Did you know you can make your own networking cable with a crimpling cabling tool – you can!

Sure, it’s always easy to take a drive down to the store to buy network cables however their predetermined lengths sometimes pose a problem. At times, you may find networking cables to be a little on the short side, in which case they will have to be coupled. At other times, they may be too long which requires having to tie up excess cabling and is never the ideal situation. Instead of ending up with a mess of network cables you didn’t want, use a customizable crimpling cable tool to get the job done. All it takes is a little cutting and crimping.

To begin, purchase some raw CAT 5, Cat 5e, or CAT 5 cables; some RJ45 connectors; and a high quality crimpling cabling tool. If you can also afford a network cable tester, buy it. That way, you can confirm on the spot whether a cable has been wired correctly and is in functioning order.

After you have the tools, you need to know what wiring schemes you are working with. The wiring scheme is what defines how wires and pin-outs are arranged on the connectors and jacks to be used for network cabling. There are two types of network cables. The first, straight-through cables, are typically used to connect modems, routers, PCs, and media players. Then, there are crossover cables, which connect similar devices together, a la connecting two PCs for data transfer. Several years ago, crossover cables were highly common however most modern devices are equipped with Auto-MDIX ports to detect whether a crossover is required.

How to use a crimpling cabling tool to make your networking cables is relatively straightforward. Inside any CAT 5, CAT 5e, or CAT 6 cable, there will be four twisted pairs of colored wires. They will also be some fibers inside to add tensile strength, which can be cut off when crimping on a connector. Note that the fibers carry no electronic signals. To create a straight-through cable, one will have to arrange the internal wiring and place them into the connectors with the same wiring scheme, done at both ends of the cable. For a basic crossover cable, one will have to follow different wire-into-connector standards at each end of the cable. When you’re done, you’ve got it!

Prime Cables is a premiere Canadian supplier of high quality cable testers and crimping tools. Browse our catalogue for all types of testers; crimping, stripping, and cutting network tools; F, BNC, and RCA coaxial tools; stud finders; and cleaning kits.