Click here for a short film demonstrating how to terminate a cable.
( 579 kb download).

INSTALLATION AND TECHNIQUES

Now that the network plan is in place, it's an appropriate time to begin learning about the physical aspects of installation, from cables and jacks, to creation of the wiring closet.

Activity 4. CAT5 Cable Termination

Unlike telephone cable, where all cables are stripped, separated, and carefully dressed into a rack, it is important to keep twisted pair cables twisted, ensuring less data loss. For this reason, when beginning, be sure that no more than one inch of cable is exposed when the outer jacket is removed.

To terminate a cable, carefully follow these steps:

1. Strip the outer jacket: Using a utility knife - or better yet, a UTP cable stripper, carefully score all the way around the outer jacket of the CAT5 about an inch back from the top of the cable. Some cables have a 'zip cord' which will allow you to pull on it to slice the jacket open to the desired depth, up to your score mark. Gently bend back the score mark to open the cut, and if there is a zip cord in the cable, pull it back to remove the jacket, and expose the twisted pairs.
   
   
2. Untwist the wire ends: Carefully untwist the ends of the coloured wires to enable you to put them into the correct order according to the standards, depending upon whether you are terminating a patch cable ("A" standard), a crossover cable ("A" on one end, "B" on the other).
   
   
3. Order the wire ends by colour, according to the correct standard: Looking at the cable chart, put the wires into the correct colour order. This is more easily done by pinching the wires between finger and thumb, at the base nearest the cable jacket, while using the other hand to order the wires.
   
   
4. Flatten the wires out: Once the wires are in the correct order, holding them firmly with one hand at the base, use the other hand to flatten the wires into one plane.
   
   
5. Trim the wires to length: Once they are all level with each other, cut the wires off, ensuring that they are the same length - about 1/2" - most crimpers also have a cutter for this purpose. Some may even have a guide to ensure that the length is correct. Check the length by holding the cable up to an RJ45 connector. the jacket should appear to be well inside the crimper if the wires are to be fully inserted into the connector.
   
   
   
6. Insert wires into the RJ45: Carefully insert the wires into the RJ45 connector end, ensuring that you have the connector the right way around. The diagram below shows you the correct RJ45 orientation.
   
   
   
   
7. Push wires ALL the way in: Ensure that wire ends are pushed into the RJ45 connector all the way, so that ends of wires are well-seated right into the RJ45 connector and the insulation sheath is well into the connector. This ensures that the RJ45 connector and the insulation sheath become one unit when crimped.
   
   
   
8. Crimp the connector onto the cable: Being careful not to pull the jack end off the wires, FIRMLY crimp the end onto the cable by inserting the end into the appropriate slot on your crimpers. If using standard crimpers, ensure that the end is crimped very firmly. If using ratcheting crimpers, the crimpers will not release until the crimp is successfully completed. For this reason, it is recommended that if possible, ratcheting crimpers be purchased.
   
   
   
   
9. Check your crimp: Once crimped, pull on the connector. If the crimp was done correctly, the cable and the connector should not pull apart. This means that it will not break easily. Firm cable attachment ensures that there will be less chance of a single wire or twisted pair bending and breaking. As cable breaks are often difficult to find and/or diagnose, it's best to ensure that crimping is done correctly.
   
   
10. What not to do: The CAT5 cable and twisted pairs on the lefthand connector have not been inserted all the way into the connector. This connector will likely not work well. The CAT5 cable should be inserted all the way into the jack like the example on the right. However, the example on the right has the wires in the wrong order. Always ensure that wires are in the correct order, according to the standard.
    
    

    Make sure that your cable jacket is inserted all the way into the jack - Don't leave bare twisted pairs exposed.	Don't mix up the wires - make sure they're in the correct order!