cheaper in bays. There is also a protected twisted pair (FTP Foiled Twisted Pair). Usually more expensive due to the braiding that shields the cable. Not needed for home use. Cables are divided into categories. Category 5 is sufficient for a home. In catalogs and stores this is what they mean: UTP cat5. Sometimes, to save money, providers run a cable with 2 apairs, instead of 4. On such cables the speed will be limited to 100 Mb/sec. How to crimp a twisted pair cable with four wires (two pairs) - read below.
2. Connector(can also be called “jack”, “connector”) RJ-45. 2 per wire + 1 is often damaged :) Take it with a reserve.
3. Crimping tool.("Swage"). Special pliers for crimping connectors. An indispensable tool. Without it, it will not be possible to perform high-quality compression. Look for friends, acquaintances, ask administrators, they definitely have it. With some skill, you can crimp the connector with a knife, but this activity is more likely for extreme sports enthusiasts and you can’t expect quality here.
Let's begin.
1. Using crimping pliers, cut the insulation approximately 3 cm from the end. Pliers usually have a semicircular recess with a knife on top. Place the cable in the recess, clamp the knife on top and wrap the pliers around it. The insulation will be cut off.
2. Check to see if you accidentally cut any wire when cutting away the insulation. If the wire is cut, bitten or torn off, you must start all over again. Feel free to bite off the damaged piece of cable and start over.
3. Sort the wires by color. Unravel them well at the base, arrange them in color order.
3.1. Wires in twisted pair cables must be crimped in a strictly defined order. The most popular scheme is:
B-Or, Or, B-Zel, Sin, B-Sin, Zel, B-Kor, Cor.
You need to crimp equally on both ends. In this case, we will have the so-called straight cable. For a crossover cable, the diagram at different ends is different: on one side it is standard:
B-Or, Or, B-Zel, Sin, B-Sin, Zel, B-Kor, Cor.,
with another: B-Zel, Zel, B-Or, Sin, B-Sin, Or, B-Kor, Cor.
3.2. If the cable has not 8 wires, but 4, then the crimping order will be different.
If you need to crimp the cable on both sides, do it according to this scheme
1: White-orange
2: Orange
3: White-green
4: empty
5: empty
6: Green
7: empty
8: empty
(instead of green it may be blue)
If you need to crimp only one end of the cable, and the second is already crimped, it is better to see how the second is crimped and do the same.
4. Lay out the wires in order, align and bend and unbend them all together until the wires are pressed tightly against each other.
5. Bite off the edge of the wires as smoothly as possible. Leave approximately 1.5 cm.
6. Carefully, so that the folded wires do not unravel, insert them into the connector. After putting the connector on, make sure that the notch at the bottom of the connector catches the insulation. When crimping, the notch is pressed in and secures the connector to the insulation.
7. Turning the connector upside down, make sure that all the wires reach the edge of the connector and are visible there. Metal knives that are pressed into the wire should completely capture it.
8. Squeeze the pliers while pushing the wire towards the connector.
9. After making sure that the colors are not mixed up, tighten the connector completely. After crimping the second end, check the functionality. If you are unsure, feel free to cut and crimp again.
Life without the Internet is unthinkable for many people on earth. It is necessary for work, study, leisure, it is used in offices and at home. You can connect your computer to the Internet using three types of cable: coaxial, twisted pair or fiber optic. The first one is no longer used today, the last one is worth a lot, and the second one is used actively and everywhere.
How to install twisted pair cable in a house or apartment
Twisted pair is a cable that is used to lay a computer network. The provider brings it into the premises when the client connects to the Internet. Routing the cable inside is a more difficult task, because the wires should not interfere and spoil the interior.
To bring the Internet to buildings, preference today is often given to optical fiber, and twisted pair is used to lay a communication network throughout the interior. This is due to the fact that it is cheaper, simpler and more convenient to install.
A twisted pair cable consists of one or more pairs of insulated conductors twisted together and covered with a plastic sheath
To lay a cable in an apartment or house, additional investments are needed, so some people try to do it themselves. But you should remember the basic rules:
- Do not leave wires unprotected, allow them to hang freely along walls or lie on the floor. Ideally, the cable should be laid under the plaster, but if this is not possible, then it is hidden in special plastic boxes.
- Do not bend the cables too much, as this may degrade the signal quality.
- It is forbidden to place electrical and network wires nearby. The distance between them should not be less than 5 cm for horizontal installation and 30 cm for vertical installation.
What is twisted pair crimping and why is it needed?
The Internet cable is connected to the computer through a special connector. It's called RJ45. But to exchange data, the wire must not only be inserted into the appropriate hole, but also crimped correctly.
The Internet cable is connected to a computer or laptop through a special connector called RJ45
A cable for connecting to the Internet, as a rule, consists of four pairs of copper wires of different colors and twisted together, enclosed in a common insulation. Crimping a twisted pair involves arranging the conductors in the correct sequence and pressing them into the connector using a special tool that ensures reliable contact for transmitting electrical signals.
How to crimp a twisted pair cable (Internet cable pinout)
For crimping twisted pair cables the following are used:
Pinout color schemes
There are two main schemes by which twisted pair cables can be crimped: straight and crossed.
They differ from each other in the way the cable cores are arranged (pinout color scheme). In the first case, at both ends of the wire the wires are arranged in the same sequence:
This method is used most often, for example, when you need to crimp a cable to connect devices of different purposes (computer, laptop, TV, etc.) with a router or modem.
If cross pinout is necessary, the cable cores in the first connector have the same sequence as in the previous case, and in the second they are arranged according to the following color scheme:
Cross crimping is used when connecting devices of the same purpose, for example, two computers or routers. But today it is almost never used, since modern network cards and routers can automatically detect the cable crimping pattern and adapt to it.
Instructions for crimping with a crimper
It’s not difficult to crimp a twisted pair cable:
- Prepare the cable, RJ45 connector and crimping tool.
- Release the cable from the outer winding approximately 2-3 centimeters from the edge. To do this, you can use a crimper: it has special knives.
Using a crimper requires practice, as it can cut twisted pair wires when releasing the cable from the outer winding. Therefore, some prefer to perform this operation using an ordinary knife.
You can remove the outer winding from a twisted pair using a crimper or a regular knife
- Unwind and align the paired twisted pair wires. Arrange them in the correct sequence according to the selected crimp pattern. Attach the cable to the connector and cut off the excess. The exposed wires must be left at such a length that the sheathed cable fits into the bottom of the connector.
To measure the length of free conductors, you need to attach a connector to the cable
- Cut off excessively long wires using a crimper.
The crimper has a special knife that can be used to cut long wires
- Insert all cable cores into the connector to the very end.
The twisted pair wires must go into the connector to the very end, under the contact pads
- Crimp the twisted pair using a crimper. To do this, insert the connector into its socket until it clicks and squeeze the handles of the tool several times.
It is very convenient to crimp twisted pair cables with a crimper, since it has a special socket for the connector
I have crimped twisted pair cables myself more than once at home and at work. This is very easy to do using a special tool; the main thing is to correctly arrange the wires by color. But you need to carefully trim the outer sheath of the cable with a crimper. My experience shows that if you put in extra effort, not only the outer insulation is cut, but also the internal conductors.
After crimping the twisted pair, the outer winding should partially fit into the connector. If the cable cores protrude from the connector, the crimping must be done again.
The outer sheath of the cable must partially extend into the connector
Instructions for crimping with a screwdriver
You can crimp the cable not only using a special tool, but also with a regular screwdriver. This method is more labor-intensive, and the likelihood of poor-quality results is higher. But it will be the only option for those who don’t have a crimper at hand. To complete the work you will need:
The cable must be crimped as follows:
Video: how to crimp a twisted pair cable with a screwdriver - visual instructions
Crimping a four-wire twisted pair cable
In addition to the eight-core twisted pair, there is also a four-wire one. It is used less frequently because it provides a data transfer speed of no more than 100 Mbit/s (on a standard cable the speed can reach 1000 Mbit/s). But such a cable is cheaper, so it is actively used in small networks with small and medium volumes of information.
The process of crimping a four-core twisted pair cable is the same as an eight-core cable: the same connectors and crimping pliers are used. But at the same time, only part of the contacts in the connector are used, namely 1, 2, 3 and 6, and the rest remain empty.
The color designations of conductors in a four-core twisted pair can be different, but most often there are two options:
- White-orange, orange, white-blue, blue.
- White-orange, orange, white-green, green.
White-orange and orange wires are always inserted into the first and second contacts, respectively. And in the third and sixth there will be either blue or green wires.
Photo gallery: color scheme for crimping a twisted pair of four cores
A four-core twisted pair cable is easier to crimp than an eight-core twisted pair cable. 
When crimping a four-core twisted pair cable, orange conductors most often occupy the first and second contacts 
When crimping a four-wire twisted pair, green wires can be used in the third and sixth contacts 
The crimping pattern for a four-core twisted pair cable with blue and brown conductors is very rare
Video: crimping a twisted pair cable onto 4 cores
How to extend the Internet cable
When bringing the Internet to an apartment or house, the provider leaves a small supply of cable. But if the computer needs to be moved to another room, problems may arise. There are several ways to extend the wire :
- Replace cable. To do this, you usually need to contact your provider, who will change it. But first you need to buy a twisted pair cable of the required length, and then pay for the services of a technician.
- Install a network switch. Solving the problem in this way is not the cheapest option, but in addition to extending the cable, it makes it possible to connect other devices in the house to the network.
- Use Wi-Fi router. Wireless data transfer will eliminate the need to use cables altogether. You can connect to the Internet anywhere in the apartment.
- Buy a special extension adapter. It is easy to use, small in size and inexpensive. This is the most popular way to increase the length of the Internet cable.
- Twist the wires by hand. This method will allow you to increase the cable to the required length without additional costs, but the signal quality will often decrease.
Photo gallery: how to connect and extend an Internet cable
Twisting the cable reduces the quality of the transmitted signal 
Using an adapter is the easiest and most inexpensive way to extend the Internet cable 
To extend the Internet cable, you can use a switch, but this will be the most expensive solution
How to twist the cable correctly
Since twisting wires does not require any additional costs or special tools, many people use this method to extend cables at home. This can be done in different ways.
- If you do not want to crimp the cable again, then the twisted pair already installed in your house or apartment needs to be cut in any convenient place and a piece of wire of the required length inserted there. But it is important to remember a significant disadvantage: there will be two twisting points along the path of the Internet connection, and this cannot but affect the data transfer speed. Moreover, the longer the wire, the worse it is.
- When you are ready to re-crimp the cable, cut off the crimped end, extend the wire, and attach a new RJ45 connector. This way there will only be one twist point on your cable.
The wires must be connected to each other in the same color, and the connection points must be well insulated.
Video: how to twist an Internet cable
How to split an Internet cable
Network users often wonder how to split an Internet cable. Such measures may be required in several situations:
- when moving a laptop around an apartment/house, i.e. when you need to connect it to the Internet in different rooms;
- if you have several computers/laptops and need to connect them to the Internet.
The problem is solved in different ways.
- In both cases, the easiest way out is to buy a Wi-Fi router. But not everyone wants to connect to the network this way.
- If a cable connection is required, then the most reliable option is a switch. Its advantage is that all devices connected through it gain access to the Internet at the same time. Moreover, there can be as many such devices as there are ports in the network equipment.
- An adapter-splitter is another convenient and inexpensive option. But you can connect only two computers to the World Wide Web through it, no more.
- Some network users suggest manually branching the Internet cable. To do this, you need to attach two wires of the same color to each core, insulate everything well and separate the wires in the room. But this method does not guarantee the quality of the connection, so experts do not recommend using it. In addition, you can only connect to the network with such a cable one at a time; two computers will not work at the same time in such a situation.
Photo gallery: ways to connect two or more devices to the network
The RJ45 splitter adapter is the simplest and most convenient way to connect two PCs to the Internet at the same time 
Branching a twisted pair cable by twisting the cores does not guarantee good signal transmission and high-quality Internet 
Wi-Fi connection allows you to connect wirelessly to the Internet 
A network switch allows you to connect as many devices to the network as there are ports in it.
Computers are mainly connected to the Internet using a special Internet cable with a connector fixed at the end of the wire. Such an Internet cable is called twisted pair or patch cord.
Ethernet crossover cable
Sometimes there are cases when the crimp of the Internet cable in the connector weakens or the latch on it breaks and therefore the Internet stops working or the Internet seems to be connected, but the pages are still not accessible or the error appears: network cable not connected. In this case, many do not know how to repair the Internet cable, and this will require replacing the Internet cable connector, but for this you will have to buy a new RJ-45 connector and re-crimp the network cable.
Internet cable crimping pliers Crimping wires for the Internet can be done using crimping pliers for an Internet cable or using a screwdriver.
How to branch an Internet cable
So that you have an example of how the pinout of the Internet cable in the connector was done, you need to bite off the old connector along with a small piece of wire with pliers. If you manage to evenly bite off the wire along with the old connector, then you need to use small scissors or a knife to remove the main insulation by about 2 cm. The network cable usually consists of four twisted pairs. This 8-wire internet cable can support internet speeds of up to 1 Gb/s.
After cutting the network cable, you need to arrange the colored wires in the same order as on the old connector. Then you need to measure a length of 12 mm from the insulator for the colored wires arranged in order, and bite off the rest evenly with wire cutters. If you do not have an example of how an Internet cable was wired into a connector, then first you need to determine which wire you want to crimp.
How to crimp an internet cable
After inserting the wires into the connector, the general insulator of the wire should fit inside the connector. When the wires are inserted into the connector, you need to carefully insert it into the corresponding opening in the network cable crimp and press firmly on its handles. As a result, the conductors on the collector will cut through the insulation of the colored wires and come into contact with them, and the common winding of the wires will be securely fixed by the connector.
You can properly crimp the network cable with a screwdriver If you do not have a special tool for crimping an Internet cable, you can use a regular flat-head screwdriver and pliers. First, on a connector with inserted colored wires, you need to push all the contacts a little, and then use a screwdriver to press them in individually. After pressing the contacts, you need to press the clamp with a screwdriver so that it fixes the wire insulator.