After hunkering down for a while you might find yourself buried alive under the amount of low voltage networking information.
While crawling and running in the trench you'll bump into fellow soldiers cat5e, fiber optic cable, security cameras. You'll also find tutorials, tips, installation aids and all kinds of cool networking stuff!
The commander and chief is Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Check out the new product videos we did on Bulk Cat5e cable and Cat5e Shielded Cable. The cat5e cable comes in 1,000ft pull boxes and features the Reelex cone inside. These Reelex boxes reduce tangles while pulling cable, which increases your productivity. The shielded cat5e cable comes on a durable wooden spool. For more information on both products, click the links above or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com.
The Kwik Jacks and Kwik Tool are the newest addition of keystone jacks to the Discount-Low-Voltage.com lineup. We first introduced them back in January of this year and have had nothing but great feedback for the Kwik Jacks. Today, Im going to show you step-by-step How To Terminate the Cat5e/Cat6 Kwik Jacks. I'll include photos and a video to help you along the way. Let's get started. Blog Updated 6-15-11: New Kwik Tool design
Now that we have the right tools, lets punch down some keystone jacks
First, strip back the jacket about 1-2". The Cat6 cable (bottom) is larger than the Cat5e cable because it has a center spline, which separates all 4 pairs of wires. This center spline helps reduce Alien Cross-talk.
Cut off the ripcord
Cut off the separator if you're using Cat6 cable
Now were ready to lace up the wires on your keystone jack. One the the nicest features of these jacks is the pointed 110s. This makes it much easier to lay the wires in, compared to the flat style some other keystone jacks have. Here's a close up view. You can also see it clearly shows the 568B and 568A color code on every jack.
Follow the color code on the side of the jacks. We suggest using 568B since it is the most common. Here is a picture of the 568B color code.
You can use your fingernail to seat the wires, or a utility knife. Make sure not to use the sharp side though, or you could cut through the wire jacket. Once all 4 pairs are laid down in the jack, it should look like this.
Make sure the jacket on your cable is as close to the keystone jack as possible. You don't want anymore than 1/2" of the wires exposed. Below is a picture of the WRONG WAY to do it.
Once the 4 pairs of wires are laced onto your Kwik Jack, slide the jack into the Kwik Tool
Updated 6-15-11: New Kwik Tool design
Here is what the Kwik Jack looks like inserted into the Kwik Tool
Once you have the Kwik Jack in the tool, simply squeeze down on the handle and release. This will punch down and cut all 4 pairs of wires. Remove the Kwik Jack from the tool. Here is a completed Cat5e/Cat6 Kwik Jack
Tip: You can also use a 110 punch tool to terminate the Kwik Jacks
Now, snap on the included dust cover and you're done.
Now let's watch Mercy demonstrate this process on video:
We hope our article on How To Terminate Cat5e/Cat6 Kwik Jacks Using the Kwik Tool was helpful. For more information, or to order any of these items, visit our website at Discount-Low-Voltage.com
In this article, I'll explain step by step how low voltage Premise and Outside Plant (OSP) cable is made. This includes Cat3 telephone cable, Cat5e, Cat6, Armored, Gel-filled and more. Enjoy
Copper Rod Breakdown
The first step in low voltage cable production is copper rod breakdown. Copper is sent to the factory in 5,000lb coils. These copper coils are continuously drawn through diamond dies that drastically reduce the diameter of the copper to 10 or 12 gauge. Lubrication is used during this process to reduce the amount of friction and heat on the copper cable. Once completed, the copper is stacked in vertical coils, called Stem Packs. These stem packs are then transferred to another drawling operation that further reduces the gauge of the copper. During this stage, the copper is also charged with an electrical current. This anneals the copper, which is a softening process. Once annealed and cooled off, the copper runs through a laser measurement system, to verify it is within manufacturing specifications.
Copper Insulation Process
The copper insulation process is continually monitored and controlled up to +/- .0001". Once the copper is insulated, it runs through a water cooling trough, allowing the wire jacket to properly harden.
Copper Twisting
Twisting helps reduce crosstalk between the individual pairs of wire. Some Cat6 premise cables include a center spline, or wire separator, to further reduce crosstalk and increase performance. Copper twisting is accomplished by running each individual wire through multiple faceplates. This helps control pair position. Once twisted, we have what's called a Cable Unit.
Jacketing
The cable unit then goes through the jacketing process. This step varies, depending on what type of cable your manufacturing. OSP cable typically uses a black polyethylene or UV rated Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). For Cat3, Cat5e and Cat6 Premise cable, varying grades of PVC are used, depending on flame safety rating requirements. This steps starts off with molten plastic being extruded at high pressure and formed around the moving cable core. Shielding, ripcords, armoring and water blocking compound may also be applied at this step. Cables that require dual shielding or double armor will need to repeat this process. Once completed, the cable passed through a long cooling bath, then through a laser micrometer to verify the final diameter.
Printing
Printing is done just before the cable is put in it's final packaging. For OSP cable, a hot foil printing process is used, that leaves an indented print in the cable jacket. For Premise cable, a high speed ink jet printer is used. Some cable manufacturers print footage marking from 1000-0ft, making it very easy to determine how much cable you have left in the box, or measuring out cable runs. Other manufacturers use a 6 digit footage mark, making the process a little harder.
Coiling
The completed cable is then wound onto a reel or coil. the coiling process requires very precise tension controls to insure the cable won't tangle when being pulled out of the box.
Final Testing
Once the cable is printed and coiled, it goes through one last set of tests. The manufacturer will test it against a large set of mechanical and electrical performance specifications. Once tested, the cable is ready for shipment.
To order Cat3, Cat5e, Cat6, Outside Plant Telephone cable, Fiber or many other types of bulk cable, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or give us a call at (888) 797-3697
Welcome to the Discount-Low-Voltage.com Blog. Today we are going to demonstrate How to Make an Ethernet Cat5e or Cat6 Cable. Here is a list of the items you will need to make your ethernet cable:
Wire Stripper
Cable Cutter
RJ45 Crimp Tool
RJ45 Modular Plugs
Ethernet Cable - Cat5, Cat5e or Cat6
Cable Tester
Now that you have the right tools, lets make an ethernet cable.
Step 1) Strip off 2 inches of jacket on the cable. Cut the excess ripcord off. (Note: If you're using Cat6 cable, it may have a wire separator between the 4 pairs of wires. Cut that off as well).
Orange/White Orange Green/White Blue Blue/White Green Brown/White Brown
Step 4) Hold the wires flat and use scissors to cut straight across, leaving 1/2" of wire exposed.
Step 4a) If you're making Cat6 cables, your mod plug will come with a loadbar. This small plastic piece must go on before you insert the wires into the mod plug.(for detailed instructions on installing the loadbar, scroll down to the comments located at the very bottom of this article)
Step 5) Insert the wires into your modular plug, making sure to keep the wires flat and in the same order. Verify that the wires are all flush at the very end of the plug. Note how the cable jacket is past the crimp spot on the plug and the wires are all the way to the end.
Step 6) Insert mod plug into crimp tool and squeeze handle. Keep slight pressure on the cable (towards the crimp tool) as you're crimping the plug. This will ensure nothing comes loose as you squeeze the handle and crimp down the mod plug.
Step 7) Remove mod plug from crimp tool and verify everything was done correctly. Note how the crimp is pushing down on the jacket and the pins have seated into the wire. Now follow the same process on the other side.
Step 8) Now that you have a completed ethernet cable, plug one end into your Transmitter and the other end into the Receiver. The wires will light up either "Green" or "Red". If you have done everything correctly, you should see all green lights. If not, you will need to go back and redo the side causing the error.
Don't own a crimp tool? Need more Cat5e cable? Order that all here:
4 Pair Cat5e CMR cable from Discount-Low-Voltage.com is manufactured by LS Cable, the parent company of Superior Essex and one of the largest, most respected cable manufacturers on the planet.
While many of our online competitors sell Cat5e PVC cable with thinner conductors or copper-coated aluminum conductors, this cable uses 100% pure copper 24 gauge conductors to comply with all industry standards. It has been rigorously tested and is guaranteed to give you optimal results. Our Cat5e PVC cable comes in sturdy, easy to use pull boxes so you won't have to worry about spool tangles or wire damage. We use additional packaging so that they also hold up well during shipping.
This Cat5e cable features a specialized print legend that will display a countdown from 1000 feet to 0 feet (as well as from 305 meters to 0 meters), so that you know the exact length of the cable left in the box.
Because we care about quality, this cable is fully UL, ETL, and DELTA Verified for guaranteed performance and safety standards compliance. It is also fully RoHS compliant.
This high quality product from LS Cable supports Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 155 Mb/s ATM, and many multimedia applications, as well as can be used as standard telephone wire or for installing many types of 24 volt amplified and 70 bolt commercial paging speaker systems.
This cable design is accepted world wide as the standard for global commercial network installation.
Every single master reel is tested individually before it leaves the factory to make sure that it is in compliance with electrical performance standards.
When this Cat5e cable is installed with approved Cat5e jacks, patch panels, 110 blocks, and patch cords by an LS Cable certified contractor, the complete network cabling system can be eligible for a manufacture backed 20 year system warranty. For more information, email us at sales@discount-low-voltage.com
We've been selling products by LS Cable for years, since back when they were called LG Cable (part of the same company that makes everything from cellular phones to refrigerators). LS Cable's consistent product quality and competitive price point has earned our loyalty, and we know that when you try it, you will become a repeat customer as well.
This cable follows the standard 4-pair EIA color-coding, which is as follows:
1 white/blue
2 blue/white
3 white/orange
4 orange/white
5 white/green
6 green/white
7 white/brown
8 brown/white
