Update: thank you all for your detailed and kind input! I finally tried crimping on an 8P8C connector onto an Ethernet cable. I failed. Miserably. But at least I finally learned what’s actually happening - or what’s supposed to happen: the teeth of the connector actually puncture the individual wires in order to make contact with the conductors inside. Sic. But omg is it a game of patience. 🤣

I actually just want to shorten one that I’m already using. 😊

      • Blaster M@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        6 days ago

        Passthru lets you push the wires all the way through the plug. With a compatible crimp tool, it will lock in the wires and trim off the excess in one go. This lets you push the jacket as far into the plug as possible, so it has a good, secure grip on the cable when crimped.

        If you don’t have a compatible tool, just a normal rj45 crimper, you can push the wires all the way through, cut the excess as far back as it allows, then carefully pullback until the wires are flush with the end and not sticking out - it’s important they don’t stick out or you could short things in some cases. You also have to be more careful to make sure the wires are correctly at the end of the plug and not too far in or out when you put it in the crimper - it will inevitably over or undershoot with a passthru if you don’t have the right tool.

        Some say the traditional rj45 is better, some say the passthru is better.

        Also, never crimp with the other end plugged into anything.

      • Bustedknuckles@lemmy.world
        2·
        6 days ago

        It’s just a special type of connector plug that lets the wires slide through if you want to see the wires come out the front. I just used clear connectors to check the color ordering